Financial Economics, B.S.

Offered by Economics .

University Requirements

Completion of Minimum University Requirements for an Undergraduate Baccalaureate Degree .

Minimum 120 credits and minimum GPA of 2.0
Completion of 45 upper-level credits, the residence requirement, the Writing Intensive requirement, and the General Education requirement

Major Requirements

Minimum 61 credits
Minimum grade of ‘C’ in courses applied to the major
Minimum 21 credits of ECON completed in residence at UMBC
Students may complete a maximum of one major or minor from Economics
ECON 600 may not be used toward the Financial Economics, B.S.

Course Requirements

General Core (40-43 credits)

It is recommended that students complete the 100-level courses by the end of the first year or before transferring to UMBC and complete the 300-level courses by the end of the second year or as soon as possible after transferring to UMBC.

Quantitative Methods

Complete one of the following:

Computer Science

Complete one of the following by the end of the first year or before transferring to UMBC, if possible:

Statistics

Complete one of the following:

Calculus

Complete one of the following by the end of the first year or before transferring to UMBC, if possible:

Additional Mathematics

Complete one of the following:

Ethics or Logic

Complete one of the following:

Financial Economics Core (12 credits)

Complete 12 credits from the following, including ECON 471 or ECON 475 and a maximum of 3 credits from ECON 410 :

Electives (9 credits)

Complete 9 credits from economics courses numbered ECON 314 or higher, including additional courses from the General Core or Financial Economics Core and a maximum of two courses from the following approved substitutions.

Preparing for Graduate Study

Students preparing for graduate study in economics, particularly at the doctoral level, should complete courses that provide the necessary mathematical background. These include:

Preparing for a Career in Business

Students interested in pursuing a career in business should consider completing one of the certificates offered by Information Systems in addition to their major requirements.

Four-Year Academic Pathways

The Four-Year Academic Pathways webpage offers helpful sample pathways for students eager to explore their academic options and stay on track for a four-year graduation. These pathways provide a starting point for students to plan how to complete their degree in four years. However, it’s important to remember that these are just samples. In consultation with their academic advisor, each student will create an individualized degree plan that reflects their unique academic background, interests, and career goals.

Students must develop their personalized degree plan by the time they’ve earned 45 credits and regularly update it with their advisor as their goals and academic journey evolve. This approach ensures that students make thoughtful, strategic choices that set them up for success throughout their time at UMBC.

Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs

Qualified students may apply to an accelerated program, which allows them to take graduate courses as undergraduate students and later apply those courses to master’s degrees. A student may apply to participate in an accelerated program even if the desired graduate program is in a department other than the one in which they are majoring. More information is available from the Accelerated Program page of the Graduate School website.