Economics and Computer Science Major
Program Requirements
- Total units required: 54
The College of Arts & Sciences and the McKelvey School of Engineering have developed a major that allows students interested in both economics and computer science to combine these two complementary disciplines efficiently, without having to pursue them as two separate majors.
Engineering students who declare this major must fulfill the distribution requirements and all other requirements for the BS in Applied Science degree in the McKelvey School of Engineering. Arts & Sciences students who declare this major must fulfill the distribution requirements and all other requirements for an AB degree in addition to the specific requirements listed below. It is possible to earn the Financial Economics Specialization in conjunction with this major (prime or second), and interested students should consult with the Academic Coordinator in the Department of Economics.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Econ 1011 | Introduction to Microeconomics | 3 |
| Econ 1021 | Introduction to Macroeconomics | 3 |
| Econ 4011 | Intermediate Microeconomic Theory | 3 |
| Econ 413 | Introduction to Econometrics | 3 |
| or Econ 413W | Introduction to Econometrics with Writing | |
| Math 131 | Calculus I (AP credit may satisfy this requirement) | 3 |
| Math 132 | Calculus II (AP credit may satisfy this requirement) | 3 |
| Math 233 | Calculus III | 3 |
| SDS 3200 | Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis * | 3 |
| or SDS 3211 | Statistics for Data Science I | |
| or ESE 326 | Probability and Statistics for Engineering | |
| CSE 131 | Introduction to Computer Science | 3 |
| CSE 240 | Logic and Discrete Mathematics | 3 |
| or Math 310 | Foundations for Higher Mathematics | |
| or Math 310W | Foundations For Higher Mathematics With Writing | |
| CSE 247 | Data Structures and Algorithms | 3 |
| CSE 347 | Analysis of Algorithms | 3 |
- *
Of these options, SDS 3200 is the preferred course.
Elective Courses
- Three 3-unit economics electives drawn from any Econ 4011 prerequisite course, including Econ 4021
- Economics electives of particular relevance include (but are not limited to) Econ 407 Market Design, Econ 4151 Applied Econometrics, Econ 4160 Topics in Econometrics: Microeconometrics, Econ 452 Industrial Organization, Econ 4567 Auction Theory and Practice, Econ 467 Game Theory, and Econ 484 Computational Macroeconomics.
- Three 3-unit computer science electives drawn from the list below:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CSE 217A | Introduction to Data Science | 3 |
| CSE 311A | Introduction to Intelligent Agents Using Science Fiction | 3 |
| CSE 314A | Data Manipulation and Management | 3 |
| CSE 330S | Rapid Prototype Development and Creative Programming | 3 |
| CSE 332S | Object-Oriented Software Development Laboratory | 3 |
| CSE 341T | Parallel and Sequential Algorithms | 3 |
| CSE 400E | Independent Study | varies; max. 3 |
| CSE 411A | AI and Society | 3 |
| CSE 412A | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| CSE 416A | Data Science for Complex Networks | 3 |
| CSE 417T | Introduction to Machine Learning * | 3 |
| or ESE 417 | Introduction to Machine Learning and Pattern Classification | |
| CSE 419A | Introduction to AI for Health | 3 |
| CSE 425S | Programming Systems and Languages | 3 |
| CSE 427S | Cloud Computing with Big Data Applications | 3 |
| CSE 435S | Database Management Systems | 3 |
| CSE 457A | Introduction to Visualization | 3 |
| CSE 514A | Data Mining | 3 |
| CSE 517A | Machine Learning | 3 |
| CSE 518A | Human-in-the-Loop Computation | 3 |
| CSE 543T | Algorithms for Nonlinear Optimization | 3 |
| CSE 557A | Advanced Visualization | 3 |
- *
Students planning to complete CSE 517A Machine Learning should try to complete CSE 417T Introduction to Machine Learning as the prerequisite course. Non-engineering students may substitute SDS 3200 Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis or SDS 3211 Statistics for Data Science I for the ESE 326 Probability and Statistics for Engineering prerequisite for ESE 417 Introduction to Machine Learning and Pattern Classification.
Additional Information
- All courses in the major must be completed with the letter grade option, and a grade of at least C- must be earned in each.
- In rare cases, and with preapproval from both Economics and Computer Science, majors may receive 3 units of major credit for an elective outside of those listed above. Students must receive preapproval for such a course before enrollment, and approval will only be granted for courses that are in the spirit of the joint major.
- Majors selecting an approved study abroad program (for one semester) may receive transfer credit for Econ 413. Note: Many study abroad programs in Europe do not offer the equivalent of Econ 413 in the spring semester. A grade of C (or higher) is required in study abroad course work. Preapproval from the Economics department's study abroad advisor is required.
- Majors selecting an approved study abroad program (for one semester) may receive transfer credit for one economics elective. A grade of C (or higher) is required in study abroad course work. Preapproval from the Economics department's study abroad advisor is required.
- Majors selecting an approved study abroad program (for one semester) may receive transfer credit for up to two Computer Science electives. A grade of C (or higher) is required in study abroad course work. Preapproval from a McKelvey School of Engineering's study abroad advisor is required. Majors should review the McKelvey School of Engineering’s transfer course approval process and refer to the Transfer Course Equivalency Database.
- Majors selecting an approved study abroad program for a full year of study will be handled on a case-by-case basis in terms of meeting major degree requirements.
- No credit is awarded in the major from the AP Microeconomics exam or the AP Macroeconomics exam. Students who have a score of 5 on the corresponding AP exam may elect to bypass Econ 1011 and/or Econ 1021, but any bypassed units must be made up with preapproved elective credit in Economics or Computer Science. In Economics, this preapproved elective credit may be at the 300 or 400 level.
- AP credit (and back credit) for Math 131 and/or Math 132 is accepted in the Economics major.
- Please refer to Arts & Sciences' Policies & Procedures for more information about credit for test scores and college credit prior to matriculation to Washington University.
- Majors may receive a maximum of 6 units of transfer credit from other colleges/universities to replace Econ 1011 and/or Econ 1021. A minimum grade of C- must be earned. This policy is distinct from studying in an approved study abroad/study away program. Consult with the Economics department Academic Coordinator, as needed.
- Transfer credit for computer science, mathematics, and probability/statistics courses is approved by the respective departments and is accepted by the Department of Economics for major credit.
- For further details on policies and procedures, please refer to the Economics Undergraduate Guide and the Department of Economics website, or schedule a meeting with the Economics department Academic Coordinator.
Visit the Economics page
for additional information about this program.
Contact Info
| Contact: | Dorothy Petersen, Academic Coordinator |
| Phone: | 314-935-5644 |
| Email: | dottie@wustl.edu |
| Website: | http://economics.wustl.edu |