Economics, AA-T
Program Description
Economics is the study of how society allocates scarce resources—such as land, labor, and capital—in an attempt to satisfy unlimited wants. It is broadly divided into two branches: macroeconomics and microeconomics. Macroeconomics is concerned with the workings of the economy as a whole. It is the study of broad measures of economic performance: Gross Domestic Product, unemployment, and inflation. Microeconomics focuses on the role of individual decision-makers—consumers and firms—and analyzes the efficiencies and failures of a market system. The two branches approach the fundamental questions of resource allocation from opposite sides: one from the perspective of the economy as a whole and one from the perspective of the individual agents in the economy.
The Associate in Arts in Economics for Transfer degree prepares students for transfer to California State Universities (CSUs). Students who complete the Associate in Arts in Economics for Transfer degree will be ensured preferential transfer status to CSUs for economics majors and majors in related disciplines. The Associate in Arts in Economics for Transfer degree requirements will fulfill the lower division major requirements at many CSUs. Students are advised, however, to meet with a counselor to assess the course requirements for specific CSUs.
Learn more about the program on the Economics website.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students will have a working understanding of the role of prices in a market economy, the benefits of trade, economic growth and stability, market structures and competition, market failures, and the economic role of government.
- Students will be able to employ economic reasoning to explain the world around them and make objective decisions based on assessments of costs and benefits.
Units Required
- Major: 28-48
Associate Degree Requirements
Associate in Arts in Economics for Transfer requires completion of a minimum of 90 units, including:
- Core and support courses for the major (28-48 units)1
- Summer Session 2025 only–CSU General Education Breadth (CSU GE Breadth) or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)2 (49-58 units) (full certification is required)
- Beginning Fall Quarter 2025–California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)3 (45 units) (full certification is required)
- Transferable electives necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement
- 1
Some units from the core and support courses may be used to satisfy the GE requirement. Please see a counselor for more information.
- 2
Summer Session 2025 is the final term during which CSU GE Breadth and IGETC may be used. Please see a counselor for more information. Important Note: Although it is possible to fulfill the requirements for the Associate Degree for Transfer by completing the IGETC for UC pattern, admission to CSU requires completion of an Oral Communication course (IGETC Area 1C; CSU GE Area A-1); therefore, students who plan to transfer to CSU should complete this course as part of their GE or elective units.
- 3
Cal-GETC begins in Fall Quarter 2025. Please see a counselor for more information.
Note: All courses pertaining to the major must be completed with a grade of "C" (or "P") or better. In addition, the student must obtain a minimum GPA of 2.0.
Core and Support Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| ECON 1A | PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 5 |
| ECON 1B | PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 5 |
| MATH 10 | ELEMENTARY STATISTICS | 5 |
| or MATH 17 | INTEGRATED STATISTICS II | |
| or PSYC 7 | STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES | |
| or SOC 7 | STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES | |
| And complete one of the following: | 5-15 | |
| CALCULUS FOR BUSINESS & ECONOMICS | ||
| CALCULUS and CALCULUS 1 | ||
| CALCULUS and CALCULUS and CALCULUS 2 | ||
| CALCULUS and HONORS CALCULUS II 1 | ||
| CALCULUS and HONORS CALCULUS II and CALCULUS 2 | ||
| HONORS CALCULUS I and CALCULUS 1 | ||
| HONORS CALCULUS I and CALCULUS and CALCULUS 2 | ||
| HONORS CALCULUS I and HONORS CALCULUS II 1 | ||
| HONORS CALCULUS I and HONORS CALCULUS II and CALCULUS 2 | ||
| Support Courses | ||
| List A | ||
| Complete one course from List A: | 4-10 | |
| FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING I and FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING II 1 | ||
| FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING I and HONORS FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING II | ||
| MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | ||
or ACTG 1CH | HONORS MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | |
| INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS | ||
or BUSI 11H | HONORS INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS | |
| BUSINESS LAW I | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS | ||
or BUSI 22H | HONORS PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS | |
| OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING METHODOLOGIES IN JAVA | ||
| OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING METHODOLOGIES IN C++ | ||
| OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING METHODOLOGIES IN PYTHON | ||
| HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | ||
| HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO 1815 and HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 1812 TO 1914 1 | ||
| HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 1812 TO 1914 and HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 1914 TO THE PRESENT 1 | ||
| CALCULUS and CALCULUS 1, 3 | ||
| HONORS CALCULUS II and CALCULUS | ||
| POLITICAL SCIENCE: INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT & POLITICS | ||
| List B | ||
| And complete one course from List B: | 4-10 | |
Any course not used in List A | ||
| CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
or ANTH 2AH | HONORS CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | |
| INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY | ||
or POLI 9 | INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY | |
or ECON 9H | HONORS INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY | |
or POLI 9H | HONORS INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY | |
| THE GLOBAL ECONOMY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ETHNIC STUDIES | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO LATINX STUDIES | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL STUDIES | ||
or GLST 1H | HONORS INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL STUDIES | |
| CALCULUS and CALCULUS 1 | ||
| LINEAR ALGEBRA | ||
| GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
or PSYC 1H | HONORS GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY | |
| INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | ||
or SOC 1H | HONORS INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | |
| Total Units | 28-48 | |
- 1
Both courses must be completed to fulfill the requirement.
- 2
All three courses must be completed to fulfill the requirement.
- 3
If not used to satisfy the core requirement.