Undergraduate Admissions
UC San Diego’s Admissions Office handles undergraduate admissions for both freshmen and transfer students.
Why select a major from the Department of Economics?
The American Economic Association (AEA) is an excellent resource for students who are considering majoring in Economics and for students who are already enrolled in undergraduate Economics programs. The AEA site is designed to provide an overview of the skills, the literature, and the issues found in modern economics. It also provides information about careers, graduate study, and other opportunities for undergraduates.
Economic Course Equivalencies for All Students
Advanced Placement/AP, International Baccalaureate/IB, A-Level Exams:
- Receiving a score of 5 on the AP Microeconomics Exam will give you credit for ECON 1.
- Receiving a score of 5 on the AP Macroeconomics Exam will give you credit for ECON 3.
- Receiving a score of 7 on the IB HL exam will give you credit for both ECON 1 and ECON 3.
- Receiving the grade of A on the A-Level Exam will give you credit for both ECON 1 and ECON 3.
Freshman Preparation
Modern economics is mathematical and calculus is a standard working tool. You can prepare for our majors with high school courses and community college courses in Economics and Math. For exam equivalencies, see the information above.
Math Courses
- Take courses that will prepare you for college calculus.
- Check with the Math Department for AP Calculus Equivalencies.
Many community colleges offer courses equivalent to lower division Econ and Math courses.
- Check ASSIST for California community college transfer course equivalencies.
Transfer Student Preparation
We highly recommend that the courses listed below are completed before transferring to UC San Diego. Economics upper division courses will use these courses as prerequisites; not having these courses completed may delay graduation.
- Economics Majors (BA and BS): ECON 1, 3, Math 10A-B-C (Math 20A-B-C is recommended)
- Business Economics Majors: ECON 1, 3, MGT 45, Math 10A-B-C (Math 20A-B-C is recommended)
- Joint Math-Econ Majors: ECON 1, 3, and Math 20A-B-C-D and Math 18 (formerly 20F)
Check ASSIST for community college transfer course equivalencies. Not transferring from a community college? The Math Department posts transfer equivalencies from many other colleges and four-year universities as well. Any course not listed on either of these sites will likely have to be petitioned for credit upon entering UC San Diego. See or FAQ for more information on petitions.
Questions? Check out our FAQ page, or our Virtual Advising Center (for currently registered students), or email (prospective students).
Questions about the student experience? Connect with a current student in our Undergraduate Economic Society (UES) by email, at ues.ucsd.edu, or on Facebook.