Beginning in the 2024-25 academic year, the order of topics covered in the Econ 100ABC - Intermediate Microeconomics sequence has changed. The overall list of topics remains the same, but some topics previously covered in ECON 100C will now be covered in A and B, while more mathematically advanced topics will be moved to the new ECON 100C class. 

The new sequence descriptions, as well as the old descriptions, for reference and comparison, are provided below. The new sequence course descriptions are not yet reflected in the official UCSD catalog, but will be by Summer 2025.

• ECON 100A (New): Economic analysis of household choices for the demand of goods and services. Analysis of firms’ production and costs and the supply of output. Analysis of perfectly competitive markets and introduction to general equilibrium. Prerequisites: ECON 1 and MATH 10C or 20C or 31BH.

• ECON 100A (Old): Economic analysis of household determination of the demand for goods and services, consumption/saving decisions, and the supply of labor. Prerequisites: ECON 1 and MATH 10C or 20C or 31BH.

• ECON 100B (New): Game theory and analysis of the effects of imperfect market structure, strategy and information economics, public goods, and externalities. Prerequisites: ECON 100A.

• ECON 100B (Old): Analysis of firms’ production and costs, the supply of output, and demand factors of production. Analysis of perfectly competitive markets. Prerequisite: Econ 100A.

• ECON 100C (New): Advanced analysis of production, costs, the supply of output, and demand for factors of production. Advanced analysis of the demand for goods and services. Applications to consumption and saving decisions, strategic behavior, and the supply of labor. General equilibrium and welfare. Prerequisites: ECON 100B.

• ECON 100C (Old): Analysis of the effects of imperfect market structure, strategy, and imperfect information. Prerequisite: Econ 100B.

To facilitate this transition, the change is being implemented gradually throughout the year, first by changing Econ 100A in the Fall, then Econ 100B in the Winter, and finally Econ 100C in the Spring as shown here:

If you have taken Econ 100A according to the old structure, we strongly recommend that you take Econ 100B and Econ 100C also in the old format. Similarly, if you have taken Econ 100B according to the old structure, we strongly recommend that you take Econ 100C in the old format. If you are unable to do so, the classes will still count towards major credits.

If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to our Econ advisors on VAC.

We are excited to announce the offering of a new class, Econ 186 - Careers in Economics and Business, starting this Fall 2024. Econ 186 is uniquely designed to provide students with key knowledge and practical skills used in the real world that complement traditional academic skills to maximize interview, communication, and presentation skills and strengthen resume building. The class explores career paths in the business profession in various aspects to broaden students' knowledge of career opportunities and it reviews the current business environment, financial markets, economy, unemployment, banking crises, market updates, and all related business topics.

About the Econ 186 instructor: Steve Ross has been a Wall Street Executive for over 30 years. Steve was an Executive Committee Member and Partner at Nicholas Applegate where he managed over $5 Billion in equity assets from 1994-2004. Steve then spent 8 years as a Director at BlackRock and has spent the past 10 years as a Managing Director at Bank of America Private Bank where he oversees the investment team and over $2 Billion in assets in San Diego. Steve has taught at UCLA for the past 15 years and was previously the Executive in Residence for the College of Business at SDSU for 6 years where the course was initially designed in 2005.

The class counts for 2 units, has Econ 1 and Econ 3 as prerequisites, and can be taken as P/NP only. We plan on offering the class every quarter of the regular academic year (Fall, Winter, and Spring).

Note: Econ 186 cannot be used to satisfy the upper-division elective requirements in our majors (EN25, EN26, EN28, EN30, and EN31).

ECON 152. Public Economics: Expenditures II (4)

Overview of the public sector in the United States and the justifications for government intervention in economic life. Theory of income redistribution and social insurance. Applications to current policy in such areas as health insurance, welfare, unemployment insurance, and Social Security. Prerequisites: ECON 100C.

UPDATE TO PREREQUISITES: ECON 100B will be accepted as sufficient prerequisite for this course. Please submit an EASy request. 

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION: Should the U.S. adopt Universal Basic Income? Should billionaires be taxed more to fund child care? Should the government pay for politically charged medical services like elective abortions? In this course, we tackle the big, often controversial questions shaping today's policy debates — with facts, economic tools, and a sharp focus on equity.

You'll learn how to critically analyze real-world government programs aimed at reducing inequality across race, gender, and geography. We’ll explore the trade-offs between expanding social safety nets and avoiding unintended consequences like welfare dependence — all while grounding discussions in solid economic reasoning.

Instead of midterms, you’ll work on a hands-on team project where you’ll pick a policy issue — from homelessness in San Diego to refugee support in Europe — and apply course concepts to assess its impact. Past students have called this a highlight of the class, giving them practical skills in teamwork, communication, and policy evaluation that employers love.

This course is perfect for anyone curious about how public policies shape economic outcomes — whether you're thinking about a career in government or just want to better understand how policy decisions affect the world around you.

ECON 109. Game Theory (4)

Introduction to game theory. Analysis of people’s decisions when the consequences of the decisions depend on what other people do. This course features applications in economics, political science, and law. Prerequisites: ECON 100C or MATH 31CH or MATH 109 or (CSE 20 and MATH 20 C).

UPDATE TO PREREQUISITES: ECON 100A or MATH 20C or MATH 31CH will be accepted as sufficient prerequisite for this course. Please submit an EASy request.