Information for Freshman (Fall)

• The standard starting point for students considering concentrating in Economics or taking upper-level Economics courses is Social Analysis 10. Students considering the concentration are strongly encouraged to enroll as freshmen. It is still possible to concentrate in Economics if a student takes Social Analysis 10 as a sophomore, but course sequencing becomes considerably more constrained.
• Students who have achieved a score of 5 on both the microeconomics and macroeconomics portions of the AP test or a score of 7 on the Higher Level examination toward the International Baccalaureate (there are no separate micro and macro scores on the IB) have covered the nuts and bolts of Social Analysis 10 and are advised to enroll in one of the intermediate microeconomic theory courses (Economics 1010a or 1011a) or another course that has Social Analysis 10 as a prerequisite; some of these students may enroll in a Freshman Seminar (these have no prerequisites) to maintain their interest in economics and take more advanced courses later. These students will be deemed to have met the Social Analysis 10 requirement for the Economics concentration.
• Students who have achieved a score of 5 only on the microeconomics portion of the AP test have covered the nuts and bolts of the fall term of Social Analysis 10 and are advised to enroll in one of the intermediate microeconomics theory courses (Economics 1010a or 1011a), another course that has the micro portion of Social Analysis 10 as a prerequisite, or a Freshman Seminar. These students will be able to enter Social Analysis 10 for the spring term, and will have the fall term of Social Analysis 10 waived as a concentration requirement.
• Students who have achieved a score of 5 only on the macro portion of the AP test have covered the nuts and bolts of the spring term of Social Analysis 10, but should enroll in Social Analysis 10 this fall. They will be able to divide the course with credit at mid-year, and will have the spring term of Social Analysis 10 waived as a concentration requirement. In the spring, they may enroll in one of the intermediate macroeconomics courses (Economics 1010b or 1011b), another course for which Social Analysis 10 is a prerequisite, or a Freshman Seminar. Neither Economics 1010a nor 1011a is a prerequisite for either Economics 1010b or 1011b.
• Students who have other credentials that potentially qualify them for Advanced Standing (e.g. British A Levels, the French baccalaureat, the German Abitur) should consult with Silvia Ardagna, Social Analysis 10 Head Section Leader, who will administer a short written test to determine whether they may skip one or both terms of Social Analysis 10.
• Students who place out of one or both terms of Social Analysis 10 may choose to attend the course-wide lectures in that course; there are about 10 each term. This is the special opportunity that we are able to provide beyond the nuts and bolts of basic economics. These lectures provide a broader sense of the field and the chance to hear some members of the department talk about topics in their areas of interest. This can be useful to students as they sort out their interests and develop a plan of study for later years.
• Students who are choosing between Economics 1010a and 1011a for the fall term should be advised that the principal difference between these courses is the level of math preparation that they assume. Economics 1010a assumes knowledge of Math 1a (equivalent to the Calculus AB Advanced Placement exam), whereas Math 21a should be sufficient preparation for Economics 1011a. Students should choose between these courses on the basis of their math preparation and their facility manipulating mathematical derivations. Freshmen are NOT advised to enroll in Math 21a and Economics 1011a simultaneously, though concurrent enrollment in Math 23a, 25a, or 55a and Economics 1011a will be fine. Students who want a more mathematically-rigorous treatment of intermediate micro and are enrolling in Math 21a this year may wait and take Economics 1011a as sophomores; in the meantime, they may pursue other options as described above.

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