FAQs for Minors

What are the requirements for a minor?

The requirements for a minor in economics are laid out here. But to summarize, you must complete with a grade of C or better the following courses: ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics, ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics, ECO 3101 Intermediate Microeconomics, and ECO 3203 Intermediate Macroeconomics. After completing these you must take an additional two upper division economics courses as electives, and pass both with a grade of C or better.

Can I take more than two electives?

Of course. And if you like economics courses that much you should think about majoring in economics.

Where do I go for advising?

You primary adviser is your major adviser, and you should not expect the economics undergraduate adviser to address questions related to your major or your overall progression towards graduation. For economics-related advising, you can find the contact details and office hours of the economics adviser here. Note that administrative questions can often be answered more effectively by our office staff.

How can I get an override for an economics course?

Usually you cannot. A class is most often closed because because the room is at capacity. In this case, Panthersoft will not permit additional enrollment in a course. Panthersoft is scared of the Fire Marshall. Sometimes a classroom is not at capacity, but the nature of the course requires us to limit enrollment. In such cases, an override may be possible for exceptional students. However, there is no point in contacting an instructor to ask for an override, because he or she usually cannot doing anything about it. You should come to the department in DM 316 and ask to speak with our office staff. They will know when and if an override is a possibility. Because overrides are a special accommodation, it is in your interests to do this in person, rather than by email.

Where can I find my class syllabus?

Information about how to find most, but not all, syllabi are available on this page.

What are my professor's office hours?

They should be listed in the syllabus. If they are not, ask your instructor.

What electives will you be offering next semester or next year?

Once we know for certain what will be offered next semester or next year, it will be made available here. Before then, we cannot be certain what will be offered, as this will depend on faculty and instructor availability, as well as the evolving needs of the program. The university catalog lists many courses that could be used as electives. However, the catalog is not a particularly dynamic document, and many of the courses listed have not been offered in a long time. To get a more up to date picture of electives that might be offered in the near future, it is useful to see what electives have been offered in recent years. You can do that on this page.

How can I check that I am on track to satisfy the requirements for the minor?

Your SASS report will keep track of your progression. But for the minor it is not that difficult. Do you have a C or better in ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics, ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics, ECO 3101 Intermediate Microeconomics, ECO 3203 Intermediate Macroeconomics, plus two more upper division economics courses (not including ECO3041, ECO3202, ECO3949, ECO4906 or ECO4949, which cannot be used as elective courses for the minor)? If you can answer yes to this question you have satisfied the requirements for the minor.

How can declare a minor in economics?

To declare a minor Economics, you must have completed 60 credits, have at least a 2.0 GPA, and have passed or been waived the CLAST exam. If you meet these requirements, you may declare a minor in Economics by filling out a declaration available from the office staff in the Department of Economics, DM-316. To avoid delay, you should come to the department with a current copy of your SASS report and complete the form. Your SASS report will be reviewed by the undergraduate advisor, who will then sign it. You will then need to obtain the signature of your major advisor. Although we will be happy to send the form to your major advisor by interoffice mail, it is probably in your interests to collect the approved form from our office staff and take it to your major advisor personally.

Which courses should I take first?

You may start your economics career with either Principles of Microeconomics or Principles of Macroeconomics. There is perhaps a slight advantage in taking Principles of Microeconomics first, since you will acquire a firm grounding in supply and demand analysis. However, in the macro course you will learn enough supply and demand analysis to be able to do well in the course. So which course should you take first? It really doesn't matter.

You should complete your lower division requirements of two Principles courses, statistics and calculus before tackling the upper division courses. Some sections of Intermediate Macro and Intermediate Micro use basic calculus extensively, and others do not. This depends on the instructors preferences. If calculus is used in a course, the instructor will teach the basics that you need in the first week. Hence calculus is not a requirement for the intermediate courses, but it will make your life a little easier if you have seen it before.

Many upper division economics electives have Intermediate Micro as a prerequisite, and some require Intermediate Macro. When either course is a prerequisite, it means that the material taught in the prerequisite will be used extensively in the elective, and it will not be reviewed. Panthersoft has not been good at preventing enrollment by students who do not satisfy the prerequisites, and we are not about to start checking by hand. But most students who take an upper division elective without satisfying the prerequisite fail or choose to drop out very quickly, while others are dropped by the instructor. Do not waste your time and money enrolling in courses for which you do not satisfy prerequisites.

In summary, get your lower division requirements out the way first. After that take the two intermediate courses. After that take your two electives, as well as any additional economics courses that take your fancy.

Do you have courses that satisfy FIU core requirements?

Yes we do. Several of our courses are in the University Core Curriculum: Taking the following courses will help you meet requirements of certain sections of the core:

Course

  • ECO 2103 - Principles of Macroeconomics (Social Inquiry)
  • ECO 2023 - Principles of Microeconomics (Social Inquiry)
  • ECS 3003 - Comparative Economic Systems (Societies and Identities)
  • ECS 3021 - Women, Culture, and Economic Development (Societies and Identities)

I have a question not specifically related to minor. Where can I go?

If you are a Freshman or Sophomore, many questions can be answered by the Undergraduate Studies Academic Advising Center. Beyond that, the first port of call is your major advisor or the administrative staff of your major department. The College of Arts and Sciences also has an excellent advising center. Following the links will lead to answers to many of your questions. But if you do not find what you are looking for on line, do not delay in visiting the advising center.