Exploring Economics?
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Life in Economics at UW
Economics at UW Madison is a very large, intense, and rewarding major. While there are countless resources for you to succeed personally and professionally here, Economics is a math-based social science major. A strong foundation in calculus and desire to apply concepts learned in class to real-world scenarios is important for making your Economics experience, your best Wisconsin Experience.
After attending SOAR, meet with an Economics Academic Advisor during your first semester on campus! Together we can discuss campus resources, study skills, class workloads, and transitioning to UW.
Reach out proactively to your Professors and TA’s. Even if you don’t have a specific question, creating a relationship with these professionals can help set you up for success. You can talk to an advisor about how to make this happen smoothly and purposefully. Remember, learning is a two way street.
Connect with other campus resources such as the Transfer Transition Program
Meet Current Econ Majors
You can click here to be shown just a few of our amazing students, declared here in Econ! Should you come to UW to major in Econ, and you want to be featured, email us at econadvise@ssc.wisc.edu.
Economics Curriculum, Courses & Requirements
Calculus and theory are intertwined into all Econ-foundation courses. Two options are available for the major at UW-Madison: Economics or Economics with a Mathematical Emphasis.
The Economics option is a well-rounded program of study that, while requiring analytical skills and math proficiency, focuses on examination of policy and economics concepts rather than on quantitative analysis or modeling.
The Economics with Mathematical Emphasis option supplements the economics major with additional requirements in mathematical and statistical coursework. This option is recommended for students considering graduate studies in economics or pursuing a career as a professional economist or in an analytics-based field.
Click Curriculum, Courses, and Requirements to find out more!
Transfer Credit Logistics for Recently Admitted Students
Transfer credit can be awarded to any admitted student who has completed coursework at a college, university, or while in high school at an accredited post-secondary institution. Once you are admitted, the Office of the Registrar will begin working on an evaluation of your transfer credits and will email you when your evaluation is available to view in your Student Center. Click here to review detailed information about UW-Madison’s transfer credit policies.
Transfer Course Equivalencies
If you would like to view how some of your courses may transfer prior to admission, transfer equivalency databases and the following guidelines to help you.
Depending on the school(s) you have attended, equivalencies for your courses may be listed in the online transfer equivalency databases.
- Transferology: See how credits will transfer to and from UW-Madison! Be sure to sign up for an account with your UW-Madison credentials. Please note that not every course in the United States is listed here. It only those that students have transferred to UW as credit.
- If you are hoping to take a course that isn’t on Transferology you must submit a Course Equivalency Request to assess if the course you are hoping to take will transfer to UW. Please note that this service is only available certain times of the year and there is a limit to how many courses you can request “pre-equivalency” evaluations for.
Credit Reevaluation Request Process
The Credit Re-evaluation Request Process can be utilized by admitted or current UW students who have already received their transfer credit evaluation from the Office of the Registrar. Please use the Course Reevaluation Request form if you are seeking to have a course reevaluated for an equivalency that is different from what you received on your Transfer Credit Evaluation (for example, you received economics electives for your introductory economics course, but you wish to receive direct credit for UW’s Econ 101). We strongly encourage you to have a conversation with your Academic Advisor before submitting the form to discuss how the reevaluation might impact your academic plan.
Please note that it can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to receive a decision on your request from the time the request was submitted and reevaluation decisions are final. If you would like multiple courses reevaluated you must fill out the form for each individual course.
All initial questions for course and credit equivalencies should first be directed to the Course Equivalency Service, housed within the Office of the Registrar. The Department of Economics does not directly handle student requests for credit transfers, equivalencies, or evaluations.
Careers with Economics
The Economics Career Development Office (ECDO) provides career development services and resources to undergraduate who are pursuing a degree in economics and creates partnerships with employers to recruit our talented economics students.
In the Economics Career Development Office, we are commonly asked about what careers our graduates pursue. Majoring in economics is like majoring in critical thinking. You are well-prepared to apply your coursework to a variety of careers and industries. Sometimes the range of choices makes it difficult to decide what you would like to do after graduation. We have found that by understanding what skills you have, what other graduates have done, and what you enjoy doing, you can begin to define your career goals!
During appointments, via our online tools, and through our various events, we highlight career paths of economics alumni, career guides for the most common industries economics students pursue, skills gained through studying economics, and additional career exploration resources. If you would like to talk to someone about your career interests, make an appointment with us! You do NOT need to have your career-planned out, that’s what we can help with. Bring questions and an open mind to discuss your interests and goals!
Economics Major Specific Transfer Policies
Majoring in Economics as a Transfer Student
You are not automatically accepted into the economics program when you first transfer to UW-Madison, even if you have declared the economics major at another college or university. You will need to complete at least one economics course at UW-Madison and earn a GPA of at least 2.0 for all economics & required math courses taken on campus. Once you have met our declaration requirements, follow these next steps to declare the Economics major at UW-Madison.
Stipulations for Economics Majors Transferring Credits
The Department of Economics requires that a minimum of two Core Electives in Economics are completed at UW-Madison. Additionally, the major of Economics requires that all students (transfer or not) complete at least 15 of the total 30 required intermediate or advanced credits at UW-Madison. For example, if a student were to transfer 25 credits of Econ coursework to UW-Madison, with all of it being intermediate or advanced level, they still must finish at least 15 more Econ credits from UW-Madison to graduate and earn their degree. This is separate from the general residency requirement of your degree plan. Please work with your assigned academic advisor in Economics soon after declaring the major to discuss in more detail.
Transfer students or students who have earned prior college-level credit in Economics coursework should consult the Economics Academic Advisor when determining how their transferred credit will or will not apply to the Dept of Economics UGRD curriculum.
Admitted to Economics?
SOAR: Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration is UW-Madison’s “one stop shop” for getting off to the right start at UW-Madison. Run by the Office of Student, Transition, and Family Engagement (STFE), SOAR is a required experience for all incoming UW-Madison students, including Transfer students. You’ll get acquainted with campus resources, community, and logistics at this day long event and, most importantly, get registered for your first semester classes! At SOAR, you’ll work directly with Economics Advising to ensure your classes are wise choices for your first semester here. Your first step after getting admitted to UW-Madison is to work with the STFE to get registered timely for SOAR in winter (for Spring transfer) for summer (for Fall transfer).
Any UW-Madison undergraduate can meet with an Economics Academic Advisor, but we recommend you speak with an Econ Academic Advisor after registering for your first semester courses via SOAR.
Find information on Econ Academic Advising here and start utilizing these services your first semester on campus!
Once you have settled into UW and have some Econ classes under your belt, consider getting involved more deeply in Economics and on campus! Check out some of these great Economics Student Organizations, attend our events, and visit the Economics Academic Advising & Career Advising Offices.
All UW student organizations can be a great way for you to invest yourself in the campus community, too. Keep trying new things until you find your new happy place.