To complete a degree, a minimum of 120 credits is required, with no more than four of those credits in physical education, and no more than another four credits from INFO 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168 and 169. These courses may be counted as non-business electives. The foundation program specifies course work required during the freshman and sophomore years. Students who successfully complete a minimum of 54 credits in the foundation program — including UNIV 111, 112, and 200 (with a minimum grade of C in UNIV 112 and 200), ECON 210-211, MGMT 171 and 212 and ACCT 203-204 — and meet the course and GPA requirements are eligible for admission into a major in the School of Business. All students entering junior-level business and economics courses are expected to have competency in computer-based word processing and spreadsheet skills. Students are strongly encouraged to take SPCH 121 Effective Speech or SPCH 321 Speech for Business and the Professions.

The admission requirements for the School of Business detail the requirements for students to be admitted to the advanced business program with a major in the school. Candidates for the bachelor’s degrees offered in business must complete the 120 credits outlined in the combination of the foundation and advanced programs. At least 30 hours of the required business courses for the Bachelor of Science must be taken at VCU.

Economics is the science of human choice, the study of how scarce resources are allocated among competing uses to satisfy human wants. Since many choices analyzed are made by or affect business decision makers, economics is a unique blend of liberal arts and business. Therefore, the Department of Economics offers an undergraduate major in both the College of Humanities and Sciences and the School of Business. The major in the College of Humanities and Sciences [link] is designed for students who desire the flexibility and breadth that is associated with a liberal arts degree. Students who want to combine training in economics with exposure to the business disciplines should consider the major in the School of Business.

Undergraduate work in economics is excellent preparation for careers in business, government and teaching, as well as for graduate work in economics and professional schools such as law, public administration and medicine. Specialization in economics prepares students for careers that emphasize analytical thinking, a broad understanding of the economy and business organizations and the proper choice of policies by governments and business enterprises. Because of their analytical, quantitative and decision-making skills, students who major in economics are sought after for a wide array of positions in management and sales. The specific skills they acquire also provide employment opportunities in large organizations with departments that forecast business conditions and analyze economic data of special interest to the organizations.

Learning goals

To support career advancement over time by giving our students the academic foundation in information systems needed for continued professional development.
To help students develop the professional skills that will be needed by the businesses and organizations that hire our graduates.
To help our students develop ethical awareness so that they are able to deal with an ethical dilemma in the workplace.
Develop analytical and critical thinking skills.
Develop ability to obtain and interpret economic data.
Develop oral and written communication skills.

Degree requirements for Economics, Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Learning outcomes

Upon completing this program, students will know and know how to do the following:

Graduates will be able to understand the role of information systems and information technology in the organization, especially as a source of information.
Graduates will be able to understand the value of, and be able to use, financial/accounting data to make decisions at both strategic and operating levels within the context of their discipline-specific knowledge.
Graduates will be able to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
Graduates will be able to understand the importance to themselves, their organization and the larger community of working effectively in teams.
Graduates will be able to use the appropriate quantitative/statistical analysis and reasoning to make business decisions.
Graduates will be able to demonstrate an ability to respond appropriately to ethical dilemmas in business. From a scenario (i.e., what is good for some consumers might not be good for society as a whole), the student will be required to identify both sides of the dilemma, state what action they would recommend and incorporate the marketing concept and the American Marketing Association Code of Ethics in developing their recommendation.
Students will be comfortable using economic analysis.
Students will be able to use descriptive statistics to communicate effectively.
Students will understand basic principles of economics.

Business Foundation (63 credits)	Credits

General Education Requirements
University Core Education Curriculum (minimum 21 credits)
UNIV 111 Focused Inquiry I	3
UNIV 112 Focused Inquiry II	3
UNIV 200 Writing and Rhetoric	3
Approved humanities/fine arts	3
Approved natural/physical sciences	3-4
Approved quantitative literacy	3-4
Approved social/behavioral sciences	3-4

Business General Education requirement
ECON 210-211 Principles of Economics	6

Business General Education electives	9-12
Select credits from the following list:
CHEM 101-102 General Chemistry
ENVS/GEOG 105 Physical Geology
PHYS 101 Foundations of Physics
PHYS 107 Wonders of Technology
PHYS 201-202 General Physics
Any ANTH, PSYC or SOCY course except PSYC 214 Applications of Statistics, which business majors cannot take for degree credit
Any ARTH, DANC, MHIS, or THEA course open to non-arts majors
Any HIST, INTL (except INTL 493 International Studies Internship), PHIL, POLI or RELS course
Any foreign language course
Any honors module
Any additional University Core Education Curriculum approved courses
Approved English literature course (ENGL 201-206; ENGL 211; ENGL 236; ENGL 241; ENGL 291; ENGL 295)

Advanced business program (57 credits)

Advanced business core (30 credits)
ECON 303 Managerial Economics	3
FIRE 311 Financial Management	3
INFO 360 Business Information Systems	3
MGMT 301 Business Statistics I	3
MGMT 319 Organizational Behavior	3
MGMT 320 Production/Operations Management	3
MGMT 323 Legal Environment of Business	3
MGMT 325 Organizational Communication	3
MGMT 434 Strategic Management	3
MKTG 301 Marketing Principles	3
Major requirements (27 credits)
ECON 301 Microeconomic Theory	3
ECON 302 Macroeconomic Theory	3
ECON 307 Money and Banking	3
ECON 501 Introduction to Econometrics or MGMT 302 Business Statistics II	3
Approved economics electives	15
Select five 300- or 400-level economic courses. (ECON 501 may be used as an elective if MGMT 302 is taken as a required course.)

Total minimum requirement	120

Click here to download a sample outline.