Department of Economics

Advising Information

The Economics Department offers both a major in Economics and a minor in Economics. In addition, the Business Department offers an interdisciplinary Business major and Business minor that are of interest to many Economics students.

Professor Brainerd advising a studentNote that calculus is a prerequisite for the Economics Department's intermediate theory courses (Econ 80a, Econ 82b, Econ 83a and Econ 184b). To satisfy this requirement students must do one of the following:

  1. Complete Math 10a, an equivalent course, or a more advanced calculus course with a grade of C- or better.
  2. Score at least a 4 on the AP Mathematics AB test or at least a 3 on the AP Mathematics BC test.
  3. Take and pass the department exemption exam. Download a sample of this exam. The 2-hour placement exam is administered once at the start of each semester and each summer school session. A simple calculator will be provided; graphing calculators are not allowed. Please Note: You can only take this exam once.

Next Calculus Exemption Exam:

September 8th, 2023 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Sign up for Calculus exam here

If you have credit for a calculus course taken at another university or are entitled to Math 10a credit based on your AP exam score or your score on a recognized international exam, you should transfer those credits to Brandeis prior to enrolling in Econ 80a, 82b, 83a or 184b. If you have taken calculus at another university, you will also need to confirm with the Undergraduate Advising Head that your calculus course can substitute for Math 10a before enrolling in any of these courses.