Bachelor of Science in Economics and Politics
The Economics and Politics major is offered jointly between the Undergraduate Economics Program (UEP) and the Institute for Politics and Strategy (IPS). Students are equal members of both academic units and receive advising from both units.
To discuss the major requirements and declaration process, please contact Emily Half, Institute for Politics and Strategy deputy director, and Kathleen Conway, Undergraduate Economics Program associate director.
Economics and Politics is available as both a primary and additional major.
Degree Rationale
Politics and economics are deeply interconnected. Political institutions and decision-making impact economic growth, income distribution, and many other aspects of economic life. Both fiscal and monetary policies affect the economy, but these policies are often employed with political considerations in mind and can influence political activity. Conversely, economic outcomes shape political preferences and policy choices. The overlap between these two disciplines is endless. For example, while the United Nations is often thought of in purely political terms, the Security Council can and does impose sanctions on countries- an example of an economic policy used for political change.
The Economics and Politics major is offered jointly between the Undergraduate Economics Program (UEP) and the Institute for Politics and Strategy (IPS). Students are equal members of both academic units and receive advising from both units. The major will appeal to any student interested in the design, evaluation, and political implementation of policy. It will be especially attractive to students considering careers in politics, government agencies, political and business consulting, lobbying, or the law.
The B.S. in Economics and Politics is an interdisciplinary major. The major will develop the political context and underpinnings of economic policy making. It will explore how political institutions resolve the tradeoffs and disagreements associated with policymaking and how they can facilitate or impede desirable economic outcomes.
IPS strengths lie in topics like national security, grand strategy, and globalization. Economic policy is just one facet of grand strategy, through which an administration pursues domestic and international goals. This major will also address key issues such as the complementarity between the multilateral economic institutions such as the IMF and World Bank and the use of economic coercion, and enable students to understand economic statecraft more broadly. Whether coercion is successful depends not just on the levers of power but on also on variations in authoritarian regime structure, and complex linkages in the international economy. This is also important for our understanding of the relationship between international economics on human rights practices, extending even to how treaty commitments can facilitate compliance with a global initiative to combat climate change. And, not least important, there is broad recognition that the viability of the “Euro Zone” depends on whether the political-economic agreements necessary to mitigate institutional weaknesses are politically feasible or destined to failure.
Curricular Requirements
Students must earn a grade of "C" or better in all courses taken in the Department of Economics (73-xxx).
Prerequisites (19 units)
Students must complete all of the following courses.
21-120 | Differential and Integral Calculus |
or 21-112 | Calculus II |
36-200 | Reasoning with Data |
Foundations (48 units)
Students must complete all of the following courses.
21-256 | Multivariate Analysis |
73-102 | Principles of Microeconomics |
73-103 | Principles of Macroeconomics |
84-104 | Decision Processes in American Political Institutions |
84-275 | Comparative Politics |
73-210 | Economics Colloquium I (3 units) |
Core (63 units)
Students must complete all of the following courses.
73-230 | Intermediate Microeconomics |
73-240 | Intermediate Macroeconomics |
73-265 | Economics and Data Science |
73-274 | Econometrics I |
84-265 | Political Science Research Methods |
84-326 | Theories of International Relations |
84-310 | International Political Economy |
Communication (9 units):
Students must complete one course from the following list.
73-270 | Professional Communication for Economists |
84-250 | Writing for Political Science and Policy |
Electives (27 units)
Majors are required to take 27 units (three courses) from the elective lists below. At least one course (9 units) must be taken from Economics (73-xxx) and at least one course (9 units) must be taken from the Institute for Politics and Strategy (84-xxx). Students may complete electives through coursework in the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP) Politics and Public Policy elective sequence.
Economics Electives
73-328 | Health Economics |
73-332 | Political Economy |
73-338 | Financial Crises and Risk |
73-352 | Public Economics |
73-353 | Economic Foundations of Regulation: Applications to Financial Markets |
73-359 | Benefit-Cost Analysis |
73-365 | Firms, Market Structures, and Strategy |
73-367 | Technology Jobs and the Future of Work |
73-372 | International Money and Finance |
73-415 | Data Driven Business and Public Policy Decision Making |
73-421 | Emerging Markets |
73-427 | Sustainability, Energy, and Environmental Economics |
Politics and Strategy Electives
84-200 |
Acceleration: A Global Security War Game in the Age of Pandemic (micro-course) |
84-306 | Latin American Politics |
84-307 | Economic and Political History of Contemporary China |
84-308 | Political Economy of Latin America |
84-309 | Political Behavior |
84-311 | International Development: Theory and Praxis |
84-313 | International Organizations and Law |
84-318 | Politics of Developing Nations |
84-319 | US Foreign Policy and Interventions in World Affairs |
84-320 | Global Perspectives on International Affairs |
84-322 | Nonviolent Conflict and Revolution |
84-323 | War and Peace in the Contemporary Middle East |
84-324 | The Future of Democracy |
84-325 | Contemporary American Foreign Policy |
84-350 | America and the World |
84-352 | Representation and Redistricting |
84-361 A4 | Leaders and International Security |
84-362 | Diplomacy and Statecraft |
84-363 | Comparative Legal Systems |
84-364 | Comparative Presidential Behavior: Leadership, Personality, and Decision Making |
84-365 | Psychology and International Relations |
84-366 | The American Presidency |
84-369 | Decision Science for International Relations |
84-370 | Global Nuclear Politics |
84-372 | Space and National Security |
84-373 | Emerging Technologies and the Law |
84-380 | Grand Strategy in the United States |
84-382 | Conflicts in the Middle East: Iran, Iraq, and Proxy Warfare |
84-383 | War Powers |
84-386 | The Privatization of Force |
84-387 | Technology and Policy of Cyber War |
84-388 | Concepts of War and Cyber War |
84-389 | Terrorism and Insurgency |
84-390 | Social Media, Technology, and Conflict |
84-393 | Legislative Decision Making: US Congress |
84-402 | Judicial Politics and Behavior |
84-405 | The Future of Warfare |
84-414 | International and Subnational Security |
CMU/WSP Politics and Public Policy Electives
84-330 | The Shading of Democracy: The Influence of Race on American Politics |
84-331 | Money, Media, and the Power of Data in Decisionmaking |
84-332 | Effects of US Policy on Businesses: Perspectives of Asian Americans |
84-333 | Power and Levers for Change in Washington, DC |
84-334 | Presidential Power in a Constitutional System |
84-335 | Intelligence and Policy |
84-336 | Implementing Public Policy: From Good Idea To Reality |
84-337 | Biomedical Science Research, Policy, and Governance |
84-338 | Media and Politics: Political News Coverage in the Era of Trump, Twitter, and "Fake News" |
84-340 | Making Change: How Organized Interests Work in Washington |
84-343 | Language and Power: How to Understand and Use Political Speech |
84-346 | Legal Issues in Public Administration |
84-348 | Advocacy, Policy and Practice |
Additional Electives
19-411 | Global Competitiveness: Firms, Nations and Technological Change |
19-425 | Sustainable Energy for the Developing World |
70-365 | International Trade and International Law |
70-430 | International Management |
79-280 | Coffee and Capitalism |
79-318 | Sustainable Social Change: History and Practice |
80-135 | Introduction to Political Philosophy |
80-136 | Social Structure, Public Policy & Ethics |
80-321 | Causation, Law, and Social Policy |
80-335 | Social and Political Philosophy |
80-348 | Health, Human Rights, and International Development |
80-447 | Global Justice |
88-366 | Behavioral Economics of Poverty and Development |
88-419 | International Negotiation |
88-444 | Public Policy and Regulation |
90-435 | Public Finance |
90-810 | Population and Policy |
Capstone (15-21 units)
Students must complete all of the following courses.
84-450 | Policy Forum 12 units if taken during CMU/WSP, 6 units if taken in Pittsburgh |
73-497 | Senior Project or Senior Honors Thesis |