Economics and Engineering Major

Option I: Claremont McKenna College and Harvey Mudd College

Students in this 5-year program, 3 at CMC and 2 at HMC, complete all CMC requirements for a full major in economics, as well as the requirements for a full major in engineering at HMC. Upon completion of all courses, students receive a bachelor of arts degree with a major in economics and engineering from CMC, and a bachelor of science degree with a major in engineering from HMC.

Students in the program spend the first 3 years (at least 24 courses) at Claremont McKenna College, where they complete all of CMC’s general education requirements except for the senior thesis, 7 courses in Economics, and several science and engineering courses. The science courses may be taken at Keck Science or at HMC; the engineering courses are taken at HMC. During the 2 years at HMC, students complete HMC’s general education requirements, the requirements for the major in engineering, 2 CMC economics electives (1 must be a level-II course), and ENGR117 at HMC.

Under a joint admissions agreement, CMC students with a grade point average of 9.50 or higher who have completed all required courses for the program during their years at CMC, are guaranteed admission to HMC. For admission to HMC, applicants may not have any grades below B- in mathematics and science courses, and no grade lower than C in other subjects. Interested students are expected to meet with the chair of the HMC Engineering Department and a HMC admission counselor before the end of the sophomore year. Deadline for application is February 1 of the junior year.

Students who plan to major in economics and engineering are expected to meet regularly with the program advisor, and complete 5 (or more) courses per semester. New students may enroll in 5 courses during their first semester with approval of the program advisor.

Option II: Claremont McKenna College and Certified Engineering Schools

Students in this 5-year program, 3 at CMC and 2 at an engineering school, complete all CMC requirements for a full major in economics. Students in the program spend the first 3 years (at least 24 courses) at CMC, where they complete all of CMC’s general education requirements except for the senior thesis, 9 economics courses, and several science and mathematics courses. At the end of the junior year, students transfer to an engineering school of their choice, where they complete requirements for graduation with a major in engineering. Upon confirmation of receipt of the degree from the engineering institution, students receive a bachelor of arts degree with a major in economics and engineering from CMC, and a bachelor’s degree with a major in engineering from another engineering program.

Students who plan to major in economics and engineering are expected to meet regularly with the program advisor, and complete 5 (or more) courses per semester. New students may enroll in 5 courses during their first semester with approval of the program advisor.

Special Options for Majors

General Education Requirement Information for Economics and Engineering Majors

General Education Requirement in Science

Every CMC student must complete one (1) laboratory science course offered by the Keck Science Department or elsewhere within the Claremont Consortium. This requirement must by satisfied by the end of the 2^nd year at CMC.

General Education Requirements in the Social Sciences and Humanities

For the general education requirement in the social sciences and the humanities, economics and engineering majors must complete courses in 3 of the 4 fields of the social sciences, including ECON 050 CM , together with courses in 2 of the 4 fields of the humanities (literature, philosophy, religious studies, and literature in a foreign language).

Student Learning Outcomes of the Program in Economics-Engineering

In addition to the Keck Science overall learning outcomes, the Economics-Engineering major also has the following outcomes.

When confronted with an unfamiliar physical system, our students should be able to:

1. Develop a framework for understanding the system by identifying the key physical principles underlying the system.
2. Translate the conceptual framework into an appropriate mathematical format.
   a. If the equations are analytically tractable, carry out the analysis of the problem to completion or
   b. If equations are not tractable, develop a computer code and/or use standard software to numerically simulate the model system.
3. Analyze and assess the reasonableness of the answers obtained.
4. Communicate their findings either verbally and/or via written expression.

In a laboratory setting, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate a working familiarity with standard laboratory equipment.
2. Identify and appropriately address the sources of error in their experiment.
3. Have proficiency with standard methods of data analysis.