The Economics Minor (ILR Students)

• Students must be enrolled in the ILR School; students from other colleges are not eligible for the Economics Minor.
• As a prerequisite for the Economics Minor, students must complete ECON 1110 Introductory Microeconomics, ECON 1120 Introductory Macroeconomics (or equivalents), and MATH 1110 Calculus I. Students must have grades of B- or better in ECON 1110 Introductory Microeconomics and ECON 1120 Introductory Macroeconomics and a grade of C or better in MATH 1110 Calculus I.

Complete 9 courses listed by the Department of Economics, all with grades of C– or better (S/U grade option is not allowed), that must satisfy the additional requirements listed below.

Introductory Courses_¹ 

• ECON 1110: Introductory Microeconomics 
• ECON 1120: Introductory Macroeconomics

Core Courses² 

• ECON 3030: Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
• ECON 3040: Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
• ECON 3110: Applied Probability and Statistics or ECON 3130: Probability and Statistics
• ECON 3120: Applied Econometrics or ECON 3140: Econometrics

Elective Courses         

• Up to 1 ECON course numbered 2400-2999
• Remaining ECON courses (to sum to a total of 9) can be at the 3000-level, 4000-level, or from among this list of acceptable graduate ECON courses. 

We have prepared this worksheet to help students check off the requirements of the ILR Economics Minor. Save a copy of the worksheet on your desktop in order to use the fillable fields fully.

¹ Note: Each introductory course will count toward the major only if the student receives credit with a B- or better; see additional notes below.

² Note: The four required core courses must be taken at Cornell (i.e., during Cornell Regular Sessions, Cornell Summer Sessions, Cornell Winter Sessions, or Cornell in Washington; courses taken on Study Abroad do not count as being taken at Cornell). Minors are strongly advised to complete these courses before the start of senior year.

Credit for ECON 1110 Introductory Microeconomics and/or ECON 1120 Introductory Macroeconomics with a B- or better can be obtained in the following three ways: 

• taking these courses at Cornell and receiving a B- or better, 
• taking courses at another college or university that are approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies to count as ECON 1110 or ECON 1120, or 
• completing BOTH of the following:

(i) receiving advanced placement from one of these three sources:

• receiving a score of 5 on the associated A.P. Exam (A.P. Microeconomics for ECON 1110 Introductory Microeconomics, A.P. Macroeconomics for ECON 1120 Introductory Macroeconomics), 
• receiving a score of A on the GCE "A" Level Examination in Economics, or 
• receiving a score of 7 on the IB Higher-Level Examination in Economics.

(ii) passing a placement exam administered by the Economics Department (exception: a placement exam is not required for students who matriculated as a full-time student at a college or university prior to May 1, 2026).

ECON 4999 Independent Study in Economics, ECON 4997 Cross-Cultural Work Experiences, and ECON 4998 Cross-Cultural Work Experiences all do not count toward the 9-course requirement.

A course taken to satisfy the ILR Economics Policy Elective can also be counted toward the minor as long as it has an ECON course number (you do not need to enroll in the ECON number).

ECON 2850: Networks can count as an ECON course numbered 2400-2999 even if it was taken under the prior ECON 2040 number (or under any of its cross-listed numbers).

Enrollment of ILR undergraduates in graduate ECON courses requires approval from (i) the instructor and (ii) the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

To obtain minor credit for courses taken away from Cornell, including study abroad, please see the Director of Undergraduate Studies in advance of taking the courses. Please note:

• All courses taken away from Cornell will be counted as 3000-level ECON electives.
• For students who complete one semester of Cornell-sanctioned study abroad, at most 2 courses taken away from Cornell, including study abroad, can count toward the Economics Minor.
• For students who complete two semesters of Cornell-sanctioned study abroad, at most 3 courses taken away from Cornell, including study abroad, can count toward the Economics Minor.

For additional information, please see Economics Credit Policies.

If you are an ILR student and you plan (or think you plan) to pursue the Economics Minor, please register by completing the ILR Economics Minor Interest survey: https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_06DwXb3DdVMQkku

By registering, you will:

• join our active community of undergraduate economics students and interact with economics faculty members.
• be eligible to apply for membership in our chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international economics honor society.
• be invited to economics events, speakers, and socials.
• gain information about the Cornell Economics Society, the largest and longest-running undergraduate economics and pre-business society at Cornell.
• receive reminders about certifying your ILR Economics Minor and courses that may be of interest to you.

When to certify:

If you complete all of your Economics Minor courses prior to your last semester at Cornell, then you can apply for certification any time after those courses are complete.  

If you complete some of your Economics Minor courses during your last semester at Cornell, then you should apply for certification during that semester and we will issue a certification conditional on receiving the necessary grades in any remaining courses. 

How to certify: 

Once you are ready to certify, you should complete our online form by clicking the link below:

Application for Certification of the Economics Minor 

Special rules apply for students who transfer to Cornell from another college or university.

Transfer students are subject to the same program requirements as non-transfer students, except that some Economics courses taken at a prior institution previous to enrollment at Cornell may count toward the 9 courses required to complete the Economics Minor (including core courses).

Upon arriving at Cornell, transfer students interested in the Economics Minor should set up a meeting with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to discuss which classes taken at their previous institution(s) can count toward the Economics Minor at Cornell. Please bring copies of transcript(s) and course syllabi; in addition, it may be necessary to provide copies of problem sets, exams, and lecture slides (especially to receive credit for any of the 4 core courses).

Transfer students are subject to one further requirement: At least 4 of the 9 courses used to complete the Economics Minor must be taken during Cornell regular sessions, Cornell Winter Session, Cornell Summer Session, or Cornell in Washington.  Please note that Economics courses taken at your prior institution or taken on study abroad do not count toward this requirement.