Important Information for Enrollment
and Major Declaration
Spring 2008

Procedure for Declaring an Economics Major - Spring 2008

Admission to the economics major is open to any student in the class of 2011 or 2010.

If you are interested in becoming an econ major, you should see the economics chair, Nancy Baldiga, as soon as possible so that she can sign your change of major form. Her office is Stein 506.

As has been the procedure for the last several years, we will be enforcing the change of major deadline. Therefore, students must declare the major by Wednesday, April 9th. No new majors will be accepted after that date. Students attempting to enter the major after April 9th will be subject to the new procedure (see below). Under the new procedure, applications are only solicited and accepted in September and January each year and only from students who have completed at least one economics course at Holy Cross.

Please note that the economics minor program has been discontinued.

Admission Procedure - for students entering the major after 4/9/08 (including class of 2012)

After 4/9/08, any student who wishes to become an economics major will be required to have completed at least one economics course at Holy Cross. Applications to the major will be solicited in September 08 (and again in January 09). Students will submit an application essay and an unofficial transcript. Admission is not competitive (anyone who applies will be admitted) but we will be reviewing students' grades and essays. Our goal is to have better information about the number of students entering major prior to enrollment so we can plan accordingly. Beginning this spring, no student (including the class of 2012) will be able to declare the economics major prior to taking an economics course at Holy Cross. All students will have to complete at least one course before they can apply to enter the economics major.

Economics Enrollment Procedure - Spring 2008

Class of 2009 - Economics Majors and Minors
The Department chair will contact students to request preferences for economics classes. Rising senior majors and minors will be placed in classes to help them advance toward completion of their program. The majority of rising senior majors will be placed in upper level economics electives. Most minors will be placed in a lower or upper level elective. Rising seniors who still need intermediate level courses will be placed in those courses. No majors or minors will be allowed to take courses beyond the minimum requirements during the fall semester.

Class of 2010 - Economics Majors and Minors
The Department chair will contact students to request preferences for economics classes. Rising junior majors and minors will be placed in classes to help them advance toward completion of their program. The majority of rising junior majors will be placed in micro theory, macro theory, stats and lower level electives. No rising juniors will be placed in upper level electives during the fall semester.

Newly declared majors in the class of 2010 will be placed in classes if they declare prior to the placement process.

Class of 2011 - Economics Majors (no minor is available for class of 2011)

For those 2011 majors needing principles of macro - these students will likely be placed in one of two sections of macro principles with a professor that we already have hired. Accounting majors who need principles of macro will also be placed in those sections. Note - this placement does not apply to class of 2011 students who are entering the major beginning in March 2008. Those newly declared students will have access to principles of macro only after we have hired faculty to teach those sections.

For those 2011 majors who are ready for micro theory, macro theory, stats or a lower level elective - It is likely that there will be very few seats in these classes for rising sophomores in the fall semester. We must place rising juniors and seniors in these required courses prior to addressing the needs of sophomores. Rising sophomore economics majors who have already completed both principles courses may want to think about taking courses outside of the Department during the fall semester.

Newly declared majors (entering the major after February 2008) in the class of 2011 may or may not have access to economics classes in the fall. Seating will be determined once we have placed rising juniors and seniors.

Swapping sections:
Note that during the enrollment days for each class year, there will be no access to economics classes. Students will not be able to swap sections during the initial round of enrollment. Swapping may be permitted in later rounds of enrollment and if any seats are available after placements have been made, those seats will be released during later rounds of enrollment.

Calculus requirements
Students must complete the equivalent of a year of Calculus before they can enroll in the intermediate theory courses, Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. Students without the pre-requisite will be blocked from enrolling in the course.

Questions? Contact Nancy Baldiga (nbaldiga@holycross.edu)