Economics and Finance

West Chester University

Contact Info
Office: 322 Anderson Hall
West Chester, PA 19383
Phone (610) 436-3411
Email: Department Chair


About our Courses

The department of Economics and Finance coordinates its course offering with courses offered by the Accounting, Management and Marketing departments. This arrangement provides both diversity and breadth to the Economics and Finance program at the College of Business and Public Affairs.

The general education requirements for Economics and Finance majors exceed the general university requirements. This is to ensure that WCU's overall business program, which includes the Finance and Economics programs, meets the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) requirements.

Please note that AACSB accreditation candidacy status is an indication that we have voluntarily committed to participate in a systematic program of quality enhancement and continuous improvement that makes AACSB accreditation a more realistic and operational objective. Candidacy is however not accreditation and does not guarantee eventual accreditation.

I. Distributive Requirements:
A. Science (6 semester hours)
Course Attribute Field Courses
Required - 3 hours
(Select one course). 		Computer Science CSC 110, 115, or 141
Recommended - 3 hours
(Select one additional course). 		Biology BIO 100 or BIO 110
Physics PHY 100, 105, 130, 140, 170, or 180
Chemistry CHE 100, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, or 107
Earth Science ESS 101 or 111
B. Behavioral and Social Sciences (9 semester hours)
Course Attribute Field Courses
Required - 6 hours
(2 courses)		 Economics i. ECO 111, and
ii. ECO 112
(Although both of these courses are required, one of them will satisfy a social science requirement for non-economics majors).
Recommended - 3 hours
(Select one additional course). 		Anthropology ANT 102 or ANT 103
Sociology SOC 200 or 240
Government PSC 100, 101, or 213
Psychology PSY 100
Geography GEO 101 or 103
C. Humanities (9 semester hours)
Course Attribute Field Courses
Required - 3 hours
(One course)		 Philosophy PHI 101, 150, or 180
Recommended - 3 hours
(Select one additional course).		 Literature LIT 165
CLS 165, 260, or 261
Recommended - 3 hours
(Select one additional course).		 History HIS 101, 102, 150, 151, or 152
D. Arts (3 semester hours)
Course Attribute Field Courses
Required - 3 hours
Select one Arts course from one of the following areas:		 Art
Cinematography
Dance
Music
Photography
Theatre 		  
II. Academic Foundations Requirements (18 semester hours)
A. English Composition - 6 semester hours
B. Mathematics - 3 semester hours
C. Communication - 3 semester hours
D. Diversity Requirement - 3 semester hours
E. Interdisciplinary Requirement - 3 semester hours
III. Additional Baccalaureate Requirements
Writing Emphasis Courses (3 - 9 semester hours)
Guidance Notes:
  • All students who take their general education program at WCU must complete three approved writing emphasis courses.

  • All students who enter with fewer than 40 credits must take at least three approved writing emphasis courses at WCU.

  • Transfer students who enter with 40-70 credits must take two writing emphasis courses.

  • Students who transfer more than 70 credits must take one writing emphasis course.

  • WRT 120 and the WRT elective do not count as writing emphasis courses.

  • Each writing emphasis course may simultaneously fulfill another degree requirement.