The pathway below represents an efficient and effective course taking sequence for this program. Individual circumstances might require some changes to this pathway. It is always recommended that you meet with an academic counselor to develop a personalized educational plan.
The courses have been intentionally placed and should be prioritized in
the order
in which they appear. If you are unable to take all the courses in
a semester, you
should prioritize enrolling in the courses in the order below.
Some courses have
been noted as “Appropriate for Intersession” 
. Should you need (or want) to take
classes
in the summer and/or winter intersessions,
the program recommends these courses as appropriate for the condensed
schedule of
the intersessions.
Some pathways combine a “Certificate of Achievement” and an “Associate
Degree”. If
you are pursuing only the Certificate of Achievement, you are only
required to take
the courses marked “Program Requirement” 
.
All pathways include at least one “Gateway Course” 
which introduces you to the program and/or field of study and helps you
decide if you want to continue with this Academic and Career Path.
Most Associate degrees (though not Associate Degrees for Transfer)
require satisfying the SMC Global Citizenship requirement. If the Program
Requirements do not include a “Global Citizenship course” 
, be sure to select a General Education course that also satisfies Global Citizenship.
The Associate in Arts in Economics for Transfer (AA-T) involves the study of how society can best use scarce resources such as land, raw materials, capital, and labor. The course of study analyzes the relationships between the supply of goods and services and the demand for them, as well as how these goods and services are produced, distributed, and consumed. Some economists work on public issues such as the control of inflation, business cycles, unemployment, wage, tax, and tariff policies. Economics is widely recognized as a solid background for a career in business, government, law, teaching and research.
Upon completion of the Associate in Arts in Economics for Transfer (AA-T), students will have a strong academic foundation in the field and be prepared for upper division baccalaureate study. Completion of the degree indicates that the student will have satisfied the lower division requirements for transfer into economics or similar majors for many campuses in the California State University system.
Upon completion of the program, students will:
- Upon completion of the program, students will demonstrate, through written and oral academic work, an understanding of how the market economy fundamentally operates. Specifically, students will develop the quantitative reasoning and critical analytic / graphical skills necessary to comprehend and explain basic microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts and functions, including, but not limited to, supply & demand, pricing decision, firm's production decisions and profit maximization decision under various market structures, contending perspectives of economic thought, and the impacts of government policies (fiscal and monetary policies) on gross domestic product, unemployment, inflation, budget deficits, national debt, foreign currency, and the international economy.
General Education
Available Online
