The Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy (PECN) explores the intersection of economics with politics in domestic and international contexts.  It prepares students for engagement with global and regional questions that require analysis of economic and political causes and consequences and provides a useful background for a wide variety of entry positions in the public and private sectors. The major requires 16 lower-division units and 32 upper-division units for a total of 48 units.

Lower-division courses:  16 units

Complete two ECON and one MATH course from the following list (12 units):
ECON 203, Principles of Microeconomics (4 units)
ECON 205, Principles of Macroeconomics  (4 units)
MATH 118, Fundamental Principles of the Calculus,  (4 units)     or
MATH 125, Calculus I  (4 units)                                                                                                              

Choose one among the following three courses (4 units):
IR 210, International Relations: Introductory Analysis (4 units)
POSC 120, Comparative Politics (4 units)
POSC 130, Law, Politics, and Public Policy (4 units)

 
Upper-division requirements:  32 units
ECON 303, Intermediate Microeconomics (requires MATH 118 or 125) (4 units)             

Choose three among the following courses, at least two from ECON (12 units):
ECON 305, Intermediate Macroeconomics (4 units), or
BUAD 350, Macroeconomic Analysis for Business Decisions (4 units)
ECON 330, The Political Economy of Institutions (4 units)
ECON 332, Contracts, Organizations, and Institutions (4 units)
ECON 340, Economics of Less Developed Countries (4 units)
ECON 360, Public Finance (4 units)
ECON 366, Urban Economics (4 units)
ECON 395, Economic Policy Issues (4 units)
POSC 335, Political Parties, Campaigns, and Elections (4 units)

Choose one course from the following list (4 units):
FBE 402, Government and Business (4 units)
IR 305, Managing New Global Challenges (4 units)
IR 308, Globalization:  Issues and Controversies (4 units)
IR 323, Politics of Global Environment (4 units)
IR 324, Multinational Enterprises in World Politics (4 units)
IR 325, Rich and Poor States in the World Political Economy (4 units)
IR 326, U.S. Foreign Economic Policy (4 units)
IR 330, Politics of the World Economy (4 units)
IR 333, China in International Affairs (4 units)
IR 358, The Asia Pacific in World Affairs (4 units)
IR 360, International Relations of the Pacific Rim (4 units)
IR 362, International Relations of the Contemporary Middle East (4 units)
IR 364, The Political Economy of Latin American Development (4 units)
IR 371, Global Civil Society:  Non-Governmental Organizations in World Politics (4 units)
POSC 320, Urban Politics (4 units)
POSC 321, Urban Political Problems (4 units)
POSC 325, State Politics (4 units)
POSC 334, Interest Groups and Elite Behavior (4 units)
POSC 347, Environmental Law and Policy (4 units)
POSC 363, Cities and Regions in World Politics (4 units)
POSC 380, Political Theories and Social Reform  (4 units required)
PPD 357, Government and Business (4 units)

Choose two courses from the following list, at least one from ECON (8 units):
ECON 450, International Trade  (requires ECON 303)  (4 units)
ECON 487, Resource and Environmental Economics (requires ECON 303)  (4 units)
IR 430, The Politics of International Trade  (rec. prereq:  IR 430, ECON 450)  (4 units)      
POSC 425, Legislative Process (4 units)
POSC 437, Mass Media and Politics (4 units) 

Choose one from the following list (4 units):
IR 430, Politics of International Trade (4 units)
IR 439, Political Economy of Russia and Eurasia (4 units)
IR 454, The International Political Economy of Development (4 units)
POSC 430, Political Economy of Mexico (4 units)
POSC 451, Politics of Resource and Development (4 units)
POSC 453, Political Change in Asia (4 units)
POSC 456, Women in International Development (4 units)
POSC 463, European Politics (4 units)

For advisement regarding the Poilitical Economy major, contact Shannon Durbin (sdurbin@usc.edu) at 213.740.7525 or Karina Chicas (kchicas@usc.edu) at 213.740.8335.