How to Apply to Economics at Wake Forest University: You Are Admitted to the University, Not to a Major, and Declare Economics After Enrolling; the B.A. and the New B.S. Differ in Math Requirements, with Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Economics at Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is taught by the Department of Economics. The Academic Bulletin lists Economics (ECN) under Departments/Programs, and its undergraduate section separately lists Wake Forest College and the School of Business; the pages I read do not say in so many words which school the department belongs to. The admissions office states that Wake Forest does not admit by major, so you apply to the university, not to a school or a major. Below is what the official pages say for fall 2027 entry, for US domestic applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer applicants. See our business guide for business degrees.

1. The economics degrees

• Economics, B.A.: the Bulletin says the major is 30 hours of economics: ECN 150 (Introduction to Economics), ECN 205 or 210 (intermediate microeconomics; 210 is the mathematical version), ECN 207 or 211 (intermediate macroeconomics; 211 is the mathematical version) and ECN 209 (applied econometrics), plus electives, 9 hours of them at the 300 level. MTH 111 (Calculus I) and STA 111 (or a similar statistics course the page lists) are also required and do not count toward the 30 hours.
• Economics, B.S.: the department says the new Economics B.S. replaces the B.S. in Mathematical Economics starting fall 2025. Required economics courses are ECN 150, 209, 210, 211 and ECN 318 (Advanced Topics in Mathematical Economics); the math and statistics co-requisites are MTH 112 (Calculus II), MTH 113 (Multivariable Calculus), MTH 121 (Linear Algebra I) and STA 111. You also choose two quantitative methods courses from a math, statistics and computer science list (for example MTH 251/253/254, STA 112/214/247/310/311/312/352, CSC 102/111/112) and take 12 hours of economics electives, at least 6 hours with ECN 209 as a prerequisite and at least 9 hours at the 300 level. The department describes it as suited to quantitative careers and graduate study, and says the outside courses make a minor or second major easier.
• Minor: 18 hours, including ECN 150, 205 or 210, 207 or 211 and electives, with at least a C- in MTH 111 and STA 111. The Bulletin also lists a Certificate in Actuarial Science under Economics; I did not read its requirements.
• Honors: a 3.0 overall GPA, 3.3 in economics and completion of the research course ECN 399 (prerequisite ECN 398; 398 runs in the fall and 399 in the spring) make you eligible for faculty consideration for Honors in Economics; exceptional projects may be considered for High Honors.
• STEM designation: not stated on the pages I read; not published there, so ask the department or the admissions office.

2. How admission works and how you get into the major

• On the application: the admissions office says the application asks for anticipated majors and minors, but Wake Forest does not admit by major and you are not bound to what you list. You declare economics on campus after admission.
• Declaring the B.A.: the Bulletin and the department say you need a grade of at least C in ECN 150, or AP credit, before declaring. A C or higher in ECN 150 is also needed to enroll in ECN 205/210, 207/211 and 209.
• Declaring the B.S.: you need at least a B- in ECN 150 (or AP credit) and a B- or better in MTH 112 (the Bulletin words it as a B- or AP credit in ECN 150 and MTH 112). To graduate you need at least a C- in MTH 113, MTH 121, ECN 210 and ECN 211.
• Caps and guarantees: the department and Bulletin pages I read mention neither a limit on the number of majors nor a guarantee of a place; not published there, so confirm with the department.
• Timing: the department says major or minor declarations or changes made in the two weeks before advising and registration, and during that period, are not approved until after registration ends.
• Switching within the university: beyond the declaration conditions above, the pages do not list a separate internal-transfer rule; not published.
• The Bulletin says students graduate under the Bulletin of their entry year, but when you declare a major or minor, the requirements in effect at the time of declaration apply; requirements may change.

3. Prerequisites and the course sequence

• High school: the admissions pages I read give no extra high school math requirement for economics and do not list required high school subjects; not published there, so ask the admissions office. The office says there is no minimum GPA or test score, and no required number of advanced courses.
• Math placement: the pages I read do not describe math placement or the calculus starting point; ask the Department of Mathematics or the admissions office.
• Typical B.A. schedule (suggested schedule page): first year ECN 150 and MTH 111, possibly STA 111; sophomore year STA 111, ECN 205 and 207, and ECN 209 if possible; junior year ECN 209 and electives; senior year the remaining electives. The page says MTH 111 is a prerequisite for ECN 205 and 207 and should be taken in the first year, STA 111 is a prerequisite for ECN 209 and is best taken in the fall of sophomore year, and students planning honors should finish ECN 209 before senior year.
• Typical B.S. schedule: first year ECN 150 and MTH 112; sophomore year ECN 210, 211, MTH 113 and MTH 121; junior year ECN 215, MTH 254 and electives; senior year ECN 318 and remaining electives. Note: that page still carries the older Mathematical Economics wording (ECN 215, MTH 254), while the Bulletin lists ECN 209 and not ECN 215 for the new B.S. The two disagree; follow the Bulletin and the department’s latest notice.
• Course prerequisites (Bulletin): ECN 205 and 207 need ECN 150 and MTH 111 or 112; ECN 209 needs ECN 150 and STA 111 (or a similar course); ECN 210 and 211 need ECN 150 and MTH 112.
• Credit (department): AP credit for ECN 150 requires taking both the micro and macro exams with a total score of at least eight; an IB Economics score of 6 or 7 earns credit for ECN 150. AP credit cannot satisfy the B.S. quantitative methods electives. The Bulletin adds that AP, CLEP and IB credit counts toward the 120 hours for graduation but cannot exempt the divisional core requirements. Credit for AP Calculus or Statistics is not described on the pages I read; not published there.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials

The dates on the “How to Apply” and first-year pages carry no year. The “Info for the Class of 2031” page says the optional interview and video are open only to seniors who have applied for the fall 2027 semester and gives November 18, 2026; please check that the other dates also apply to fall 2027 entry.

• Early Decision I: November 15, binding, rolling decisions. Early Action: November 15, for first-generation students only, non-binding, decision by January 15, reply by May 1. Early Decision II: January 1, binding, decision by February 15. Regular Decision: January 1, decision around April 1.
• The office says the university tends to enroll just over half of each class through Early Decision, though it does not begin a cycle intending to.
• How to apply: the Common Application or the Coalition Application (Scoir), or a mailed print application (not recommended; two-week processing delay). International first-years use the Common App or the print application.
• Application fee: $85; fee waivers are available.
• Required: the application, official high school transcript, Secondary School Report, one letter of recommendation (from a counselor/advisor or a teacher), the Early Decision agreement (ED only); international students also submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo. Optional: counselor recommendation, supplemental questions (pick one), a video or virtual interview, SAT/ACT scores, a mid-year report.
• Testing: SAT/ACT is not required. The office says Wake Forest has been test-optional since 2008, superscores scores that are submitted, and expects students who asked to have scores considered to send official scores the summer before arrival.
• Interviews: a virtual interview must be requested within five days of applying, with the last day November 18, 2026 (a Wednesday). For the video interview the Class of 2031 page gives two statements: its table says November 20 (EDI, EA) and January 5 (EDII, RD), another row says August through January 9, and the text says November 20 or January 9. Interviews are optional and plenty of students are admitted without one.
• Review: holistic; the office says academic work matters most and sets no minimum GPA or test score.

5. US domestic applicants

• Wake Forest is private, and the pages I read do not distinguish in-state and out-of-state tuition. Costs are in section 9.
• North Carolina residents: the university announced that, beginning fall 2026, undergraduates from North Carolina whose families earn under $200,000 a year attend tuition-free; below $100,000 aid also covers standard living expenses; families earning $200,000 to $300,000 are eligible for aid covering 50% of tuition (the North Carolina Gateway). I did not read the program’s detailed conditions; see the original page.
• Test scores are optional (see above); need-based aid uses the FAFSA and CSS Profile, which open October 1.

6. International applicants

• Who counts: status depends on citizenship; you are international if you need a visa sponsored by Wake Forest. Green card holders apply as US citizens, and US citizens living abroad do not need the extra international materials.
• Records: certified transcripts from every secondary school, college or university attended, with at least four years of schooling on record, listing courses and grades; translate into English if necessary and attach the sealed originals. Documents go through the Common App or Coalition application; some may be sent from a verified school email address.
• English: required if English is not your first language and/or your school does not teach in English; TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (self-reported scores are accepted; English scores are not superscored). It is waived for students in schools where English is the main language of instruction (3 years minimum). TOEFL iBT scores changed on January 1, 2026; scores from earlier tests are still accepted. Minimum scores are not stated on the pages I read; ask the admissions office.
• Interview/video: not required but “strongly recommended”; can be submitted on the university platform or through InitialView, Vericant or the Duolingo English Test.
• Funds and aid: the university offers no need-based financial aid to foreign national students. Unless you receive a merit scholarship, you must show sufficient support with the Confidential Financial Information for International Applicants Form before the university will consider you for admission. International students are eligible for most merit scholarships, including the full-cost Carswell, Gordon, Reynolds and Stamps awards; the regular application doubles as the scholarship application, with no separate form. Finalists are notified by March 1.
• Visa: admitted students who pay the deposit receive an I-20 and can apply for an F-1 visa.
• Work experience: the Bulletin’s ECN 280 (Economics Internship) says it may fulfill Curricular Practical Training requirements, subject to approval; international students must meet specific eligibility criteria.

7. Applicants from China

• The Wake Forest admissions pages I read have no separate guidance for applicants from China; not published there. Whether the Gaokao is used and the exact format of Chinese school transcripts and exam records are also not stated, so ask the Undergraduate Admissions office directly.
• The international requirements above apply: certified transcripts (at least four years), English proof (TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo, or a qualifying exemption), one letter of recommendation and the financial information form.

8. Transfer applicants

• Who is a transfer applicant: anyone who has taken college coursework after high school; international students with any post-secondary credit must apply as transfers, even if they want first-year status or zero credit transfer.
• Eligibility: an overall average of at least C on all college work attempted, and either graduation from a standard junior college or a certificate of honorable dismissal from the last college attended.
• Deadlines: for spring 2027, November 1, 2026 (decisions by mid-December); for fall 2027, March 15, 2027 (decisions by mid-May). The application fee is $85.
• Materials: transcripts from all colleges and the final high school transcript; a Dean’s Statement from each college is required upon enrollment (the Common App Transfer College Report may also be used); international students add an English test. Transfer applicants are not interviewed.
• Moving into economics: the pages list no separate admission cutoff for economics transfers; not published. After you enroll, the declaration conditions in section 2 apply. The department says two semesters of micro and macro principles at a four-year college earn credit for ECN 150 plus 3 general economics credits that do not count toward the major, and that courses taken elsewhere while enrolled at Wake Forest need the department’s prior approval.
• Credit transfer: the details are on the admissions office’s transfer credit policy page, which I did not expand on. Approved courses without a Wake Forest equivalent get 500 or 520 course numbers (500-level can count as a major elective; 520 counts only toward graduation hours). In the second-degree section the transfer page says at least half of the degree and half of the major (and minor) must be completed at Wake Forest.

9. Costs, scholarships, research and internships

• Estimated 2026-27 cost of attendance: $98,730: tuition $71,894, housing $12,900, food $7,396, books and supplies $1,720, fees and other expenses $4,820. These are estimates approved by the Board of Trustees in spring and may change. I found no economics-specific surcharge on the pages I read.
• Financial aid: the university says it meets 100% of demonstrated need for eligible students, based on the FAFSA and CSS Profile (CSS code 5885, FAFSA code 002978). On aid deadlines the admissions pages give two versions: the affordability page says ED I and Early Action applicants apply for aid by December 1 and ED II and Regular Decision applicants by January 1; the first-year page says November 15 for ED I and EA and January 1 for ED II and RD. Check the financial aid office for the current dates.
• Merit scholarships: apply by November 15 to be automatically considered for most merit awards; the Presidential Scholarship (twenty renewable $16,000 awards each year for exceptional talent in art, dance, debate, music and theatre) has the same date.
• Research: the department lists research assistant positions, the honors thesis courses (ECN 398/399) and the URECA summer fellowship; many assistant positions require ECN 209 or 215, and the page recommends taking econometrics and coding or data courses early.
• Internships: ECN 280 carries 1 to 3 hours; 1 to 3 hours from the Washington DC Internship Program (WDC 100) can count toward the Economics B.A., B.S. or minor, but credit from other internships does not. The department also points to the Office of Personal and Career Development.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Early Decision I November 15; Early Decision II and Regular Decision January 1 (Early Action on November 15 for first-generation students); $85 fee, one recommendation, SAT/ACT optional
• Declare after enrolling: B.A. needs at least a C in ECN 150; B.S. needs at least a B- in ECN 150 and MTH 112; North Carolina residents should check the Gateway program

International applicants (including those from China):

• Certified transcripts (at least four years), TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo (waived after 3 years of English-medium schooling), the confidential financial information form; no need-based aid, but merit scholarships are open
• Whether the Gaokao is used and the minimum English scores are not published on the pages I read; ask admissions directly

Transfer applicants:

• Fall 2027 deadline March 15, 2027; overall average of at least C; transcripts and a Dean’s Statement; no interview
• No separate economics admission cutoff is published; the declaration grades apply after you enroll

Sources: Wake Forest University, Economics: B.A.; Economics: B.S.; Economics: suggested schedule; Economics: honors; Economics: minor; Economics: undergraduate research; Economics: careers; Bulletin: Economics and courses; Bulletin: Economics, B.A.; Bulletin: Economics, B.S.; Bulletin: Wake Forest College; Bulletin: Requirements for degrees; Admissions: how to apply and deadlines; Admissions: first-year students; Admissions: Class of 2031 information page; Admissions: international students; Admissions: transfer students; Admissions: affordability. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 rates). Check Wake Forest for the latest details.