How to Apply to Economics at UC San Diego: The Economics Department Offers an Economics B.A., an Economics B.S. and Joint Majors, You Choose the Major on the Application and Economics Is Not a Selective Major, with Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Economics at UC San Diego is taught by the Department of Economics. The admissions office’s majors list places Economics B.A., Economics B.S. and the joint Mathematics and Economics B.S. under Social Sciences, and the Business Economics B.S. under the Rady School of Management. You apply on the UC application, choosing the university and a major and ranking undergraduate colleges (which set general-education requirements); a college does not limit which major you can take. Here 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.S. (ECON-BS-004): new in fall 2024, 19 courses, described as the department’s most comprehensive degree. It requires ECON 5 (data analytics for the social sciences), the full ECON 100A-B-C micro, 110A-B macro and 120A-B-C econometrics sequences, and five upper-division electives, at least two of them “advanced.” The department says the degree is STEM-certified, so F-1 students may apply for STEM OPT (12 months plus 24); it falls under the category Econometrics and Quantitative Economics.
• Economics, B.A. (ECON-BA-001): 17 courses, more flexible for pairing with other fields. It has lighter lower-division requirements and a shorter intermediate micro sequence (ECON 100A-B); it does not require ECON 5 or ECON 100C, and its five electives need no advanced ones. The same page also says the B.A. qualifies for STEM OPT.
• Business Economics, B.S. (ECON-BS-003): offered with the Rady School of Management, 22 courses. The department says the university will stop accepting new students into this major starting fall 2028; those who enroll before then can finish it, and a successor major is being developed. Fall 2027 entry falls before that date, but check with the department.
• Mathematics and Economics, B.S. (ECON-BS-002): a joint major with the Mathematics Department, at least 20 courses, aimed at graduate study in economics, business or finance, with more mathematics (proof writing, linear algebra, real analysis, differential equations).
• Five-year joint programs: Economics B.S. or B.A. with a Master of Public Policy, with the School of Global Policy and Strategy; you apply during spring quarter after enrolling.
• Minors: Economics and Business Economics (the latter ends in fall 2028). The admissions list also shows majors such as International Studies-Economics in the School of Global Policy and Strategy, which this guide does not cover.
• Honors: all the department’s majors have honors programs. The Catalog says the B.S. “with distinction” needs seven electives (four advanced) and an upper-division major GPA of at least 3.5; “with highest distinction” also requires honors sections of at least two upper-division courses and the senior essay seminar ECON 191A-B, with at least 3.5 in those courses. The B.A. is worded similarly with a different number of advanced electives.
• Two statements disagree: the admissions majors list still shows a Management Science B.S., while the Catalog says management science is no longer a major or minor students can choose. Follow the department and the Catalog.

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

• Choosing a major: first-years and transfers choose a major on the UC application. The admissions office’s selective majors are Data Science, Engineering and Public Health; Economics is not among them, and applicants to selective majors are urged to list a non-selective alternate.
• Entering economics after enrolling: the department says that since fall 2019 none of its majors is capped; current students select the major in the Major/Minor Tool on TritonLink. It adds that every major requirement must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a C- or better, a 2.0 major GPA is needed to graduate, and P/NP is not accepted (except for a few COVID-era quarters).
• Internal switching: the pages I read do not list a GPA or prerequisite-grade threshold for switching in; not published, so ask the Virtual Advising Center or admissions.
• The department also limits outside credit: no more than four external upper-division courses for the B.A. and B.S., three for the joint Math-Econ major, and one economics plus one Rady course for Business Economics. Online courses are reviewed by exception only, and courses taken through concurrent enrollment cannot satisfy major or minor requirements or serve as prerequisites.

3. Prerequisites and the first two years

• High school: UC’s A-G subjects are history/social science 2 years, English 4, mathematics 3 (4 recommended), laboratory science 2 (3 recommended), a language other than English 2 (3 recommended), visual and performing arts 1 and a college-preparatory elective 1, with a C or better and at least 11 of the 15 courses done before senior year. The department adds no separate high school math requirement; not published. Its prospective-student page says students come with a strong math background “or get it here.”
• Required lower-division courses (Catalog): the B.S. needs MATH 10A-B-C (required) or 20A-B-C (recommended), plus ECON 1 (microeconomics), ECON 3 (macroeconomics) and ECON 5; the B.A. needs MATH 10A-B-C or 20A-B-C plus ECON 1 and ECON 3. The Catalog explains that only the MATH 20 series leads to MATH 20F and several upper-division math courses recommended for doctoral study, finance and data analysis.
• Upper-division core: B.S. ECON 100A-B-C, 110A-B, 120A-B-C; B.A. ECON 100A-B, 110A-B, 120A-B-C. Prerequisites are strictly enforced and the series run in order. The department’s transfer page says every upper-division core course requires at least MATH 10C or 20C.
• Exam credit: the admissions office says AP scores of 3, 4 or 5 taken before high school graduation earn 2, 4 or 8 units; the department’s transfer page says a 5 on AP Microeconomics gives credit for ECON 1 and a 5 on AP Macroeconomics gives credit for ECON 3. How AP Calculus maps to MATH courses is not described on the pages I read; not published there. The department notes the system sometimes fails to recognize math AP scores and tells students to report prerequisite problems through the VAC.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• The UC application opens August 1 and is submitted October 1 to November 30. Decisions are posted on the applicant portal before the end of March; the reply deadline is May 1; some applicants are invited to opt in to the waitlist by April 15. Final transcripts are due July 1 and AP/IB results July 15.
• Testing: SAT and ACT are not considered in admission or scholarship decisions; scores you choose to submit may only be used to meet minimum requirements or for course placement.
• Essays: personal insight questions, four of eight for first-years, 350 words each. Recommendations: the UC pages say not to submit letters of recommendation, though some campuses or majors may ask for them.
• Review: holistic. Readers consider 10th and 11th grade A-G GPA (with extra weight for honors, AP, IB), the rigor and grades of courses beyond the minimum, the senior-year schedule and personal qualities. The admissions office’s fall 2026 first-year profile shows a middle-50% GPA of 4.12 to 4.28, a 27% admit rate and 141,700 first-year applications (university-wide figures, not for economics).
• Fee: the UC international-applicant page says $95 per campus, possibly $80 for international students enrolled in a US institution; the domestic fee is not on the pages I read.

5. US domestic applicants

• Minimums: the A-G courses and a 10th/11th-grade A-G GPA of 3.0 for California residents or 3.4 for non-residents, with no grade below C. The office says competitive applicants present an academic profile stronger than the minimum requirements.
• In-state and out-of-state cost differ greatly (see section 9). Non-residents are not eligible for California state aid, though the university helps them obtain federal aid. The FAFSA and California Dream Act application open October 1; the priority date is March 2; the UC San Diego school code is 001317.
• Local preference: the review page mentions that UC can identify students ranked in the top 9% of their California high school class as Eligible in the Local Context (ELC); beyond that, the pages I read state no in-state preference rule; not published.

6. International applicants

• Records: complete secondary school and hold a certificate that admits you to a university in your country. Report coursework exactly as it appears on your records and do not convert grades yourself or through a service. International applicants meet the same requirements as other first-years (including the 3.4 GPA) plus the international ones.
• English (required if your native language is not English and your secondary education was in a country where English is not the language of instruction): UC San Diego lists TOEFL iBT 4.5 (the new scale from January 2026; 83 for tests before that), IELTS Academic 7 and Duolingo 115; AP English Language or Literature scores of 3, 4, 5 and IB English A Higher Level 5, 6, 7 or Standard Level 6, 7 also count. The UC systemwide page lists IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 4.5 (80 before January 2026) and Duolingo 115 and says a campus may require a higher score. The UC San Diego IELTS line (7) is higher than the systemwide one (6.5); check with admissions. UC also says to finish the test by December of your final secondary year.
• Funds and aid: the admissions office says international students are not eligible for federal or state financial aid and must prove sufficient funds for all estimated expenses to obtain a visa. Becoming a California resident for tuition is described as extremely difficult. Scholarships for international students are not described on the pages I read; not published, so ask the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.
• Work authorization: the department says its two B.S. majors can currently qualify international students for extended employment authorization.

7. Applicants from China

• The admissions office’s international page has a dedicated entry for China. The qualification is the Senior High School Graduation Certificate (“Redbook”). Required documents are original records in English from middle school and high school, grades 9 to 12; all grade 12 subjects must be completed and the graduation certificate earned and submitted; all grade 12 classes must be passed with a C or better, with an overall 3.0 (or equivalent). Transcripts must be sent directly from the school to UC San Diego or via Parchment; notarized translation booklets are not accepted.
• Clearing admission requires the lower middle school record (grade 9), the cumulative upper middle school record (grades 10 to 12; partial documents with addenda are not accepted) and a photocopy of the authenticated Redbook with all required stamps, sent directly by the school. Electronic transcripts can go through Digitary VIA, Parchment or CHESICC; physical documents must be issued by the school in sealed envelopes, and photocopies are not accepted.
• Transcripts are due July 1 and IB results July 15. Admission is provisional until these records are received and reviewed.
• UC’s country page adds that if you follow the Chinese national curriculum you list all courses and marks from grade 9 through grade 12 exactly as on your records; if you follow IGCSE/GCSE/GCE you need at least five O-Levels and three academic A-Level exams.
• Whether the Gaokao is used: neither the UC country page nor the UC San Diego international page mentions Gaokao scores; not published, so ask the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

8. Transfer applicants

• UC San Diego enrolls transfer students at the junior level only; the office says 33% of its undergraduates are transfers. Its fall 2026 transfer profile shows a middle-50% GPA of 3.61 to 3.95, a 47% admit rate and 26,300 applications (university-wide).
• University level: complete the 7-course pattern (two English composition, one mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning, and four from at least two other areas) with a C or better in each by the end of spring term; at least 60 semester (90 quarter) UC-transferable units; a GPA of at least 2.4 (California residents) or 2.8 (non-residents). Up to 70 semester units of lower-division credit are granted. The university has articulation agreements only with California community colleges, so courses elsewhere cannot be evaluated before admission.
• Economics is a screened major: for the Economics B.A. and B.S. you must complete ECON 1, ECON 3, MATH 20A (or 10A) and MATH 20B (or 10B), each with at least a C-, and a GPA of at least 2.3 across these courses. The office recommends also taking MATH 20C (or 10C) and, where two sequences exist, the one required for STEM majors. The joint Math-Econ major asks for ECON 1, 3 and MATH 18, 20A, 20B, 20C; Business Economics asks for MATH 20A, 20B, ECON 1 or 3, and MGT 45 (or ECON/MGT 4 and MGT 5). This preparation must be done by the end of spring term before fall entry.
• The department’s cautions: IGETC or Cal-GETC does not mean the major’s lower-division courses are done; every upper-division core course needs at least MATH 10C or 20C, and missing prerequisites delay enrollment. Economics courses from other UCs or four-year schools must be petitioned for equivalence, and the department notes its upper-division core requires a full year of calculus first.
• Timeline: submit the UC application October 1 to November 30 (the transfer requirements page says “November 1-30,” which differs from the timeline page; follow the dates in the application itself); Transfer Academic Update by January 31; decisions by April 30; waitlist opt-in by May 15; reply deadline June 1.
• International transfers: if your high school or college taught in English, a B or better in two transferable English composition courses meets the English requirement; others submit test scores and report them before January.

9. Costs, research and internships

• UC San Diego’s own cost-of-attendance page (fas.ucsd.edu) loads its campus table through a dynamic component, so I did not read the figures; please open it directly. The figures below are the University of California systemwide 2027–28 estimates, averaged across campuses; actual costs vary by campus and person:
  • California residents: tuition $16,278, campus fees $1,900, health insurance $3,900; living on campus (housing and meals $21,700) direct costs total $43,778 and total cost $49,078; living off campus, direct costs $22,078 and total cost $48,678.
  • Non-residents: tuition $57,300 with the other items the same; on campus, direct costs $84,800 and total cost $90,100; off campus, direct costs $63,100 and total cost $89,700.
• The systemwide page says tuition stays flat for up to six years under the Tuition Stability Plan, for residents and non-residents. I found no college surcharge for economics; not published.
• Research and internships: the department says it matches its best undergraduates with graduate students as research assistants; it lists an Undergraduate-Graduate Research Lab and an Economics Lab where students can earn money in studies. ECON 195P, 198 and 199 are P/NP only, up to 12 units count toward the major (at most 8 each for 195P and 199). The EconCareers industry engagement program, launched in spring 2022, offers alumni, mentors and internship listings.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Submit the UC application October 1 to November 30; A-G GPA of 3.0 (3.4 for non-residents); SAT/ACT not considered; choose economics as your major, which is not a selective major
• After enrolling, take ECON 1, ECON 3 and the MATH 10 or 20 series, then the 100/110/120 core; at least a C- in each major course

International applicants (including those from China):

• Report grades exactly as on your records; for China, have middle and high school records in English and the Redbook sent directly by the school; show English proficiency (TOEFL 4.5, IELTS 7, Duolingo 115; the UC and UC San Diego pages differ, so check)
• No federal or state aid and proof of funds required; ask admissions whether the Gaokao is used

Transfer applicants:

• Junior-level entry; apply by November 30; 60 semester units and the 7-course pattern; ECON 1, ECON 3 and MATH 20A/B (or 10A/B) with a 2.3 GPA across them
• Only California community colleges have articulation agreements; petition other courses, and complete MATH 10C or 20C before upper-division core courses

Sources: UC San Diego and the University of California, Economics: undergraduate program; Economics: majors and minors; Economics: B.S.; Economics: B.A.; Economics: FAQs; Economics: honors; Economics: transfer students; Economics: resources for current students; Economics: EconCareers; Economics: prospective student info; General Catalog: Economics; Admissions: first-year requirements; Admissions: first-year timeline; Admissions: first-year review; Admissions: international students; Admissions: transfer requirements; Admissions: transfer timeline; Admissions: transfer major preparation; Admissions: majors; Admissions: cost and aid; UC: international applicants; UC: additional information by country; UC: English proficiency; UC: tuition and cost estimates. Information is for fall 2027 entry. Check UC San Diego for the latest details.