How to Apply to Economics at UC Davis: Economics Is in the College of Letters and Science and the Catalog Lists Only a B.A. (A.B.), Transfer Applicants Must Finish Principles of Economics and Calculus First, with Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Economics at UC Davis is taught by the Department of Economics. The General Catalog lists “Economics, Bachelor of Arts” (A.B.) under the College of Letters & Science, and the admissions office’s transfer page on College of Letters and Science majors also lists Economics. I could not read the department’s own website (economics.ucdavis.edu), so wherever the admissions pages and the Catalog are silent on department-level rules such as internal transfer or exam credit details, this guide says “not published.” 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, A.B.: the Catalog says the major takes at least 64 units (64 to 68 in total). Preparatory courses: ECN 1A (microeconomics) and 1B (macroeconomics), 8 units; statistics, STA 13 or STA 32 (4 units); and one calculus series, MAT 17A-B (Calculus for Biology and Medicine), MAT 19A-B-C (Calculus for Data-Driven Applications) or MAT 21A-B (Calculus). Major courses: ECN 100A and 100B (intermediate micro), 101 (intermediate macro), 102 (analysis of economic data), one course from ECN 110A/110B/111A/111B/117 (economic history or the economics of immigration), and a 24-unit specialization.
• Specializations (choose one): General, Behavior & Strategy, Data Analytics & Economics Analysis, International Macro-Finance, Policy, Poverty & Inequality and Economic History.
• Managerial Economics, B.S.: in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, offered by the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, at least 100 units, with emphases in Business Economics, International Business Economics, Environmental and Resource Economics and Agribusiness Economics. It is a separate major, mentioned here only for context.
• Minor and graduate programs: the Catalog also lists an Economics minor and M.A. and Ph.D. programs.
• Honors: to be eligible for the department’s recommendation for High or Highest Honors, the Catalog says you must take all upper-division economics courses for a letter grade, earn at least a 3.500 in them and complete at least eight units of coursework that results in an honors project.
• STEM designation and double majors: not stated on the pages I read; not published there.
• Study abroad: up to 20 units of upper-division credit from foreign campuses (excluding ECN 100A, 100B and 101) may count, using the pre-approved list or prior department approval.

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

• Choosing a major on the application: the admissions tips say to apply to a major that interests you rather than the one you think is easiest to get into, and to list an alternate major. The first-year requirements page I read does not set out an economics-specific bar for first-years; not published, so confirm with admissions.
• Transfer applicants: economics is a selective major; you must finish the major preparation and meet the GPA requirements before applying (see section 8).
• Switching into economics after enrolling: not stated on the pages I read; not published. The Catalog gives the advising office as the EHE Advising Center, 530-752-9142.
• The Catalog says students are expected to take ECN 100A, 100B and 101 at UC Davis.

3. Prerequisites and the course sequence

• 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. No extra high school math requirement is stated for economics; not published.
• Prerequisites (Catalog): ECN 100A and 101 require ECN 1A and 1B and calculus (MAT 16A-B-C, 17A-B, 19A-B-C or 21A-B), each with a C- or better; ECN 102 requires ECN 1A, 1B, STA 13 or 32 and calculus.
• First two years: ECN 1A-1B, statistics and calculus; ECN 100A/100B/101/102 and the specialization follow. The Catalog recommends MAT 21A-B-C and MAT 22A for students considering graduate study in economics. ECN 111A and 111B satisfy the university’s American History and Institutions requirement.
• AP credit (Catalog AP chart, scores of 3, 4 or 5): AP Microeconomics earns ECN 1A (4 units) and AP Macroeconomics earns ECN 1B (4 units). AP Calculus AB (or the AB subscore of BC): a 3 earns 4 units with no course equivalent, a 4 or 5 earns 4 units with equivalence to one of MAT 12, 17A, 19A or 21A; Calculus BC: a 3 earns 8 units with no course equivalent, a 4 earns 8 units with equivalence to one of those courses. IB: a diploma score of 30 or higher earns 4 semester (6 quarter) units; Higher Level exams with 5, 6 or 7 earn 8 quarter units each; Standard Level exams earn none. These are university-level rules; the department may have its own rules on which courses exam credit exempts, which I could not read.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• The UC application opens August 1 and is submitted October 1 to November 30; the pages I read mention no early admission. Admission status can be checked in MyAdmissions from mid-March; the Statement of Intent to Register is due May 1.
• Testing: UC Davis does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission or scholarship decisions; scores you choose to report may only be used to meet minimum requirements or for course placement. SAT Subject Tests are not required.
• Essays: personal insight questions (the number is set in the UC application; the Davis pages I read do not say). Recommendations: the office says not to send letters of recommendation or transcripts with the application; they will not be reviewed or returned.
• Review: comprehensive review on the 13 criteria all UC campuses use, including A-G GPA with extra points for honors courses, courses beyond the minimum, honors/AP/IB Higher Level courses, recent improvement, the senior-year program, special talents and experiences, circumstances, and identification by UC as ranked in the top 9 percent of your high school class (ELC), school location and residence.
• 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 with a GPA of 3.00 for California residents or 3.40 for non-residents. California residents have a statewide guarantee and a local guarantee, which this guide does not detail.
• Financial aid: apply every year between October 1 and March 2 with the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application (UC Davis code 001313); Cal Grant GPA verification is due March 2.
• Resident and non-resident costs differ (section 9).

6. International applicants

• Records: complete secondary school with strong grades and hold a certificate that admits you to university study in your country. International applicants meet the same requirements and enter the same selection process as US students. Report all coursework as it appears on your records; do not convert grades or use a credential evaluation service. If admitted, official records must come directly from each institution, starting with grade nine; records opened or sent by students are generally not official.
• English: required if you studied in the United States for fewer than three years and were taught in a language other than English before arriving. You can show it with specific AP and IB exams, transferable college coursework, TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo, which also satisfy UC’s Entry Level Writing Requirement. The Davis admissions pages I read give no score thresholds; the UC systemwide page lists IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 4.5 (80 before January 2026) and Duolingo 115, says a campus may require more, and says to take the test by December of your final secondary year. UC Davis’s own thresholds are not published there; ask admissions.
• Visa: a passport and an F-1 or J-1 visa are required; Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) helps with visas and holds an orientation at the start of the year.
• Proof of funds and international scholarships: not stated on the Davis pages I read; ask the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.

7. Applicants from China

• The UC Davis international pages I read have no separate guidance for applicants from China; not published there. UC’s country page says that if you follow the Chinese national curriculum, you list all courses and marks from grade 9 through grade 12 exactly as on your official records, and if admitted you submit the upper middle school graduation certificate and the official lower and upper middle school records (grades 9 to 12).
• If you follow IGCSE/GCSE/GCE you must complete at least five IGCSE/GCSE/GCE O-Levels and at least three academic A-Level exams; IB students have separate instructions.
• Whether the Gaokao is used: neither UC’s country page nor the UC Davis international pages mention Gaokao scores; not published, so ask Undergraduate Admissions.

8. Transfer applicants

• University level: by the end of the spring term before fall entry, complete at least 60 semester (90 quarter) UC-transferable units and the 7-course pattern (two English composition, one mathematical or quantitative reasoning, four from at least two other areas), each with a C or better. UC’s GPA minimum is 2.40 in UC-transferable courses (2.80 for non-residents), and UC Davis requires a minimum 2.80 for admission. Pass/No Pass is limited to 14 semester (21 quarter) units. The admissions page says very few lower-division transfers are admitted; the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences occasionally considers them, and all other divisions consider only junior-level transfers.
• Economics is a selective major in the College of Letters and Science: complete ECN 1A/1B and calculus (MAT 17A/B, or 19A/B/C, or 21A/B; starting fall 2027 you must complete the entire MAT 19A/B/C series) and keep a 2.50 GPA across the group, with no grade below C, all taken for a letter grade (P/NP does not count except in the COVID terms). Everything must be done by the end of spring before fall entry, and summer coursework done before transferring does not count toward admission requirements.
• Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG): for California community college students; the College of Letters and Science requires at least a 3.20 GPA, and economics is open to TAG (data science, business and computer science are not). The TAG application is September 1 to 30, with decisions in mid-November.
• Timeline: UC application October 1 to November 30; January 31 is the priority deadline for the Transfer Academic Update, and UC Davis may not consider later ones; results from late March; Statement of Intent to Register due June 1.
• International transfers: report all college coursework even if it is not transferable; final decisions on transfer credit are made only after you enroll. The office has a separate page on transfers with international records, which I did not expand on.
• Managerial Economics (College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) is also a selective transfer major; I did not read its requirements.

9. Costs, scholarships, research and internships

• UC Davis estimate for students first enrolling in 2026-27 (admissions cost page, California resident, residence hall): systemwide tuition and fees $15,588, campus-based fees $2,490, books and supplies $1,205, room and board $22,252, personal expenses $2,656, transportation $672, health insurance $3,996 and a document fee of $150, for a total of $49,009. Other living arrangements total $47,590 (apartment), $57,549 (studio apartment), $44,661 (off campus) and $37,893 (at home).
• Non-residents add $39,270 of systemwide nonresident supplemental tuition: $88,279 in a residence hall, $86,860 in an apartment, $96,819 in a studio apartment, $83,931 off campus and $77,163 at home.
• The UC systemwide page gives 2027–28 estimates averaged across campuses: California residents pay tuition of $16,278, campus fees of $1,900 and health insurance of $3,900, for a total of $49,078 living on campus; non-residents pay tuition of $57,300, for a total of $90,100 on campus. The two sources use different breakdowns, so check the latest figures from UC Davis and UC.
• The university says systemwide tuition and fees stay flat for up to six years (the Tuition Stability Plan); campus-based fees, housing and health insurance are outside the plan. I found no economics surcharge; not published.
• Internships and research: the Catalog says internships for economics majors have been arranged at banks, brokerages, other businesses and government units, and must complement coursework. Department research opportunities are not described on the pages I read.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Submit the UC application October 1 to November 30; A-G GPA of 3.00 (3.40 for non-residents); SAT/ACT not considered; do not send recommendations
• After enrolling, take ECN 1A/1B, statistics and calculus, then ECN 100A/100B/101/102 and a specialization

International applicants (including those from China):

• Report grades as on your records, with all of grades 9 to 12 for the Chinese national curriculum; show English proficiency (UC systemwide: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 4.5, Duolingo 115; UC Davis thresholds are not published there, so check)
• F-1 or J-1 visa required; ask admissions about proof of funds, scholarships and whether the Gaokao is used

Transfer applicants:

• Apply by November 30; 60 semester units, the 7-course pattern, a 2.80 GPA; economics is selective, so finish ECN 1A/1B and calculus (the full MAT 19A/B/C series from fall 2027) with a 2.50 group GPA
• California community college students can consider TAG (apply September 1 to 30; the College of Letters and Science requires a 3.20)

Sources: UC Davis and the University of California, Catalog: Economics, A.B.; Catalog: Economics courses; Catalog: Managerial Economics, B.S.; Catalog: AP credit chart; Admissions: first-year requirements; Admissions: first-year timeline; Admissions: first-year application tips; Admissions: review criteria; Admissions: international admission; Admissions: international exams and visas; Admissions: international records; Admissions: international resources; Admissions: transfer requirements; Admissions: transfer timeline; Admissions: selective major requirements; Admissions: College of Letters and Science transfer requirements; Admissions: cost; UC: international applicants; UC: additional information by country; UC: English proficiency; UC: tuition and cost estimates. Information is for fall 2027 entry (UC Davis costs are estimates for students first enrolling in 2026-27). Check UC Davis for the latest details.