How to Apply to Economics at William & Mary: A Flexible B.A. With Few Required Courses, a Joint Degree With St Andrews, and Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

At William & Mary (W&M), undergraduate economics is taught by the Department of Economics in the College of Arts & Sciences, and the degree is the Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Here is what you need to know about degrees, admission, prerequisites, applying and transferring, based on W&M’s official information, for US domestic applicants, international applicants (including students from China) and transfer students. The dates page prints no year, so check that it applies to fall 2027 entry. I could not read the undergraduate catalog (catalog.wm.edu), so check it for the total credits of the major.

1. Degrees and how you get into the major

• Degrees: the department lists the B.A. in Economics, a minor in Economics, and a joint degree with the University of St Andrews in Scotland (economics is one of four participating fields, leading to a B.A. in International Honours). It lists no B.S. or other economics variants. The pages I read do not mention a STEM designation for economics.
• No direct admission to economics: the admission pages I read ask only for an application to the university through the Common App and do not ask for economics at application. The department says that, before declaring, you must choose a major advisor (any full-time faculty member can serve) and complete a Declaration of Major form; your plan must also meet the university-wide COLL requirements, totaling at least 120 credits.
• Condition to declare: the department says you must complete a basic calculus course (MATH 108, 111 or 131) before declaring an economics major. The pages state no GPA threshold and no cap on places.
• Size: the department says around 150 economics majors graduate each year, the major page says about 400 W&M students are economics majors each year, and about 50 students pursue the minor; there are about 25 economists, 21 of them tenured or tenure-eligible.
• Minor: 18 credit hours of economics beyond ECON 101 and 102, including ECON 303, 304 and 308, and at least 3 credit hours at the 400 level or above.
• St Andrews joint degree: students spend two years at each institution and earn a single B.A. (International Honours); economics is one of four participating fields. Admission details for the program are on the admission office’s joint degree page.
• Honors: a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA (or 3.2 for junior year) and a 3.5 GPA in economics by the end of junior year; you may petition the committee if you fall short.

2. Prerequisites and course sequence

• High school math: 100-level courses assume basic algebra only. Some, but not all, 300- and 400-level courses require calculus, as noted in the catalog or syllabus.
• Calculus: the major needs one semester of calculus (MATH 108, 111 or 131), and the department suggests taking it in the first year if you lack AP or transfer credit. Students considering graduate school in economics are advised to take MATH 111 and 112, 211 (Linear Algebra) and 212 (Multivariate Calculus).
• Getting started: take ECON 101 (Microeconomics) as early as possible, ideally in the first semester; it is the prerequisite for all other economics courses except the first-year seminar ECON 150. Most upper-level courses need both ECON 101 and ECON 102 (Macroeconomics). Prospective majors should complete both in the first year.
• Structure of the major (department planning page): gateway courses (calculus, ECON 101, 102 and statistics ECON 307); intermediate courses (ECON 303 micro theory, 304 macro theory, 308 econometrics); four 300- or 400-level electives; three 400-level advanced courses; and a senior capstone/COLL 400 essay (listed as forthcoming). ECON 307 is the prerequisite for ECON 308.
• Sequencing: most 400-level courses require ECON 303 and 304, and most 300-level courses require ECON 101 and 102. The department recommends no more than three economics courses per semester, taking 303 and 304 in consecutive semesters, ECON 307 by the end of sophomore year (no later than the first semester of junior year), and ECON 308 once the statistics prerequisite is met; it calls 308 one of the most important courses for majors.
• AP/IB: W&M accepts credit for AP/IB exam scores and A-levels, typically an AP 4 or 5 or an IB Higher Level 5, 6 or 7; for how that applies to ECON 101 and 102, ask the Office of the University Registrar (the economics pages do not say).

3. Honors, research and other opportunities

• Honors Program: a year-long project in senior year, three credits each semester (ECON 495-496), with a thesis and an oral defense before a committee of your advisor plus two other faculty, one from outside the department. If the project earns Honors you receive an A for ECON 495 and 496; otherwise credit is given as independent study (ECON 490).
• Research: econometrics courses (ECON 308, 407, 408) involve data-based projects; the department offers a research grant for student-faculty collaboration, and there are campus grants.
• After graduation: the department says more than half of alumni pursue a graduate degree, most often business administration (16%) and law (12%), with about 3% completing a Ph.D. in economics.

4. Deadlines and application materials

• Early Decision I (binding): 1 November, decisions in early December, deposit due 5 January. Early Decision II (binding): 5 January, decisions in early February, deposit due 15 February. Regular Decision: 5 January, decisions by 1 April, deposit due 1 May. Transcripts, test scores and recommendations may arrive after the deadline.
• Apply through the Common App; the fee is $75 (waivers available). Required: the high school transcript plus mid-year grades, the essay (up to two optional essays are encouraged) and one counselor recommendation. You may also send one to three optional recommendation letters, preferably from core subject teachers; W&M suggests asking at least a month ahead.

5. Testing

• Test optional: 40 percent of the Class of 2029 applied test-optional. If you submit both SAT and ACT, W&M superscores each and uses the result most advantageous to you; choosing test-optional in the Common App suppresses any scores already reported. All applicants are considered for merit programs regardless of scores.
• W&M says students from schools with written evaluations instead of grades, and homeschooled students with few AP or dual-enrollment courses, would likely benefit from submitting scores.

6. US domestic applicants

• W&M is a public university and charges different tuition by residency. 2026-27 estimates: Virginia residents pay tuition $19,734, fees $7,501, housing $10,512 and food $7,134 (direct costs $44,881), for a total of $48,638 with indirect costs; out-of-state students pay tuition $46,177 and fees $8,072 (direct costs $71,895), for a total of $75,652. Indirect costs are books $900, transportation $785, personal $2,000 and loan fees $72.
• W&M says 77% of first-year in-state and 60% of out-of-state students received aid in 2024-25, and in-state Pell-eligible students automatically receive scholarship assistance covering at least tuition and fees. The pages I read do not describe an in-state admission preference or different admission standards.
• The department adds that exceptional upperclassmen can apply for merit scholarships.

7. International applicants (including China)

• English tests: W&M strongly recommends the TOEFL or IELTS for students whose first language is not English and who have been schooled in another language; Duolingo scores are accepted if you cannot access either. One page says “the past four years or more” and another says “the past five years or more”; the pages are inconsistent. Reference scores: a minimum of 100 on the TOEFL taken on or before 20 January 2026, or 5 on the TOEFL taken on or after 21 January 2026 (a single sitting or ETS MyBest), and an IELTS Academic overall band of 7 or above; no score guarantees admission.
• Standardized tests: international students may also choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores; if IB/AP/A-level results are unavailable, they are strongly encouraged to submit one.
• Credential evaluation and credit: students who completed a 13-year secondary program or attended university outside the US submit translated syllabi for each 13th-year or university course with the application. After admission and a declared intention to enroll, they may need to send credentials to World Education Services by 1 June (fall) or 15 January (spring); evaluations from other services are accepted, but credit is not guaranteed.
• Costs and aid: W&M says it generally has no scholarship or loan funds for undergraduate citizens of other countries, so you must be prepared to fully finance your education (see the tuition page for costs). The pages I read do not describe need-based aid for international students.
• Visa: the international transfer page says students needing an F-1 or J-1 receive an email from iStart after admission and the deposit and provide financial certification.

8. Applicants from China

• The pages I read do not publish a Gaokao policy (whether it is considered or can stand in for tests) or any China-specific transcript requirement. Contact admissions (admission@wm.edu) to confirm.
• One China-related note appears on the international transfer page: many users of 126.com and 163.com addresses report not receiving email from W&M, so give an address from another provider on the Common App and ask admissions to update it.

9. Transfer students

• Scale and eligibility: W&M usually receives around 900 fall and 250 spring transfer applications and enrolls about 200 in fall and 70 in spring (not counting the Spring Pathway program). A transfer student attended another college after high school and has not earned a bachelor’s degree; applicants must be in good standing at their last institution. Someone with a bachelor’s degree cannot earn a second undergraduate degree at W&M (international transfer page).
• Deadlines: fall entry: Common App for Transfer by 1 March, high school and college transcripts and a mid-term report by 15 March, decisions by 1 May, deposit by 15 May. Spring entry: 1 October, materials by 15 October, decisions in mid-November, deposit by 15 December. International students attending schools outside the US who need an F-1 visa are accepted for fall only.
• Recommended courses: W&M says competitive transfer applicants typically have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have taken rigorous transfer-oriented coursework in the past year, including math (quantitative reasoning, statistics or calculus), natural sciences with labs, social sciences such as economics, world cultures and history, arts and writing. Sample semesters include Calculus I and Principles of Microeconomics. Students must reach the fourth semester of a foreign language (202 level) to graduate; this is not an admission requirement.
• Getting into economics: the pages I read do not describe a separate GPA or course requirement for transfers into economics; the major requirements are the same, and declaring still requires basic calculus and a major advisor. Ask the Registrar and the economics department how your credits apply to ECON 101, 102, 303 and 304.
• International transfers: submit translated syllabi; if your first language is not English and you have been schooled in another language for five years or more, take the TOEFL or IELTS.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Apply through the Common App by 1 November (ED I) or 5 January (ED II, RD); Virginia and out-of-state costs differ
• After enrolling: take ECON 101, 102 and one semester of calculus, choose a major advisor and declare, then take 303, 304, 307 and 308

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 5 on the new scale (100 old) or IELTS 7 or above; prepare translated syllabi and a possible WES evaluation if you attended a 13-year program
• Ask admissions how Gaokao results are treated; avoid a 126.com or 163.com address
• Be ready to fund your education, about $75,652 a year (out-of-state estimate)

Transfer students:

• Fall 1 March, spring 1 October; a GPA of 3.5 or higher is typical for competitive applicants
• Take math (calculus or statistics) and principles of economics; after transfer, finish calculus, choose an advisor and then declare

Sources: William & Mary, Economics department; Economics undergraduate program; Economics major; Planning the major; Economics and mathematics; Major advising; Minor; Courses; Getting started; Honors program; Undergraduate research; St Andrews joint degree in economics; Dates and deadlines; First-year applicants; Application checklist; Letters of recommendation; Testing policy; International testing and English; International expenses and aid; International transfer credit; Transfer admission; Recommended transfer courses; International transfer students; Tuition and fees. The undergraduate catalog (catalog.wm.edu) could not be read this time, so check it for total credit hours and the official requirements. The dates page prints no year, so check that it applies to fall 2027 entry; costs are 2026-27 figures. Check William & Mary for the latest details.