How to Apply to Economics at UC Irvine: Three BA Majors in the School of Social Sciences, Chosen on the Application, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of California, Irvine (UCI), economics is taught by the Department of Economics in the School of Social Sciences. The department offers three Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) majors: Economics, Business Economics and Quantitative Economics, plus an economics minor. You apply through the University of California’s UC application and choose a major there. Here is what the websites say for fall 2027 entry, for U.S. applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer students.

1. Which economics programs exist

• Economics B.A.: the catalogue says it is designed for students seeking a broad education applicable to business, law and government, or preparation for graduate school in the social sciences; 16 courses.
• Business Economics B.A.: for students who want a business orientation. The catalogue says it does not replicate the traditional undergraduate business school curriculum but offers a more tightly focused curriculum guided by the logic of economics; 17 courses, including two electives from a business list and two from a management list.
• Quantitative Economics B.A.: the department “strongly urges” students to consider it as the best preparation for business and finance, law school, MBA programs and graduate study in the social sciences; it requires linear algebra, a probability series and more math-based courses, 19 courses.
• Only one: students may complete only one of the three economics majors.
• Honors Program: open to students in all three majors, with a 3.4 GPA in upper-division economics courses and a 3.2 overall GPA, applied for no later than spring of junior year; it requires an honors thesis and the two-quarter Economics Honors Colloquium (ECON H190A and 190BW).
• Minor: the economics minor needs ECON 15, 20A-B, an intermediate series (ECON 100A-B-C or 105A-B-C) and two upper-division economics electives.
• STEM designation: not stated in the pages consulted and not published there; check with the department or the international center.
• This site has separate guides for business and computer science, so they are not covered; UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business has its own business administration major, which is different from Business Economics.

2. How admission works

• You choose the major on the application: the catalogue says first-year preference goes to applicants who rank highest under the selection criteria, and transfer preference goes to applicants with the highest grades who complete the prerequisites. The transfer page says all UCI majors are selective. The pages consulted do not give numbers admitted or a cutoff for economics.
• Changing into economics later: the catalogue sends students to the School of Social Sciences undergraduate student affairs office and UCI’s Change of Major Criteria website. That website was not read, so the thresholds are not published in the pages consulted.
• The pages do not say that entry to the major is guaranteed.

3. Prerequisites and course sequence

• High school subjects (A-G): UCI’s first-year page lists two years of history, four of English, three of mathematics (four recommended) that include algebra, geometry and advanced algebra, two of laboratory science, two of a language other than English, one of visual and performing arts and one college-preparatory elective. The economics pages add no separate high school math requirement; that is not published there.
• Lower division (Economics B.A.): ECON 20A (Basic Economics I, micro), 20B (Basic Economics II, macro), ECON 15 (Probability and Statistics for Economics) and MATH 2A-2B (single-variable calculus). A footnote says ECON 15 must be taken at UC Irvine.
• Upper division (Economics B.A.): ECON 100A-100B-100C (intermediate economics), ECON 122A and 122B (applied econometrics), six more economics courses (one may be lower division), and at most three four-unit courses from ECON 190 to 199.
• Business Economics: the same required courses as the Economics B.A., plus seven more economics courses (at least four four-unit upper-division), two chosen from the business electives (for example ECON 125, 131A, 132A, 134A, 134B, 135, 142A, 161A, 161B, 167) and two from the management electives (ECON 140, 145L, 147B, 148, 115, 151A, 151B, 165). The catalogue recommends meeting the upper-division writing requirement with one of the economics electives.
• Quantitative Economics: ECON 20A-B, MATH 2A-2B and MATH 3A (linear algebra); upper division ECON 105A-B-C (intermediate quantitative economics) and ECON 123A-123B (econometrics); either STATS 120A-B-C or MATH 130A-B-C; and five four-unit upper-division economics electives, one meeting the writing requirement and two chosen from a listed set (for example ECON 107, 113, 116, 122CW, 123CW, 126, 128 machine learning, 129, 131A, 135).
• Where the catalogue contradicts itself: the Economics B.A. requirements list “ECON 15”, while the sample four-year plan on the same page shows ECON 15A and 15B; ECON 15, 15A and 15B all appear in the course list, and the ECON 122A prerequisite accepts any of them. Ask the School’s undergraduate student affairs office which to take.
• Prerequisites: ECON 15 and 15A need MATH 2A (or the AP Calculus scores the catalogue lists); ECON 100A needs ECON 20A, 20B, MATH 2A and MATH 2B (or the matching AP scores); first consideration for ECON 100A-B-C goes to Economics and Business Economics majors, and Quantitative Economics majors do not take the 100 series but take the 105 series (which also requires MATH 3A).
• AP and credit: in the catalogue, AP Microeconomics with a 4 or higher can stand in for the ECON 20A prerequisite of ECON 20B and 100A, and AP Macroeconomics with a 4 or higher for the ECON 20B prerequisite of ECON 100A; certain AP Calculus scores stand in for MATH 2A. UCI admissions says AP scores of 3, 4 or 5, IB Higher Level scores of 5, 6 or 7, and A, B or C on GCE and Singapore-Cambridge A-Levels earn graduation credit; which course each exam replaces is in UCI’s AP/IB credit chart, which was not read.
• Enrollment limits: lower-division economics courses often give first consideration to certain majors; for example ECON 20A prioritizes Economics, Quantitative Economics, Business Economics and certain business majors.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027)

• Dates: the UC application for fall 2027 admission and scholarships is due October 1 to November 30. The dates page, as readable, showed only a few dates (it is a 22-page list), so decision months and the intent-to-register deadline are not covered here and are not published in what was consulted.
• Review: comprehensive review of A-G courses, grades, activities and the personal insight questions (first-year applicants answer four of eight, up to 350 words each).
• SAT/ACT: UCI does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarships; they may be used for placement or some graduation requirements after enrollment.
• Recommendation letters: the international FAQ says UCI does not accept or consider them.
• Application fee and the AP credit chart are not covered in the UCI pages consulted; check the UC application and the UCI admissions site.

5. Three groups of readers

U.S. applicants

• First-year minimum: a GPA of at least 3.0 in the 15 A-G courses (3.4 for non-California residents), no grade below C. Selection factors include extra points for UC-certified honors, AP and IB Higher Level courses, and being identified by UC as in the top 9 percent of your high school class (Eligible in the Local Context).
• There is no pre-approved A-G course list for schools outside California; UCI advises out-of-state applicants to take challenging courses and consult the A-G course list site.
• Costs: 2026-27 estimated budgets for new undergraduates total $36,605 living at home, $45,206 on campus and $50,130 off campus (including systemwide fees of $15,588, campus fees of $4,701, books, housing, food, personal and transportation). Non-California residents add $39,270 in nonresident tuition and fees. UC’s Tuition Stability Plan keeps tuition flat for each entering class for up to six years.

International applicants

• Academics: the A-G subjects must be completed with a minimum average GPA of 3.4: two years of history, four of the language of instruction, three of math (four recommended), two of science (three recommended), two of another language (three recommended), one of visual and performing arts and one more. IB students are encouraged to earn 5 or higher; British-system applicants need at least five IGCSE/GCSE/O-Levels and three A-Levels at C or better; Singapore H1 results are not considered.
• English: whether you must prove it depends on your secondary school’s language of instruction, not citizenship, and applies if you had fewer than three years of English instruction. Accepted: TOEFL iBT 4.5 (January 2026 onward) or 80 (earlier); IELTS 6.5; Duolingo 115; ACT English 24; SAT Writing and Language 31 or EBRW 680; AP English Language or Literature 3 or higher; the relevant IB English A scores; or a UC-transferable English composition course with a C or better. IELTS One Skill Retake and TOEFL MyBest are not accepted. Take the test no later than December; UCI needs an actual score, not just a test date.
• Bilingual schools: English proficiency is met only when English is the sole language of instruction, so bilingual-school students must still submit scores.
• Agents: UCI says it does not partner with agents and that the application must be completed by the student.
• Aid: the international FAQ says UCI does not offer financial assistance to international students and suggests external scholarships; the financial aid office page says international students are not eligible for federal or state aid.
• Tuition: international undergraduates pay non-resident tuition (the budgets above plus $39,270).

Applicants from China

• UCI’s international page says students in China must complete 12 years of education and receive a certificate of graduation, and report all coursework for grades 9 to 12. Students taking both the Chinese national curriculum and an international curriculum (such as AP, IGCSE/A-Levels or IB) report all grade 9 to 12 courses and internal grades in Academic History and every international exam, including planned ones, on the International Exams page.
• The page does not say whether gaokao scores are considered; that is not published there, so ask UCI admissions. Official records are requested only after you are admitted and submit your intent to register.
• Do not convert grades to a GPA; English requirements are listed above.

6. Costs and scholarships

• Costs are above. The pages consulted list no extra fee for economics majors; that is not published there.
• International students: UCI does not provide financial assistance (see above). Aid and scholarship dates and amounts for domestic students are not covered here.

7. Research and internships

• The only related items in the catalogue are the honors thesis and colloquium and the ECON 190–199 courses (up to three count). The pages consulted do not list specific internships or research positions; that is not published there. UCI admissions has an “Undergrad Research” page that was not read.

8. Transfer students

• Basics: complete 60 semester or 90 quarter UC-transferable units by the end of spring before entry; seven UC-transferable courses with a C or better (two English composition, one mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning, four from at least two other areas); a GPA of at least 2.4 for California residents and 2.8 for non-residents; “all majors are selective”. UCI generally admits transfers at junior level and gives priority to California community college students; transfers from four-year colleges are considered on a space-available basis.
• Requirements for the three economics majors (transfer requirements page): a cumulative UC-transferable GPA of 2.8 (3.4 for TAG); one microeconomics course, one macroeconomics course and two semesters or quarters of first-year calculus (equivalent to UCI’s MATH 2A-B), each with a B or better. Quantitative Economics also needs one linear algebra course. The catalogue says applicants with the highest grades are preferred.
• School of Social Sciences majors also have a mathematics requirement and a computer education course; these are not admission requirements, and the page points to assist.org or UCI admissions.
• Credit: up to 70 semester (105 quarter) units of lower-division credit; AP, IB and A-Level units are not counted in the limit; at most 21 quarter units may be Pass/No Pass, and Pass/No Pass cannot be used for major requirements.
• Dates: UC application October 1 to November 30; the priority deadline for transfer and 2B applicants to submit the Transfer Academic Update is January 31 (the page prints no year, so confirm it is for fall 2027).
• International transfers: the same eligibility and major requirements; show English with two UC-transferable English composition courses (C or better), and English courses at non-U.S. schools where the language of instruction is not English do not count; report all college coursework; foreign schools must be recognized by the national education authority, and technical or vocational courses do not earn credit.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Submit the UC application October 1 to November 30 and choose Economics, Business Economics or Quantitative Economics; non-California residents need an A-G GPA of at least 3.4; no SAT/ACT
• Three years of high school math (algebra, geometry, advanced algebra); after enrolling take MATH 2A-B and ECON 20A-B

International applicants (including China):

• A-G average of 3.4; report grades as printed; meet the English scores and test by December
• China: 12 years of education and graduation certificate; gaokao use is not published, ask admissions
• Do not use agents; UCI offers no financial assistance to international students

Transfer students:

• 60 semester units, non-resident GPA 2.8; micro, macro and two semesters of calculus at B or better
• Quantitative Economics adds linear algebra; submit the transfer update by January 31

Sources: UC Irvine, 2026-27 Catalogue: Department of Economics and courses; Economics BA; Business Economics BA; Quantitative Economics BA; Economics minor; First-year admission; International students; Transfer students; Transfer requirements by major; Dates and deadlines; 2026-27 estimated budgets; International student aid. The dates page lists October 1 to November 30 for fall 2027 applications; the January 31 priority date for transfer updates prints no year; costs are 2026-27 new-student budgets. Check UC Irvine for the latest details and confirm the entry year.