Whatcom Community College
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Economics Pathway
This pathway assumes:
- You will be a full-time student.
- You will start in the fall.
- You are ready to take 100- and 200-level classes.
If not, you can still complete the pathway! You will just need to make adjustments. Talk with your advisor to customize your plan.
Follow this recommended pathway to earn the AAS/DTA degree and prepare for a university major in economics. Or you can customize your plan even more. There are majors that combine economics with other fields such as accounting, math, environmental science, political science, philosophy or social studies education. Talk with your advisor about adapting this pathway for your individual goals.
Scroll to the end for course suggestions.
| Description | Designed for students new to the college environment. Introduction to college services; study skills and time management; educational planning and career exploration; and skills necessary to become a successful student. Lectures, small group discussion, and experiential exercises. (UE) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | This course helps students become more effective writers in academic and professional settings. Students learn to enter ongoing academic conversations, analyze and use secondary sources to formulate, develop, revise, and communicate ideas in writing, and shape their message to different purposes, audiences, and media. (CC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Completion of ENGL 95 or placement in ENGL& 101. |
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| Description | Applications of linear, quadratic, exponential, and logarithmic equations; functions and graphs; mathematics of finance; solution of linear systems using matrices; linear programming using the simplex method. Graphing calculator required. (QSR,MS) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Completion of MATH 099 with a minimum grade of C. |
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Total credits this quarter: 12-17
Course note: EDPL 100 is optional, but it can be very helpful if you don't have a lot of college experience. Take it with two or three of the other courses.
Course note: Choose this social science course from a subject other than ECON.
Career exploration: Find your people! Attend area-of-study activities and connect with clubs related to your career goals.
Action item: Meet with your advisor to build your degree plan.
Action item: Have your transfer-in credits officially evaluated.
| Description | Introduction to microeconomics. Presents supply and demand models, consumers and producers choice in the competitive and non-competitive market. Examines the various economic decisions made by firms relating to price, demand, factors of production, and costs. (SS) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Completion of MATH 099 |
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| Description | This course helps students become more effective communicators through the production of various forms and mediums of writing. Students develop effective rhetorical strategies through analysis of texts and contexts, as well as engaging in independent research as part of meaningful and ethical scholarship. (CC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Completion of ENGL& 101 with a minimum grade of C-. |
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| Description | This course helps students develop effective methods of research, organization and presentation of findings typical of professional, technical, and scientific writing. Students develop problem-solving and researching skills, including data collection, the critical analysis of sources, documentation, and document design. (CC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Completion of ENGL& 101 with a minimum grade of C-. |
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| Description | Limits, derivatives, marginal analysis, optimization, antiderivatives,and definite integrals. Examples taken from management, life and social sciences. (QSR,MS) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Completion of MATH& 141 or MATH 145 with a minimum grade of C. |
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Total credits this quarter: 15
Career exploration: Compare the different economics majors and combined majors at universities you're interested in.
| Description | Rigorous introduction to statistical methods and hypothesis testing. Includes descriptive and inferential statistics. Tabular and pictorialmethods for describing data; central tendencies; mean; modes; medians; variance; standard deviation; quartiles; regression; normal distribution; confidence intervals; hypothesis testing, one and two-tailed tests. Applications to business, social sciences, and sciences. (QSR,MS) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Completion of MATH 088 or MATH 099 with a minimum grade of C. |
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| Description | This course surveys theories and research from the field of Communication Studies. Students will explore a variety of areas of specialization within the field of Communication Studies, such as: Interpersonal, Intercultural, Small Group, Organizational and Public Address. This course will inform both those students interested in improving communication skills in general, as well as a beginning Communication Studies student. Recommended preparation: placement in ENGL& 101. (OC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | This course traces the history and development of mass media such as print media (newspapers, books, magazines), radio, film, television, music, electronic games, and the internet. The course also examines ways in which mass media influences and is influenced by economic, political, cultural, and societal trends. Students will develop their ability to critically examine and become knowledgeable consumers of mass media content. Recommended preparation: placement in ENGL&101. (OC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | Designed to introduce students to basic interpersonal communication theory. Emphasis on topics such as functions of communication, self-concept, perception, conversation skills, relationship development and maintenance, self-disclosure, listening, and conflict management strategies. Recommended preparation: placement in ENGL&101. (OC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | This course is designed to provide students with basic theories and skills essential to public speaking. Topics include audience analysis, assessing research, organizing ideas and modes of delivery. Students will learn how to analyze their own and others' speeches. Recommended preparation: placement in ENGL& 101. (OC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | This course provides students with a comprehensive survey of small group communication theory and practice. Upon finishing the course students will understand how groups function and how they can adapt their communication behaviors to enhance group effectiveness and satisfaction. Emphasis is on communication skills including conflict management, problem solving, decision making, participant observation, leadership, listening and group presentations. Recommended preparation: placement in ENGL& 101. (OC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | Formerly CMST 145. This course surveys theories and research from the field of organizational communication. A variety of topics are explored (e.g., leadership, communication ethics, interviewing, professional presentations, managing difficult conversations) with a focus on assessing and demonstrating communication competency within the organizational/workplace setting. Recommended preparation: placement in ENGL& 101. (OC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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Total credits this quarter: 15
Career exploration: Look for a summer job or internship related to your career goals.
Action item: Check the GPA and other entry requirements for your future major. Are you on track?
Summer
If you opted for 12 credits in Quarter 1, this might be a good time to catch up.
| Description | Introduction to macroeconomics; elementary analysis of the determination of income through national income accounting. Covers macro economic issues including inflation, unemployment, economic growth, recessions, monetary/fiscal policy, and international trade and finance. (SSg) |
| Enrollment Requirements | ECON& 202 |
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LAB SCIENCE click for list (5 credits)
HUMANITIES from suggested list below or click for complete list (5 credits)
Total credits this quarter: 15
Action item: Meet with the learning contracts coordinator about independent study with a faculty mentor. You can take a WCC course that's not in the schedule or design a course around your own topic.
Action item: Meet with your advisor about applying to universities. Start your transfer applications.
Action item: Apply for next year's financial aid.
| Description | This course is an integrated study of the role of law, ethics, morality, and social responsibility in an entrepreneurial environment. Using case analysis to study and solve: ethical dilemmas in the Market Place, the ethics of the Economic Actor, and ethics/social responsibilityof organizations. (SSw) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | Course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the core principles of money and banking. Topics include, but are not limitedto, the following: supply and demand, interest rates, financial instruments, financial markets, financial institutions, central banks, risk, derivatives, futures, options, and swaps, banks and bank management, monetary policy, fiscal policy, financial stability, and financial system regulation. (SS) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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or a LEARNING CONTRACT (5 credits)
or another ELECTIVE from suggested list below or click for complete list (5 credits)
SCIENCE click for list (5 credits)
ELECTIVE from suggested list below or click for complete list (5 credits)
Total credits this quarter: 15
Action item: Apply to graduate by week 3 of this quarter.
HUMANITIES from suggested list below or click for complete list (5 credits)
ELECTIVE from suggested list below or click for complete list (5 credits)
ELECTIVE from suggested list below or click for complete list (5 credits)
Total credits this quarter: 15
Action item: Attend the spring job fair.
Course Suggestions
Humanities or electives
- IDS 152 Religion, society and self-concept
- IDS 161 Literature, science and gender
- PHIL& 101 Intro to philosophy
- PHIL& 115 Critical thinking
- PHIL 130 Intro to ethics
Social sciences or electives
- ANTH& 100 Survey of anthropology
- BUS& 201 Business law
- CJ& 101 Intro to criminal justice
- HIST& 126 World civilizations I
- IDS 210 Science, economics and politics of sustainable resource use
- POLS& 201 Intro to political theory
- POLS& 202 American government
- PSYC& 100 General psychology
- SOC& 101 Intro to sociology
Electives
- ACCT& 201 Accounting principles I
- ACCT& 202 Accounting principles II
- ACCT& 203 Accounting principles III
- BTEC 101 Intro to business computing
or CS 100 Computers and software - CS& 141 Computer science I - Java
- CS 145 Computer science II
- PHIL& 117 Traditional logic