Spring 2020: Economics Academic Policy Updates

Changes made to academic policies affected by the events in Spring 2020

The events surrounding the Spring 2020 COVID-19 pandemic required the Economics Department to adjust many undergraduate academic policies that will have impacts on students until Spring 2020 is no longer a semester on the academic transcript. Below is a recap of the revisions made in Spring 2020. Please reference this page as you continue to plan your degree in Economics.

Questions? Reach out to us at ugrad@econ.berkeley.edu.

 

Prospective Students

In response to the CalMessage sent on March 20, 2020 in which all default grades were changed to Passed/Not Passed (P/NP) in Spring 2020, the Economics department revised the GPA admission policies.

  • For transfer students who entered UC Berkeley in Spring 2020, an email was sent on March 20, 2020 regarding your admission status. Please contact ugrad@econ.berkeley.edu if you are a Spring 2020 transfer student who did not receive this notification.
  • For students who entered UC Berkeley as a freshman (4-year students), the GPA requirements for admission to the Economics major have been lowered and adjusted to accommodate the number of prerequisite courses taken in Spring 2020. Whether a passing letter grade (C- or higher) or P grade is received in a prerequisite course taken Spring 2020, the course will be counted as completed but not factored into the GPA calculation for admission to the major. 
    • Review this resource for details on the revised GPA policy. This revised policy went into effect March 24, 2020 and remains in effect until Spring 2020 courses are no longer factored into the GPA calculation for admission to the major. 
    • This revised policy does not apply to the following groups. Students in these categories, should contact us at ugrad@econ.berkeley.edu:
      • Any transfer student who entered UC Berkeley in Spring 2020.
      • Any student who did not take a prerequisite course in Spring 2020. Regular GPA rules apply in these cases.
      • Any student on a conditional admission contract in Spring 2020.
      • Any student who was taking an Economics prerequisite for the second time in Spring 2020 (i.e. failed MATH 16A in Fall 2019 and took it again in Spring 2020).
      • Any student who took a prerequisite(s) but did not successfully complete the course(s) in Spring 2020 (i.e. earned D+ or lower or NP).
  • Prerequisite course(s) in which an NP or D+ or lower was received in Spring 2020 may be taken again and the second attempt will not be counted as a repeated prerequisite.

​See department email message sent to prospective students on March 20, 2020

All prospective students should carefully review the full admissions requirements for the Economics major on our Prospective Students page.

 

Declared Economics Students

In response to the CalMessage sent on March 20, 2020 in which all default grades were changed to Passed/Not Passed (P/NP) in Spring 2020, the Economics department waived the policy that all Economics major courses must be taken for a letter grade. Any approved upper division elective or core course (ECON 100A/101A, ECON 100B/101B, ECON 140/141) in which a P grade was received in Spring 2020 (at UC Berkeley or through UCEAP) will be counted as completed towards the Economics major requirements. This waiver is in effect for Economics major courses taken in Spring 2020 only.

See department email message sent to declared Economics students on March 20, 2020.

Students must still maintain a 2.0 major GPA in order to be eligible for graduation.

 

Honors Students

In response to the CalMessage sent on March 20, 2020 in which all default grades were changed to Passed/Not Passed (P/NP) in Spring 2020, the Economics department made the following adjustments for honors students, current and future.

  • Spring 2020 honors students are advised to retain the letter grade option for ECON H195B.
  • Fall 2020 honors students and later are allowed to complete any honors prerequisite P/NP if taken in Spring 2020. A P grade will be counted as completed towards the honors criteria, but will not be factored into the GPA calculation for honors eligibility. 
  • Economics Honors GPA requirements will be lowered by 0.05 grade points per the College of Letters & Science adjustment to Academic Honors. This applies to students with Expected Graduation Terms (EGTs) of Spring 2020 through Spring 2021. 
    • The adjusted honors GPA requirements are as follows:
      • 3.45 GPA in all upper division economics major coursework
      • 3.25 cumulative GPA

Review all honors criteria here.

 

Please visit College of Letters & Science Spring 2020: Policy Updates and FAQs for the L&S policy changes.

 

Updated: November 13, 2020