One-Semester Principles and Student Performance in Intermediate Theory Courses (Economics EDUCATION ARTICLES‪)‬

INTRODUCTION In 2001, the University mandated that all undergraduate degree programs cut their course requirements, within the major, to 45 units or less. All CSUN undergraduate degrees have a total of 120 units -48 units of general education, 45 units from the major, and 27 units of open electives. The Business College faced some tough decisions as its common core contained 54 units. College faculty argued that other CSU business schools rarely required any economics courses in their upper-division core. Both intermediate economic theory courses were subsequently removed from the core. At the same time, university administrators were concerned about transfer problems and articulation agreements arising from the one-semester principles course. For example, it was difficult for a CSUN student to transfer to a University of California campus which would not accept one- semester as a substitute for two-semesters of principles. The Economics Department was thereby forced to remove the one-semester course and reinstate the two introductory (micro and macro) courses.