HOME / UNDERGRADUATE /

Secondary Field

The deadline to declare a secondary field for March 2025  graduates is December 2, 2024.

The deadline to declare a secondary field for May 2025 and November 2025 graduates is April 1, 2025.

You must meet with an ec concentration advisor before the deadline. No secondary field may be added to the degree after the deadline; no exceptions will be made.

Secondary Field submissions can only be approved once you are enrolled in and attending the last class that fulfills the secondary field requirements.  In order to have your secondary field approved:

  1. Declare your secondary on my.harvard.edu. Instructions here. 
  2. Fill out a Ec secondary field form.
  3. Bring your form to an Ec concentration advisor for approval during office hours (virtually or in person).

Requirements: 6 courses

  1. Economics 10a and 10b: Principles of Economics. (information on ECON10AB and placing out of it.)
     
  2. One course from:
    --Economics 1010A/1011A: Microeconomic Theory
    --Economics 1010B/1011B: Macroeconomic Theory
    These courses teach the analytical tools used by economists. 1011AB assumes background in multivariate calculus; 1010AB assumes only single variable calculus. A minimum grade of B- is required.  Students receiving a grade below B- should speak with a Concentration Advisor to discuss options.
     
  3. Three courses from the Economics courses in my.harvard.edu. 
    --All Economics courses and cross-listed courses are eligible except for 910R,  970,  975AB, 985, 990, and graduate-level research seminars/workshops. Taking both 1010A/1011A and 1010B/1011B meets requirement 2 above and one of the courses in requirement 3.

Other Information

  • All "SEM" grades for Ec courses taken in Spring 2020 will be accepted for Ec concentration and secondary field credit.
  • You must take all secondary field courses for a letter grade.
  • You do not have to fulfill an Ec writing requirement or a theory prerequisite requirement for the secondary field.
  • Only Ec courses and explicitly cross-listed or jointly-offered courses count for the secondary. Exception: only one of Statistics 100, 104, or 110; Applied Math 101; or Math 154 can qualify as one of the three courses under requirement 3. Students cannot count one of these AND Ec 20 towards the secondary. Starting Spring 2023, allowed stats classes are strictly limited to the list above; no exceptions.
  • Students can count only one non-Harvard-term-time course towards their Ec secondary field requirements. This includes approved Harvard Summer School Ec courses, approved Study Abroad Ec courses, and approved cross-registered ec courses at MIT. (Note: For the classes of 2021-2023, there is more flexibility on summer school. Details here)
  • You may not count a Freshman Seminar for the secondary field.
  • Secondary field Ec students are not given preferential access to limited enrollment courses.
  • You may only double-count one course towards your concentration and secondary field requirements.

Advising Resources

You may visit the concentration advisers during office hours.  Anne Le Brun, Kiran Gajwani, Greg Bruich, Thomas Baranga, and Andrés Maggi can sign Secondary Field forms; please see them during their OH.