Skip over navigation

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Are there pre-requisite courses for COE?
  2. What is the math requirement for COE?
  3. Which Statistics course should I take?
  4. If I took AP exams in Math and Statistics, do I still need to take the COE required classes in these fields?
  5. I took a course in economics in high school. Do I really have to take Economics 0110?
  6. Should I take ENGN 0020 or ENGN 0030?
  7. What are the goals of ENGN 0020?
  8. Will “foundation” and “track” courses be offered every semester?
  9. How do I declare COE as my concentration?
  10. Can I study abroad and pursue the COE concentration?
  11. Do ENGN 0090 and ENGN 0900 count towards COE?
  12. What level is the elective course in the Organizational Studies track expected to be?
  13. May I pursue two tracks in COE?
  14. Is it possible to make COE one of two concentrations? And, do course credits count toward two majors?
  15. What should I do to transfer credits from another university?
  16. How do I go about graduating with honors in COE?
  17. May I take courses with an S/NC option?
  18. Is there any recommended sequence of courses in the COE tracks?
  19. Should I pursue Business Economics in COE or concentrate in Economics?
  20. How can I be certain that I've completed the COE concentration requirements for graduation?
  21. Is there an option to complete the Sc.B. degree within COE?
  22. Will COE prepare me for Business School, Law School?
  23. What type of jobs will COE prepare me for?
  24. Are there opportunities to become a teaching assistant in COE?
  25. How can I give feedback on my experience in COE?

  • Are there pre-requisite courses for COE?

    No, all courses required for COE are stated under foundation courses in the concentration page of this website.

  • What is the math requirement for COE?

    Students who desire to pursue the Business Economics or Organizational Studies tracks of COE need to take MATH 0070 or MATH 0090 or, alternatively, MATH 0050 and MATH 0060 (or, if you have taken the appropriate AP classes, you must have credit for it included in your Brown transcript).

    Students who want to pursue the Entrepreneurship and Technology Management track of COE need to take MATH 0200 or APMA 0330. The math requirement can be met in various ways and is the calculus requirement for this track. One would be MATH 0190/MATH 0200; another would be MATH 0100/MATH 0180/APMA 0330.

  • Which Statistics course should I take?

    Students who desire to pursue the Business Economics track of COE must take ECON 1620 (Introduction to Econometrics).  Students who want to pursue either of the other two COE tracks may choose between SOC 1100, PSYC 0090, EDUC 1110 or POLS 1600. All of these courses cover the probabilistic and statistical concepts encountered in the program.

  • If I took AP exams in Math and Statistics, do I need to take the COE required classes in these fields?

For Statistics—

In order to obtain credit for SOC 1100, you must have a score of 4 or higher on the Statistics AP exam. This would fulfill your Statistics requirement for the Organizational Studies and Entrepreneurship and Technology Management tracks. For the Business Economics track you are required to take ECON 1620 regardless of your previous AP Statistics coursework or exam score.

For Math—

We follow the Mathematics department guidelines with regards to AP credit. In summary, to obtain credit for MATH 0090, you need a score of 4 or higher on the AB Calculus exam or a score of 3 or higher on the BC Calculus exam. This would fulfill your Math requirement for the Organizational Studies or Business Economics tracks and must be documented on your transcript in order to get credit. For the Entrepreneurship and Technology Management track, you would get credit for MATH 0090 but would still be required to take MATH 0200 to fulfill the foundation course Math requirement for this track.

  • I took a course in economics in high school. Do I really have to take Economics 0110?

ECON 0110 (principles of economics) is a required foundation course in COE. It is also a prerequisite for ECON 1110 (intermediate microeconomics) , and 1110 is a prerequisite for most advanced courses in economics.

The economics department will place you out of ECON 0110 if you have taken Advanced Placement tests in microeconomics and macroeconomics, have scored at least 4 on both, and have submitted those scores to Brown. In this case AP credit for ECON 0110 will appear on your transcript, and you will not have to take an additional economics course in its place. We will also place you out of ECON 0110 if you have taken the international baccalaureate (IB) HL exam in economics, and scored a 6 or 7. If you have taken British A-levels, we may place you out of ECON 0110, but this is done on a case-by-case basis by the department‘s transfer credit advisor.

  • Should I take ENGN 0020 or ENGN 0030?

    If you are interested in the Business Economics or Organizational Studies tracks, you need to take ENGN 0020 as a foundation course, but could take ENGN 0030 if you prefer. Students who want to pursue the Entrepreneurship and Technology Management track of COE must take ENGN 0030.

  • What are the goals of ENGN 0020?

    ENGN 0020 seeks to make students aware of the importance of technology in society and the critical role that it plays. ENGN 0020 analyzes several key issues facing society today (such as stem cells and global warming) so as to understand clearly the technology used and the development of policies surrounding these new technologies. ENGN 0020 also addresses ethical issues raised by new technologies.

  • Will “foundation” and “track” courses be offered every semester?

    Most foundation courses in COE are offered every semester. Newly created courses for COE (ENGN 0020 and SOC 1090) are currently offered once a year. Track courses are not offered every semester. The variety of options is large and we recommend that you plan accordingly.

  • How do I declare COE as my concentration?

    You will need the Registrar's 3-page Declaration of Standard Concentration Program form, on which you will set forth your plan to fulfill the concentration requirements. Next, take these forms to your COE track advisor (Maria Carkovic for Business Economics, Mark Suchman for Organizational Studies, and Eric Suuberg for Entrepreneurship and Technology Management), who will answer any questions you may have in filling them out, help you decide on an area of focus, and approve your concentration materials. Finally, file the University forms with the Registrar. After you've accomplished all of these steps, the University will officially consider you a COE concentrator. In addition, to help with your planning we have COE concentration worksheets that can assist you in mapping out the courses you want to take. Click on the following headings for the worksheets:

  • Can I study abroad and pursue the COE concentration?

    Yes. COE is an interdisciplinary concentration and, as such, it has more courses required than other concentrations. However, if you plan your course work well you may take a semester abroad to pursue different curricular interests. You may also continue to pursue courses within COE’s curriculum during your semester abroad. Brown programs abroad offer a variety of economics, business, sociology and engineering classes. (see OIP-Brown Programs Abroad) If you intend to transfer concentration credit, you must check with your advisor(s) prior to departure. Obtaining concentration credit for courses taken abroad is a two-step process requiring preliminary approval of your course selection before you go and final approval when you return to Brown. Students seeking concentration credit are required to bring all course materials (transcripts with grades, syllabi, notes, papers, exams) back to Brown.

  • Do ENGN 0090 and ENGN 0900 count towards COE?

    No. ENGN 0090, ENGN 0900 and several other courses in management are offered for students in COE or in other concentrations who wish to take business management courses. In terms of fulfilling COE requirements, ENGN 0090 and ENGN 0900 are not needed.

  • What level is the elective course in the Organizational Studies track expected to be?

    The course is expected to be a 1000-level course. An upper-level class in the areas listed in the Organizational Studies track will add to the breadth and depth of your course work.

May I pursue two tracks in COE?
You may. Whether you pursue one track or two, you will get a diploma that grants you the Bachelor of Arts. Your transcript will state that you pursued the COE concentration, but it will not state which track or tracks within COE. COE requirements aside, the other courses necessary to complete your education at Brown should be pursued according to your own interests. If these interests match one or all of the other courses offered in the alternative COE tracks, that is fine and we hope you discover even more synergies within the COE program.

  • Is it possible to make COE one of two concentrations? And, do course credits count toward two majors?

    You may pursue two concentrations or you may choose COE and a number of courses in different fields, as you see best. You may not, however, pursue concentrations with very similar courses, such Economics and the Business Economics track, or Sociology and the Organizational Studies track. If you pursue two different concentrations, the rule of thumb is that you may have up to two courses count toward required courses in both concentrations.

  • What should I do to transfer credits from another university?

    You must meet with the undergraduate advisors of the COE track you want to pursue (Professor Stefan Hoderlein for Business Economics, Ann Dill for Organizational Studies ands Eric Suuberg for Entrepreneurship and Technology Management). Only these professors can approve transfer credit for COE courses taken at other institutions. The Registrar's office has forms for both preliminary approval as well as retroactive approval. When you meet with the COE professors to request approval, you must bring with you the Registrar's transfer credit forms, plus the following: (1) a course description that explains in some detail the subject, approach, required reading, and assignments of the course for which you're seeking credit, and (2) an official transcript with grade received (if you've already taken the course). It may be necessary for you to provide the course syllabus. Typically, students get concentration credit for around one course per semester, and up to 3 courses per year, while studying abroad.

  • How do I go about graduating with honors in COE?

    To graduate with Honors in COE you may write a thesis if you are a good student and find a faculty member to work with. Honors theses are an excellent way to deepen your knowledge of a field and test your liking of research. In general, you work on your thesis for all of senior year under the supervision of a professor.

    There is flexibility in the content and form of COE theses. Theses can be oriented toward facts, theory or policies. They may focus on one COE discipline or more than one. Similarly, you may have an advisor from one department or two. Finally, your thesis may be mathematical, descriptive, statistical, or historical.

    In terms of a timeline, recent COE thesis writers contacted possible advisors in the spring of junior year, had a general idea of the topic going into the summer, communicated with advisors over the summer, finalized the topic in early fall, and worked on their research in their senior year. They provided final copies of their work to their advisors by mid-April.

For more information regarding the specific requirements for each of the tracks, see the Honors in COE page.

  • May I take courses with an S/NC option?

    Students are discouraged, although not prevented, from taking concentration courses S/NC. You should be aware that graduate programs do not look with favor on S grades, especially in courses in, or related to, your primary field of study.

  • Is there any recommended sequence of courses in the COE tracks?

    It’s best to get the calculus and statistics courses done in freshman or sophomore year. Other foundation courses should be done between sophomore and junior years. Leave part of your junior year and all of your senior year open for advanced courses, and if you are interested, honors work.

  • Should I pursue Business Economics in COE or concentrate in Economics?

    The answer to this question depends on your interests. Economics helps students understand the functioning of markets, firms, households, economies, etc.; it helps you understand debate about economic policy; it prepares you for graduate study in fields like business, law, economics, and public policy. In turn, Business Economics within COE complements the study of markets and finance with the basic principles and approaches of organizational theory, technology management and innovation. It is designed to give students a number of integrated ways to problem-solve and become innovative leaders in fields of their choice. COE also prepares students for graduate study in fields like business and law.

  • How can I be certain that I've completed the COE concentration requirements for graduation?

    It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that he or she has met all of the requirements for the COE concentration. During the fall semester of your senior year (your seventh semester), you should verify what requirements you have already completed, or plan to complete either in the fall or spring semester, so that you are set for graduation. To facilitate this, you can fill out the student worksheets for the Foundation courses and your track (Business Economics, Organizational Studies, or Entrepreneurship and Technology Management) and bring them with you to meet with your advisor to ensure everything is documented accordingly.

 

  • Is there an option to complete the Sc.B. degree within COE? No. Upon completion of all foundation and track concentration requirements student receive the Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) degree in Commerce, Organizations and Entrepreneurship. Further, while it will be evident on your trasncript by the courses you complete, the track in which you pursue will not be written out on your transcript or diploma.
 

  • Will COE prepare me for Business School, Law School?

    Graduate programs in business and law draw their students from a wide variety of undergraduate concentrations, and do not insist that their students have extensive backgrounds in a particular field. Economic and organizational analysis plays a major part in the teachings of graduate business schools, while a good understanding of technology management and innovation is a key new ingredient of their curriculum. Legal studies also draw from economic and organizational analysis, while issues of property rights and technology dissemination are at the forefront of current legal debates. Brown students who have taken classes that are now in COE’s program have traditionally gone on to business and law schools and have found Brown’s liberal arts education useful. Among our recent graduates, 60% expressed the desire to go on to graduate school.

  • What type of jobs will COE prepare me for?

    COE prepares its students to work in almost any arena that they choose, from corporate jobs in well-established companies, to start-up ventures, global companies, local services, non-profit institutions and governmental entities. COE gives you a coordinated, synergistic approach to examine problems in the workplace, formulate solutions, and suggest actions. These skills, grounded in a strong liberal arts tradition, will help you become a flexible contributor and leader in your organization. Our recent graduates are working as analysts for companies such as JPMorgan, Lehman Brothers, and Goldman Sachs; conducting marketing and research for 454 Sciences and the Brookings Institute; consulting for Citrix Systems, Capital One, and Bain; or are in the process of starting up their own companies.

  • Are there opportunities to become a teaching assistant in COE?

    Yes. Once you’ve done well in a class, liked the field, and become identified as an excellent student within your cohort, approach the professor and ask about TA opportunities.

  • How can I give feedback on my experience in COE?

    Please contact Maria Carkovic who is the Director of COE by email or at 863-6347.