University of California, Los Angeles offers four undergraduate programs: economics, business economics, economics and international studies, and mathematics and economics. While some lower level classes can be taken by anyone, most of the economics classes at UCLA are only open to students admitted to the economics major. To be accepted, you need to meet prerequisite requirements and have the individual major's minimum GPA, which is 2.5 for basic economics and 3.0 for the other three programs. The university has an economics internship program available for top students, the UCLA Sharpe Fellows Internship program. As of 2011, the cost of tuition at UCLA for California residents and non-residents was $11,868 and $34,746, respectively.
Pepperdine University, a private school located in Malibu, offers three economics programs: economics, economics and international studies, and an economics minor through Seaver College. The economics major at Pepperdine is flexible, allowing students to take additional classes that focus on career aspects such as double majors in economics/journalism, economics/political science, and economics/business administration. Students must be admitted to the university to apply to the economics major and must complete prerequisite courses before taking upper division courses. Admission to the university is tough, with the average GPA of entering students being 3.8. Tuition as of 2011 is $36,650.
The economics program at Santa Clara University allows students to earn a major in basic economics through the College of Arts and Sciences or through the Business School. The university is located in the Silicon Valley, about 40 miles south of San Francisco. Students must complete several prerequisite courses before taking higher level economic courses. Economics majors compete to earn The Hazel Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Economics, which is awarded to the top graduating senior (or seniors) in the economics program. The Jesuit school charges tuition of $37,368 as of 2011.
California State University has several locations throughout California, most of which offer an economics major. The schools that don't are Dominguez Hills, Maritime Academy and the Monterey Bay campus. The Sonoma campus offers an option of earning a major in managerial analytical economics. Students in the economics major are expected to develop excellent communication skills, quantitative skills, economic literacy, and integrative problem solving and decision making abilities. CSU doesn't have any specific requirements for those wishing to be economics majors, but within the program, students are expected to declare an area of emphasis. As of 2011, tuition is $4,884.