The best universities of the world and ours: A comparison of the economics major curricula

Abstract

This research compared the economics curriculum of the economics undergraduate programs of the best universities in the world, and those of universities within a developing country (Ecuador), in order to show the basic formal differences and the common characteristics (intra-rankings and inter-rankings). The proposed comparison criteria were the academic load, the professional approach, and the common core courses. We found that, in the best universities in the world, the students must study between 30 and 40 courses. It is almost half than in Ecuador. In the group with the lower status the distribution of courses was more dispersed. Another difference was that low-level local universities teach courses of general application, and those of worldwide category are focused in teaching only specific economics courses.