UCLA ECON 2: Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics
ECON 2 is UCLA's introductory macroeconomics course: GDP, unemployment, inflation, economic growth, money and banking, and fiscal and monetary policy. With ECON 1, it forms the pre-major requirement for the economics and business economics majors, both of which admit by GPA in pre-major coursework.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with UCLA. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
The stakes are the difficulty: business economics admission is GPA-competitive, and the curved exams are built to spread a cohort that all studied. Macro models stack quickly (aggregate demand and supply, money markets, the loanable-funds model), and exam questions hinge on tracing a policy change through the right model without a misstep.
What you'll cover
- • GDP and national income accounting
- • Unemployment and inflation
- • Aggregate demand and aggregate supply
- • Money, banking, and the Federal Reserve
- • Fiscal and monetary policy
- • Economic growth
The ECON 2 study guide
How to study for UCLA ECON 2, step by step.
- 1
Respect the stakes from week one
ECON 2 feeds GPA-based business economics admission, so the curve is full of students who need an A. Steady weekly effort across the quarter is the strategy; there's no slack for a slow start.
- 2
Drill the models until tracing a shock is reflexive
Aggregate demand and supply, money markets, loanable funds: exams hinge on pushing a policy change through the right model cleanly. Sketch scenarios daily rather than rereading chapter summaries.
- 3
Keep the models straight from each other
Macro's models look similar and blur together under pressure. Build a one-page comparison of what each model's axes mean and what shifts each curve, so you never apply the wrong one on an exam.
- 4
Train your error rate with timed practice
On a curve where everyone studied, the differentiator is mistakes under time pressure. Work timed multiple-choice sets and review every miss for the misread. A single wrong curve shift is the whole question.
Today
Today's ECON 2 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for ECON 2. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is ECON 2 hard at UCLA?
The concepts are introductory, but the curve is competitive because economics and business economics hopefuls need strong pre-major GPAs. Exams reward tracing policy shocks through the right macro model under time pressure, which takes deliberate practice.
Do I need ECON 2 for the business economics major?
Yes. ECON 1 and 2 are pre-major requirements, and admission to business economics is GPA-based across them. A strong ECON 2 grade is one of the more consequential grades on that path.
How do I get an A in ECON 2?
Master the macro models to the point of reflex, keep a comparison sheet so similar models don't blur, and simulate exam timing with multiple-choice sets. On a curve, error rate under time pressure is the differentiator, not conceptual exposure.