Advising Information

Students interested in the DWA major are encouraged to take DWA 101 and ECON 101 during their first year. It is recommended that students register for DWA 102 soon thereafter, especially if interested in the Oxy-at-the-UN program. To fulfill the major’s language requirement, students must complete the equivalent of four college semesters of one language (202-level), or two college semesters each of two languages (102-level).

Placement Information

While there are no placement exams specifically required for the DWA major, students who have previously studied one or more non-English language offered at Occidental are encouraged to take the relevant language placement exams as early as possible.

Sample 4-Year Plan

Curricular Notes

• DWA 101 is a prerequisite for DWA 102.

• DWA 101 and ECON 101 are both prerequisites for DWA 103.

• DWA majors must complete the equivalent of four college semesters of one language (101, 102, 201 and 202), or two college semesters each of two languages (i.e. 101 and 102). Students with advanced proficiency in a non-English language may be able to complete this requirement in other ways. 

DWA Transfer Student Advice

Transfer Course Limit for Transfer Students: 2 courses

Designated Transfer Adviser

Expected preparation for transfer students wanting to major in DWA:

• Junior transfer students

  • Should have completed equivalents of DWA 101, DWA 102, DWA 103, ECON 101, and at least one year of language study

  • Should have completed most of their Core requirements prior to transferring. It will be possible to get at most one or two more core requirements while at Occidental.

• Transfer students starting mid way through their sophomore year:

  • Should have completed the equivalent of ECON 101, at least one semester of language study prior to transferring

  • Should have completed at least six Core requirements (with at most three core requirements to complete while at Occidental)

• Sophomore transfer students

  • Should have completed at least four Core requirements prior to transferring

General advice for transfer students wanting to major in DWA:

• There is no restriction on whether a transfer course is taken in person or online. As with all courses in transfer, online courses require chair approval to meet major requirements

• All 300-level DWA courses and the Senior Seminar, DWA 490, must be taken at Occidental

• Every transfer student starting in the spring should meet with the Economics Chair to determine the completion of  ECON 101, and the Language Advisor to determine where they stand in their language requirement for the major, and the DWA Chair to determine completion of DWA 101, DWA 102, DWA 103, and what additional courses taken prior to entering Oxy are transferable for the major

What courses should a transfer student take during their first semester at Occidental?

• Junior transfer students must take one 300-level DWA course and at least one of the four 200-level electives required for the DWA major

• Transfer students starting mid way through their sophomore year must take DWA 101, at least one of the four 200-level electives required for the DWA major, and a language course (if the student has not yet met that requirement)

• Sophomore students must take DWA 101, ECON 101, and one language course (if the student has not already completed that requirement)