I am an older student who declared as an economics major late. Can I take some of my courses out of sequence in order to complete my major on time?

In general, the answer is no–the department will not allow you to take courses out of sequence. However, you should see your advisor and discuss the matter with him or her, and he or she may be able to help you structure a program that will allow you to graduate on time but will not sacrifice your economics education. When meeting with your advisor be sure to bring a copy of your transcript(s) and a major checklist with you.
Since I am not a declared major and don’t have an advisor yet in the economics department, whom should I contact regarding questions that I may have about studying economics?
The best sources for information about economics are your economics professors and the teaching assistants assigned to your economics courses. You should feel free to talk to them regarding your interest in pursuing economics. They may not be able to answer specific questions about the requirements of the economics major (that is the purpose of the bulletin and this Web page), but they can certainly tell you why they chose to study economics and what they think the study of economics will add to your undergraduate education.