Economics

The course presents an overview of the major principles of micro- and macroeconomics. Topics include opportunity costs, supply and demand, competition and monopoly, national income determination, creation of money and credit, and international problems. No credit will be given to students pursuing majors in the Strome College of Business.

Development of the theory of supply and demand, and their interaction in a market economy. Classical, Keynesian, and monetarist explanations of inflation and unemployment are presented and analyzed. Emphasis is placed on income determination, fiscal policy, monetary policy, and the issue of government efforts to improve economic performance.

An examination of how individuals and businesses interact in a market economy. Emphasis is placed on consumer behavior, price and output decisions of firms, the economic efficiency of the resulting allocation of society's resources, and the gains from international trade and impact of trade barriers.

Open only to students in the Honors College. A special honors section of ECON 201S.

Open only to students in the Honors College. A special honors section of ECON 202S.

Examines the application of economic theory and methodology to managerial decision making and strategy. Key topics are demand analysis, economic forecasting, production, cost analysis, the economics of organization, market structure and strategic behavior, pricing techniques, and government regulation and its implications for firm behavior. Emphasis is placed on the global context of managerial decisions.

Develops methods of microeconomic analysis beyond the principles level. Major emphasis is placed on consumer behavior and demand, production and cost, market organization, distribution theory, and welfare theory.

Provides an overall 'big picture' of the economy, focusing on the central problems of unemployment, inflation, the business cycle, and economic growth. Important issues include national income accounting, fiscal policy, monetary policy, the money supply, the money market, interest rates, saving rates, labor markets, productivity, budget surpluses/deficits, trade deficits, and exchange rates.

To make sense of the modern world and evaluate information through the lens of economics, it is imperative to be able to understand economic data, how it is used, how to use it, and what conclusions can be drawn from it. This course will explore the idea of causal inference (understanding if and how X causes Y to happen) and how economists and researchers evaluate potential causal relationships. Students will learn about how economists think about causality conceptually as well as econometric techniques using data with the R statistical programming language.

Supervised internship in economics. Approval for enrollment and allowable credits is determined by the department CAP advisor and the Career Development Services in the semester prior to enrollment. Credit for internship and practicum in economics may not both be applied to meeting requirements for the major.

Application of economic theory and principles to a practical problem of interest to a sponsoring community organization. (Qualifies as a CAP experience.)

A study of selected topics, the title of which will appear in the course schedule.

A study of selected topics, the title of which will appear in the course schedule.

Provides students with a set of practical skills useful in economic research and in the presentation of research results. Includes training in the use of various software packages, the Internet, and regression analysis for conducting economic research.

A survey of the transportation system in the United States including its development, pricing, and regulation. Special attention is given to railroads, highways, pipeline, water and air transportation; and the roles that these modes of transportation play in economic development.

Economic analysis of various facets of labor markets. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of labor supply, labor demand, wage determination, earnings differentials and inequality, occupational choice, human capital investment, labor market discrimination, mobility and immigration, impact of unions, and unemployment. This is a writing intensive course.

This course examines the interaction between government and the economy, with particular emphasis on the role of the federal government. Topics that address the motivation for government involvement in the economy include market failure, income inequality, and redistribution of income. Specific programs studied include Medicare/Medicaid, welfare programs, and the social security system.

The course focus is on the use of differential and integral calculus, matrix algebra, difference equations and classical optimization theory in the presentation and development of economic theory.

A study of market structures and the conduct and performance of business firms in different market structures. The emphasis is on the theory and measurement of industrial concentration and public policy responses to industrial concentration.

Examines the nature and functions of money and credit, the commercial banking system, the Federal Reserve System, the quantity theory of money, the theory of income determination, the balance of payments and exchange rates, and the history of monetary policy in the United States.

This course introduces the student to the economics of health care and the application of health economics to health care problems, the issues surrounding those problems, and the potential solutions to those problems. The course will emphasize institutional features of the health care industry, the market for health care, the political economy of health care, and government involvement in the delivery of health care. Further, the course will survey the delivery of health care in other countries and provide a global perspective on selected health care issues such as AIDS, water and air quality, and the aging of the population.

This course introduces the student to the economics of sports in America. The course will emphasize institutional features of the sport industry. Specific topics included are: sports franchises as profit-maximizing firms; monopoly and antitrust rules as applied to the sports industry; public finance of sports; costs and benefits of a sports franchise to a city: the labor economics of professional sports; discrimination in sports; and the economics of college sports. This course may not be applied toward the major in economics as an economics elective or toward the minor in economics or the M.A. in economics. (It could, however, be used as a non-economics elective for the major.)

An analysis of the economic factors which give rise to the formation of urban centers and which contribute to the following problems: urban poverty, housing conditions, traffic congestion, and the fiscal crisis faced by modern cities. This is a writing intensive course.

Topics discussed include conservation and scarcity, market failure, fishery management, benefit-cost analysis, water resource development, environmental quality, recreation, energy, and marine resources. This is a writing intensive course.

An analysis of the principles of trade theory and policy with an overall exposition of the principles of international finance. The main objective of the course is to provide knowledge of analytical tools used by economists in analyzing contemporary international economic problems.

A study of the history of economic theory with attention to the economic ideas and philosophy of Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Karl Marx, J.M. Keynes and other major figures in the development of economics.

This course is intended to provide an introduction to the problems of economic development in the Third World, including the problems of economic growth, income distribution, poverty, urbanization, uneven development, agricultural policy, economic planning, industrial policy, trade policy, balance of payments, finance, and currency crises. To illustrate these issues we will examine the problems of certain individual countries, such as Brazil, Korea, Philippines, India, Mexico, Kenya, Indonesia, and Thailand. The course tries to strike a balance between economic theory and institutional economics. This is a writing intensive course.

This course examines and compares different economies from around the world, including such economies as the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Japan, India, Korea, Russia, and China. Students look at the economic growth, GDP per capita, unemployment, inflation, income distribution, economic efficiency, institutions, policies, industrial structure, legal infrastructure, and international trade of these economies. Students study the functioning of markets and the problems of market and government failure. The course addresses the question, what is the best way to organize society.

Taught on an occasional basis. A study of selected topics, the title of which will appear in the course schedule.

Designed to provide the advanced student in economics an opportunity to do independent study under the guidance of a member of the faculty.