Economics

An introductory course on modern theory of the causes of unemployment, inflation, economic growth, and a strong or weak dollar. The course treats the economy as a system and examines the ways in which its behavior can be influenced by policy (e.g., the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve Board, fiscal policies of Congress and the Administration).

Credits: 4

A practical introduction to the logic of human action with applications to daily life. This course traces the implication of choice in the face of scarcity and imperfect knowledge. Topics include the nature and value of cost, the spontaneous emergence of social order, demand-supply analysis, theory of markets, and public policy.

Credits: 4

An introductory course in statistics focusing on applications of descriptive and inferential statistics. Students are introduced to the meaning and role of statistics in decision making in business, economics, policy, and in the analysis of data driven information. Students learn essential statistical techniques and to manage and analyze data in Excel. Students apply statistical inference to make informed managerial decisions.

Credits: 4

A survey course that reviews economic and financial aspects of the film, music, performing arts, sports, radio, and broadcasting industries.

Credits: 4

Designed for students interested in the economics surrounding startups and entrepreneurship, business financing, and managing a company. This course breaks down the process of launching a business into practical steps, and students are asked to develop a business plan. In doing so, students learn many aspects of financing, managing, and developing tools of entrepreneurial decision-making.

Credits: 4

Economics can help define, address, and solve many environmental problems. This course provides students with a set of conceptual tools that are useful in addressing environmental issues like pollution and pollution abatement, the conservation of natural resources, environmental regulation, and the political economy of environmentalism.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1510

A study of the social and economic history of the great transformation of European civilization from the preindustrial world to the era of industrialization and the shifts in the ideas, ideologies, and social and economic policies that accompanied it.

Credits: 4

This course covers three areas of gender economics. The first examines basic facts and trends regarding women’s distinct economic experiences, particularly the gender gap in education, wages, occupations, and labor supply. The second examines the impact of marriage market forces and reproductive constraints on women’s socio-economic choices. The third provides a historical and international overview of women’s rights.

Credits: 4

A continuation of ECO 1500. Treating the entire economy as a system, contemporary economic theories are introduced to explain: what causes economic growth and a strong or weak dollar; how spending decisions interact with national money and bond markets to affect interest, inflation, and unemployment rates; and how economic performance in one country can affect other countries.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1500

An introduction to econometric theory and methods. Particular emphasis is placed on multiple regression techniques widely used in economic research. These include hypothesis testing, choice of functional form, distributed lags, instrumental variable estimation techniques, dummy variables, and two-stage least squares. Problems associated with autocorrelation, heteroscedasticity, and multicollinearity are also discussed.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: MAT1600 Or PSY2320 Or ECO2040

An overview of game theory concepts with emphasis on how successful outcomes of decisions in economics and other disciplines are influenced by the behavior of others. Examples include the “prisoner’s dilemma” and a Nash equilibrium. Students develop analytical tools that allow them to formally analyze outcomes in strategic situations.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1510

Is there a common set of social institutions or environments that gives rise to both successful urban economies and flourishing arts and culture? Proposing that such a set exists, this course attempts to identify it; traces its implications for cultural and economic development; and explores the interrelations of capitalism, cities, and culture. While areas of culture and society are addressed, the analytical framework is that of economics and political economy.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1500 Or ECO1510 Or ECO2085 Or ECO2325

Details the history and functions of banks and financial institutions. Topics include the evolution of banking, the importance of banking in a community, the functions of banking (credit, deposit, and payment), the Federal Reserve System, and current issues and trends in the industry.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1500

Topics include the economic role of financial markets and the major financial institutions operating in these markets, principles of security pricing and portfolio management, security exchanges and investment banking, the capital asset pricing model, securitization, option pricing, and derivatives.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1510

A policy-oriented examination of current events in international economic relations. Topics include global economic interdependence; the politics and economics of U.S. trade policy; regional trading blocs; European monetary union; reform in transitional economies; U.S.-Japan and U.S.-E.U. economic relations; roles of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization; and debt burdens of developing countries. A background in economics is not required.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1500 Or ECO1510

Further elaboration and discussion of topics in microeconomics, including applications of decision-making under asymmetric information, market power, common law, politics, and the impact of time and uncertainty on choice.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1510

Examines the economics of the cultural sector, including differences between U.S. and European policies of government support. Other topics include intellectual property rights, including copyright; emerging trends in art and online; artists’ labor markets (e.g., are artists poor? why do superstars exist?); the economics of religion; and the economics of language.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1500 Or ECO1510 Or ECO2085

Examines the evolution of economic thought from the late 19th century to the present. Topics include the rise of neoclassical theory, the Keynesian critique of orthodoxy, and the later revisions by Keynesians and post-Keynesians. Students may also examine recent contributions in the Marxian tradition.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1500 ECO1000-1994

An examination and critique of the U.S. government’s objectives and policies concerning business and other social institutions, from the perspective of their influence on individual incentives. Topics vary, but typically include public policies on poverty, urban planning, business, regulation, and antitrust.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1000-1994 Or ECO2000-2994 Or ECO3000-3994 Or ECO4000-4994

Explore various aspects of the economics of sports and sports leagues, with a major focus on empirical analysis. The topics include the business and economics of professional team sports; analysis of leagues’ competitive balance policies; labor market discrimination in professional sports; public finance aspects of professional sports teams and stadium financing; and relevant issues in collegiate sports.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1510

Students apply the basic concepts of economics to examine the formation, structure, processes, and consequences of law and legal institutions. The interactions between the legal process and the market process are studied with respect to policy. Topics include intellectual property, environment protection, bankruptcy, tort law, regulation, and property rights.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1500 Or ECO1510 Or ECO2085 Or LEG2015

An introduction to behavioral economics that examines how the economic decisions of economic agents are influenced by cognitive, emotional, and social forces, and how these decisions influence resource allocation and well-being in ways that are often at variance from the analysis of standard economics. Topics include hyperbolic discounting, choice architecture, hedonic pricing, and public policy.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO3260

An advanced undergraduate course in economics. Topics vary from semester to semester and include such areas as microeconomics, macroeconomics, political economy, economic sociology, law and economics, and the history of ideas.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1500 Or ECO1510

Primarily a writing and research methods introduction for economics majors in their junior year, to better equip them to write their senior projects.

Credits: 2

PREREQ: ECO1500 And ECO1510

An advanced seminar geared toward (but not limited to) students interested in pursuing graduate studies in economics or related fields. Topics vary from semester to semester.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: ECO1500 And ECO1510

This required, two-semester seminar assists seniors in undertaking the research and writing of their senior thesis. It focuses on the fundamentals of producing a good senior thesis, selected current issues in economic theory and policy that may be relevant to the research topics chosen by students, research tools available to those conducting economic research, and improvement of writing skills.

Credits: 1

PREREQ: ECO1500 And ECO1510 And (ECO3260 Or ECO3010 )

This required, two-semester seminar assists seniors in undertaking the research and writing of their senior thesis. It focuses on the fundamentals of producing a good senior thesis, selected current issues in economic theory and policy that may be relevant to the research topics chosen by students, research tools available to those conducting economic research, and improvement of writing skills.

Credits: 1

PREREQ: ECO1500 And ECO1510 And (ECO3260 Or ECO3010 ) And (ECO3360 Or ECO3070 )