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Required
and Elective Course Descriptions
ECON 121: Elements of Economics (3 credits) |
| This is an introductory course that provides an understanding
of how a free market economic system
works, of the forces which affect the level,
composition, and distribution of the output of the
economy, and the economics of current issues. |
Prerequisites: None |
Not counted toward a degree in the School of Business Administration. |
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ECON 201: Principles of Microeconomics (3 credits) |
| This course introduces students to the way in which a free market economic system resolves the basic social questions of what goods and services to produce, how scarce resources are organized to produce these goods, and to whom the goods are distributed once they are produced. Students are introduced to the components of the market system, supply and demand, and how they interact under conditions ranging from perfect competition to monopoly. |
Prerequisites: MATH 110 or knowledge of algebra |
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ECON 202: Principles of Macroeconomics (3 credits) |
| This course introduces students to the basic economic principles of understanding the aggregate economy. Students will explore the determinants of, and relationships among, the level of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), unemployment, inflation, growth theory, and interest rates. In addition, various theories of the role of fiscal and monetary policy to promote stabilization will be addressed. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201 |
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ECON 301: Intermediate Microeconomics (3 credits) |
| The purpose of this course is to develop the analytical skills required for dealing with problems of economic behavior and resource allocation, along with an appreciation of the methodological issues involved in modern economic analysis. It covers the traditional body of microeconomic theory, including: utility theory and consumer behavior, the analysis of production and the behavior of the firm, coordination in product and factor markets under perfect competition, and (time permitting) the impact on market operations of monopoly, imperfect competition, externalities, asymmetric information, and public goods. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201 with a C or better and MATH 110 or MATH 115 with a C or better |
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ECON 302: Intermediate Macroeconomics (3 credits) |
| This course provides the advanced economic student with a rigorous set of tools with which to evaluate the performance of the U.S. economy, both as a closed entity and as member of the global economy. On the theoretical side, the course evaluates competing theories of income, inflation, and employment. On the application side, students will be expected to find and empirically evaluate aggregate data. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201, ECON 202 and MATH 110 or MATH 115 |
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ECON 324: Comparative Economic Systems (3 credits) |
| This course is a comparative study of the history and development of the theories and paradigms of capitalism, socialism, communism, and other economic systems. Emphasis will be placed on the philosophies and economic implications of the various systems. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201 and ECON 202 |
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ECON 328: Urban Land Economics (3 credits) |
| This course is a study of the economic forces that influence business and residential location in a metropolitan area. Specific areas of study include transportation, housing, poverty, and the urban public sector. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201 with a C or better and MATH 110 or MATH 115 |
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ECON 332: Money and Financial Institutions (3 credits) |
| This course examines the influence of monetary policy on
such variables as the nominal interest rate, level of
income, inflation rate, foreign exchange rate, etc.
Specific topics include bank portfolio management,
interest rate risk, the yield curve, real versus
nominal interest rates, financial intermediation, etc. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201, ECON 202 and MATH 110 or MATH 115 |
As part of the overall core curriculum of an economics major, students will understand the role of the international and national financial systems and its impact on the economy. This course is not designed to be writing intensive, but rather stresses enhancement of analytical and mathematical skills. |
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ECON 342: Global Economic Perspectives (3 credits) |
| This course uses the principles of microeconomics and macroeconomics to evaluate and analyze current global economic events. The course presents the plusses and minuses of globalization, an introduction to international trade and finance, a comparison of different economic systems and philosophies, and alternative theories of global poverty and economic development. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201 and QSIS 284 |
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ECON 381: Econometrics (3 credits) |
| Econometrics is the application of statistical methods for the purpose of testing economic and business theories. This course will introduce students to the skills used in empirical research including, but not limited to, data collection, hypothesis testing, model specification, regression analysis, violations of regression assumptions and corrections, dummy variables and limited dependent variable models. Extensive focus will be on the intuition and application of econometric methods, and as a result, statistical software will be used extensively. Students will acquire the skills to take responsibility for designing and implementing econometric project involving the application of regression analysis and presenting the results of the project. |
Prerequisites: MATH 225, MATH 302 or QSIS 284 |
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ECON 384: Forecasting Techniques (3 credits) |
| In this course, students learn how to apply statistical
and econometric tools in an attempt to forecast
economic and business data. Drawing on techniques
learned in Econometrics, students collect
data, build forecasts, evaluate the forecasts, and
apply economic theory and econometric techniques
to refine the forecasts. Emphasis is placed equally
on the student correctly performing and concisely
communicating the forecasts. |
Prerequisites: ECON 381 with a C or better or permission of
the instructor |
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ECON 398: The American Economy (3 credits) |
| The American Economy reviews chronologically
the history of the United States from the precolonial
period until the present from an economic
perspective. Students will use the fundamental
principles of microeconomics and macroeconomics
to analyze key events in American history - all from
an economic perspective - and relate their implications
for the future. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201 and ECON 202 or ECON 121 |
The course ties in well with the overall program goals of the University. It provides an additional elective for Business school students. It assists students in the College of Arts and Science, particularly history students, who need an understanding of Economics but may have difficulty putting it into the historical perspective. Finally, the course will improve the Economic understanding of students in the School of Education who are often required to teach the subject in context but have not received the appropriate training to do so. |
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ECON 401: Game Theory (3 credits) |
| Game theory is a mathematical method of modeling
virtually any situation in which humans interact,
and it has found applications in virtually every
aspect of the social sciences. This course will examine
the fundamental tools and concepts of game
theory while maintaining a focus on its applications
in economics and business. |
Prerequisites: MATH 110 or MATH 115 and 3 credits in economics with a C or
better |
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ECON 420: Labor Economics (3 credits) |
| This course addresses the analysis of the principles of wage and employment determination in the U.S. economy under non-union conditions as well as under collective bargaining arrangements. Additionally, it includes the factors underlying labor demand and supply with an emphasis on a human capital approach to relative earnings differentials. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201 with a C or better and MATH 110 or MATH 115 |
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ECON 425: Current Economic Issues (3 credits) |
| This course is designed to present students with
current issues and topics in economics and to place
them in a historical context. It is designed for
students to apply the tools of economics (both empirical
and theoretical) learned in previous classes
to analyze present and past economic events. At the
end of the class, the students will develop a viable
research proposal. While aimed towards economics
majors, the course is open to all students interested
in current economic issues. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201 and ECON 202 with a C or better |
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ECON 431: Environmental Economics (3 credits) |
| This course uses benefit cost analysis to explain the reasons for environmental pollution and to evaluate the efficiency of alternative abatement strategies and policies. Topics include air and water pollution, toxic waste cleanup, and alternative methods of valuing non-market resources such as clean air, public lands, and other natural resources. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201 with a C or better and MATH 110
or MATH 115 |
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ECON 442: International Economics (3 credits) |
| International economics is the study of economic interactions between nations. These interactions take the form of flows of goods, services, and capital between countries and are inseparably connected to globalization. The course is a fusion of two economic fields: international trade and international finance. International trade explores themes like the gains from trade, the pattern of trade, and protectionism, while international finance covers topics like exchange rate determination, international lending and borrowing, and international policy coordination. In addition, the course offers explores several institutional, historical, and policy issues that are pertinent to international economics and economic wellbeing, in general. |
Prerequisites: ECON 202 with a B or better |
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ECON 453: Public Economics (3 credits) |
| Public economics is one of the most exciting and policy relevant fields of study. Public economics examines the proper role of government and the consequences of its intervention in the market economy. This course will explore core topics in public economics such as public goods, externalities, taxation, spending, and political economy of voting. It will offer a balanced combination of public finance and public choice perspectives, theoretical and relevant empirical evidence. This course will provide you with a foundation for objective policy analysis. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201 with a B or better and MATH 110
or Math 115 |
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ECON 461: Business Economics (3 credits) |
| Business Economics focuses on the formation and qualitative analysis of business decisions. In this course, the student learns to model business phenomena and to qualitatively predict behavior on the basis of those models. Students will take real-world business and economic problems from sources such as The Wall Street Journal, construct models to describe the cases, analyze the models, and construct business recommendations on the basis of the model results. The course equally emphasizes mathematical modeling of business phenomena and the interpretation of models and results in terminology common to non-economists. |
Prerequisites: ECON 301 with a C or better |
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ECON 462: Business, Government, and Society (3 credits) |
| Business, Government and Society is an applications-oriented course examining the relationship between the market sector and government policy. The course will address social regulation, traditional economic regulation and antitrust, economic deregulation, and selected topics. |
Prerequisites: ECON 201 and ECON 202 with a C or better; and MATH 110 or MATH 115 |
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ECON 480: Economics Senior Thesis (3 credits) |
| The purpose of this course is to sharpen the student’s independent research skills utilizing
all of the concepts, tools and techniques learned
throughout the economics major. The course focuses
on choosing research topics, framing research
questions, developing research strategies, collecting
data, writing reports, and presenting results.
During the term, students undertake a substantive
independent research project culminating in both a
formal written paper and an oral research presentation
to the economics faculty. |
Prerequisites: ECON 381 with a C or better |
This course is required to successfully complete a major in economics in either the A.J. Palumbo School of Business Administration or the McAnulty College of Liberal Arts and is designed to be a writing intensive course. |
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