ECON 200 Economic Concepts 3(3,0) One-semester survey of basic economic concepts that offers an overview of both microeconomics and macroeconomics. Not intended for business majors or other students seeking a comprehensive introduction to economic analysis and its applications. Credit will not be given to students who have received credit for ECON 211 or 212.
ECON 211, H211 Principles of Microeconomics 3(3,0) Introduction to economic reasoning and its application to the study of the behavior of consumers and business firms. Particular topics include competition, monopoly, international trade, and the impact of selected public policies. Intended as the first of a two-semester sequence in the foundations of economics.
ECON 212, H212 Principles of Macroeconomics 3(3,0) Continuation of ECON 211 in which fundamental economic principles are applied to the study of aggregate economic performance. Topics include the forces determining the rates of inflation, unemployment, and economic growth, with particular emphasis on the influence of fiscal and monetary policies through financial markets. Preq: ECON 211 or consent of instructor.
ECON 301 Economics of Labor 3(3,0) Introduces students to the economics of the labor market and labor relations. Considers the theories of wages and employment, determination, unemployment, investment in human capital, discrimination, and public policy toward the labor market. Also considers the role of labor unions. May not be used to satisfy requirements for a degree in Economics. Preq: ECON 211 or consent of instructor.
ECON 302 Money and Banking 3(3,0) Considers the function of money and banking in both the product and financial markets. Special emphasis is placed on monetary theory and current problems of monetary policy. May not be used to satisfy requirements for a degree in Economics. Preq: ECON 212 or consent of instructor.
ECON (MGT) 306 Managerial Economics 3(3,0) Uses tools of economic analysis in classifying problems in organizing and evaluating information, and in comparing alternative courses of action. Bridges the gap between economic theory and managerial practices. May not be used to satisfy requirements for a degree in Economics. Preq: ECON 211 or consent of instructor.
ECON 307 Arbitration 3(3,0) Analysis of dispute settlement procedures with specific emphasis on mediation, fact-finding, and arbitration as they are used to resolve labor-management disputes in the public and private sectors. Preq: Consent of instructor.
ECON 308 Collective Bargaining 3(3,0) Practices, procedures, legal foundations, and legal structure associated with collective bargaining. Form and content of the labor contract, grievance machinery, and mediation and arbitration institutions are also studied. Preq: ECON 211 or consent of instructor.
ECON 309 Government and Business 3(3,0) Relationships between government and business, including, among other topics, government efforts to enforce competition; to regulate public utilities; and to protect the special interest of laborers, farmers, and consumers. May not be used to satisfy requirements for a degree in Economics. Preq: ECON 211 or consent of instructor.
ECON 310 International Economy 3(3,0) Studies of the process of international commerce. Covers basic theory of trade and exchange rates, institutional and legal environment, current policy issues. Not open to students who have taken ECON 412. May not be used to satisfy requirements for a degree in Economics. Preq: ECON 211 and 212 or consent of instructor.
ECON 314, H314 Intermediate Microeconomics 3(3,0) Analytical study of the basic concepts of value and distribution under alternative market conditions. Preq: ECON 211 or consent of instructor.
ECON 315, H315 Intermediate Macroeconomics 3(3,0) Macroeconomic problems of inflation and unemployment are focal points. Statistics (measures of real output and the price level) and theory (covering the sources of short-run fluctuations and long-run growth) are included. Appropriate public policies addressing these issues are analyzed. Preq: ECON 212 or consent of instructor.
ECON 319 Environmental Economics 3(3,0) Study of the application of economic logic to issues surrounding environmental management and policy. Examines individual, firm, and collective decision making as well as the evolution of regulatory approaches for controlling environmental use. Preq: ECON 314.
ECON (E L E) 321 Economics of Innovation 3(3,0) Examines the nature of entrepreneurship and the contribution of innovation to economic growth. The organizational and institutional sources of innovation in different firms and different countries are investigated as well as the work of economic theorists concerning the role entrepreneurs play in bringing new products to market. Preq: ECON 306 or 314.
ECON 324 Economics and Sports 3(3,0) Economic analysis of sports teams, leagues, and institutions. Analysis of basic economic issues using sports data. May not be used to satisfy requirements for a degree in Economics. Credit will not be given to students who have completed ECON 426. Preq: Sophomore standing, ECON 211.
ECON 325 Personnel Economics 3(3,0) Studies the various compensation and personnel practices that firms employ. Explains when each of those practices should be followed to elicit the desired employee effort and labor force quality. Topics include piece-rate and time-rate systems, seniority-based incentive schemes, promotion contests, evaluation systems, mandatory retirement, and up-or-out rules. Preq: ECON 211 or consent of instructor.
ECON 340 Behavioral Economics 3(3,0) Introduction into the economic, sociological, and psychological aspects of decision making under uncertainty. Presents the psychology of prediction, intuitive prediction: biases and corrective procedures. Topics also include framing, choice with costly information, and social influences on individual behavior. Preq: ECON 211 or consent of instructor.
ECON 350, H350 Moral and Ethical Aspects of a Market Economy 3(3,0) Can a market system produce results that are fundamentally just? Is justice possible without voluntary exchange? Applies both economic and philosophical analyses to these questions. Emphasizes the causes, consequences, and morality of the distribution of wealth and income in a free-market system. Preq: ECON 314 or consent of instructor.
ECON 360 Public Choice 3(3,0) Covers the economic approach to political activities and institutions. Topics include voting, voting rules, constitutions, political competition, political business cycles, vote trading, interest groups, bureaucracy, committees, legislators, executives, and judges. Designed for Economics and non-Economics majors and requires only basic skills in microeconomics. Preq: ECON 211 or consent of instructor.
ECON H390 Junior Honors Research 1(1,0) Readings and research in conjunction with an approved economics course at the 300 or 400 level. Honors status required. May be repeated for a maximum of three credits.
ECON 401 Labor Market Analysis 3(3,0) Develops the methods of economic analysis of labor markets. Requires students to apply these methods to problems of the labor market. Topics include labor demand and supply, human capital, occupational choice, compensating wage differentials, organizational wage structures and incentive systems, unemployment, and discrimination. Preq: ECON 314.
ECON 402 Law and Economics 3(3,0) Application of economics to the law of property, torts, and contracts; regulation of markets, business organizations, and financial transactions; distribution of income and wealth; and criminal law. Preq: ECON 211 or consent of instructor.
ECON 404 Comparative Economic Systems 3(3,0) Comparative analytical and historical study of the principal economic systems which have been important in the modern world including, among others, capitalism and socialism. Preq: ECON 314 or consent of instructor.
ECON 405, 605 Introduction to Econometrics 4(3,3) Introduction to methods of quantitative analysis of economic data. Reviews basic statistical methods and probability distribution. Topics include data management using professional statistical software applications; multiple regression analysis; hypothesis testing under conditions of multicollinearity, heteroscedasticity, and serial correlation. Preq: ECON 211 and 212; MTHSC 108 or 207; EX ST 301 or MTHSC 301 or 309.
ECON 406, 606 Advanced Econometrics 3(3,0) Reviews statistical inference using multiple regression (OLS) analysis and model specification. Topics include multicollinearity, heteroscedasticity, and serial correlation; two-staged least squares and instrumental variables models; simultaneous equations models; limited dependent variable models using maximum likelihood estimation and time-series analysis; and presentation of results in technical writing. Preq: ECON 405 or consent of instructor.
ECON 410, 610 Economic Development 3(3,0) Consideration and analysis of economic and related problems of underdeveloped countries. Attention is given to national and international programs designed to accelerate solution of these problems. Preq: ECON 314 or consent of instructor.
ECON 411, 611 Economics of Education 3(3,0) Analysis of economic issues related to education. The decision to invest in education, elementary and secondary school markets and reform, the market for college education, teacher labor markets, and education's effects on economic growth and income distribution. Preq: ECON 314 or consent of instructor.
ECON 412 International Microeconomics 3(3,0) Analysis of the essential aspects of international economic linkages. Gains and redistributive effects of trade and the barriers to trade are discussed within the context of a variety of economic models. The history of trade policy and the political economy of its determination are also discussed. Preq: ECON 314 or consent of instructor.
ECON 413 International Macroeconomics 3(3,0) Examination of macroeconomic linkages between an individual country and the rest of the world and how these linkages are affected by the choice of exchange rate regimes. Topics include the relation between domestic and foreign interest rates and exchange rates and the ability to pursue independent monetary policies. Preq: ECON 315.
ECON 419 Economics of Defense 3(3,0) Examines the American defense establishment in terms of resources utilized, alternative uses, and the contribution to the national economy and scientific progress generated by resources in a defense use. Discusses economic problems inherent in shifting resources between defense and nondefense uses and among alternative defense uses. Preq: ECON 314.
ECON 420 Public Sector Economics 3(3,0) Study of the role of government and its proper functions and limitations in a market. Provision of goods and services by all levels of government and instruments of taxation are evaluated according to efficiency and equity criteria. Contemporary public sector issues are emphasized throughout. Preq: ECON 314 or consent of instructor.
ECON 422 Monetary Economics 3(3,0) Intensive study of the role of monetary factors in economic change. Modern monetary theories and their empirical relevance for policy are developed against a background of monetary history and institutions. Preq: ECON 314 and 315 or consent of instructor.
ECON 424 Organization of Industries 3(3,0) Empirical, historical, and theoretical analyses of market structure and concentration in American industry: the effects of oligopoly, monopoly, and cartelization upon price, output, and other policies of the firm; antitrust and other public policies and problems are studied. Preq: ECON 314 or consent of instructor.
ECON 425, 625 Antitrust Economics 3(3,0) Analysis of the economic and legal issues created by the exercise of market power, The motivation and execution of government policy towards mergers, predatory conduct, and various restraints of trade are intensively examined. Preq: ECON 309 or 314 or consent of instructor.
ECON 426, H426, 626 Seminar in Sports Economics 3(3,0) Economic analysis of sports teams, leagues, and institutions. Topics include antitrust issues, public funding of sports venues, labor relations, wagering markets, athlete compensation, and application of economic principles to sports settings. Empirical research project is cornerstone of course. Preq: ECON 314, 405; or consent of instructor.
ECON 430 Topics in Mathematical Economics 3(3,0) Skills acquired in freshman mathematics are applied to selected topics in economic theory. Course is a good complement to ECON 314 and provides excellent preparation for 400-level courses in economics, especially ECON 405. May be taken concurrently with ECON 314. Preq: ECON 314, and MTHSC 108 or 207.
ECON 440, 640 Game Theory 3(3,0) Introduction to the formal analysis of strategic interaction among rational, self-interested rivals. Basic theoretical aspects of games are discussed and applied to such topics as bargaining, voting, auctions, and oligopoly. Preq: ECON 314 and MTHSC 106, or ECON 430, or consent of instructor.
ECON H491 Senior Honors Thesis Research 3(3,0) Reading and research for the Senior Honors Thesis. Preq: ECON 314, 315, senior honors standing.
ECON H492 Senior Honors Thesis Writing 3(3,0) Writing and oral presentation of the Senior Honors Thesis. Preq: ECON H491.
ECON 496 Independent Study 1-3(1-3,0) Research and writing on a selected economics topic chosen by the student. A written proposal must be approved by the instructor prior to the start of the semester. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits. Preq: ECON 314.
ECON 498, H498 Selected Topics in Economics 3(3,0) In-depth treatment of topics not covered fully in regularly scheduled courses. Specific topics vary from year to year. May be repeated for a maximum of nine credits, but only if different topics are covered. Preq: ECON 314 and 315 or consent of instructor.
ECON 499 Senior Seminar in Economics 1-3(1-3,0) Discussion of topics of current interest in economics. Students conduct directed research on a particular topic. Preq: Consent of instructor.