ECON – Economics
ECON 112 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
Introduces the major concepts and applications of microeconomic theory. Examines the economic decision making of individuals and firms and explores market mechanisms within the context of scarce resources. Explores economic rationales for government intervention in the market. (SB)
ECON 113 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
This course explores the function of the national economy. By discussing unemployment, inflation, economic growth and a variety of measures of economic output, students in the course will begin to understand how economic behavior affects nations in the aggregate. Special attention is placed to the function of both fiscal and monetary policy. (SB)
ECON 312 Microeconomic Theory (4)
Prerequisites: ECON 112, ECON 113 and MATH 131. Studies the theoretical foundations of economics; examines the behavior of individuals, firms and markets. Includes indifference analysis, production theory, factor markets and general equilibrium theory.
ECON 313 Macroeconomic Theory (4)
Prerequisites: ECON 381 and MATH 131. Discusses aggregate measures of economic activity; presents and contrasts the theoretical approaches to the macroeconomy; examines policy issues related to inflation, unemployment and economic growth.
ECON 321 Environmental Economics (3)
Prerequisite: ECON 112. Economic analysis of natural resources and environmental goods. Topics include optimal consumption of depletable resources, analysis of environmental policy, theory of common property resources, public goods, and external costs and benefits, as they apply to environmental resources. (GS)
ECON 322 International Trade and Finance (3)
Prerequisite: ECON 113. This course seeks to expose students to both the theoretical and application aspects of international trade and finance. Students learn why countries trade with each other, the benefits associated with trade and the role politics play in hindering free trade, migration and capital flows. Students also learn how cultural ties, geographic proximity, domestic tastes and preferences affect international trade in goods and services. The second half of the course covers topics such as the balance of payments, exchange rates, Monetary Unions and financial globalization. (GPN)
ECON 324 Monetary Theory and the Financial System (3)
Prerequisite: ECON 113. Examines the theoretical debate over the role of money in the economy and the ability of the central bank to affect economic activity. Reviews the commercial banking system and other financial markets. Offered alternate years.
ECON 329 Economic Development (3)
Economic development is a subset of economics concerned with not just economic growth but a concurrent change in the standard of living for masses of people living in lesser developed countries. This involves changes in economic, social, political and institutional mechanisms. This course also considers intergenerational equity and development so future generations are not left worse off in the drive for current economic development. (GS)
ECON 381 Research Methods in Economics (4)
Prerequisites: ECON 112, ECON 113, MATH 215 or instructor’s permission. An in-depth analysis of the role of inferential statistics in economics. Emphasizes model construction and applications of probability to univariate and multivariate hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and simple multiple regression, among other topics.
ECON 382 Economic Forecasting (3)
Prerequisite: ECON 381 or instructor’s permission. This course provides a basic understanding of economic forecasting and its associated terminology. Concepts in modeling time-series data such as seasonality, trends and cycles, auto regressive and moving averages models are discussed. Students are introduced to practical data analysis application using the software R.
ECON 390 Topics (Arr)
Prerequisite: instructor’s permission. Selected topics in economics may be offered, depending upon student and staff interest.
ECON 397 Internship (Arr)
Prerequisite: third-year standing. Available only to students who have declared a major in the department. The seminar attempts to sensitize the student to work experience and provide communication with other students to discuss their mutual experience. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 credits total. Does not count toward the economics major. Pass/No Credit basis.
ECON 485 Economics Research Seminar (3)
Prerequisite: ECON 381, ECON 312, ECON 313 and senior standing. Requires students to conduct a research project grounded in economic theory and utilizing statistical methodologies. Typically the research project is a continuation and extension of a project begun in ECON 381 or another upper-level course. There is an emphasis on close collaboration between student and department faculty. (WRT)
ECON 499 Independent Study (Arr)
Prerequisite: instructor’s permission. An independent research experience for senior majors.