ECON - Economics

An introductory study of the workings of economic society. Provides an overview of the conditions and problems of the American and other economic systems. Encompasses both microeconomics (e.g., supply and demand, cost and profit, competition and monopoly) and macroeconomics (e.g., unemployment and inflation, fiscal and monetary policies). Emphasis is on basic economic concepts, institutions, and broad historical sweep.

An introduction to current economic problems and public policy issues and the techniques used by economists to address the issues. The topics covered in a semester may vary, but will include issues such as: environmental quality and pollution control; poverty and welfare reform; big business and government regulation; labor market discrimination; health care reform; taxation, government spending, and the national debt; international trade policy; inflation and unemployment.

An introductory study of statistical methods as applied to business and economic problems. Topics covered include: frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion, probability, probability distributions, sampling distributions, estimation, statistical inference, and simple linear regression. Emphasis on the use and abuse of statistics. Note: Credit for at most one of the following courses may be applied towards a student's requirements for graduation: BUAD 200, ECON 200, EDU 200, POLI 200, SOC 200, and STAT 200.

Study of the organization and functioning of the contemporary American economic system. Topics covered include national income, aggregate demand, aggregate supply, unemployment, inflation, money and banking, monetary and fiscal policies, and international trade and finance.

Study of the organization and functioning of the contemporary American economic system with emphasis on the problems of resource allocation. Topics covered include supply and demand, elasticity, price and output determination in various market situations, competition and public policy, income distribution, and alternative economic systems.

Continuation of ECON 200. A study of the techniques and tools used in analyzing business and economic data with equal emphasis on estimation techniques and interpretation of results. Topics covered include simple and multiple regression, time series analysis, non-parametric techniques, analysis of variance, and surveying. Use of computer software for statistical analysis is included

Analysis of economic behavior of consumers, producers, and markets. Major topics include utility maximization and production theories, market structures (pure competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly) and theories of factors of production, income distribution, resource allocation, and economic efficiency.

A theoretical analysis of the determinants of employment, income, consumption, investment, the general price level, wage rates and interest rates; the role of government, the impact of monetary and fiscal policies within the framework of various contemporary aggregate models of closed and open economies.

Exploration of the economic status of women, particularly in the United States. Emphasis is placed on women's labor market experiences and how the experiences are explained by economic theory. A major part of the course stresses current economic issues and policies specifically aimed at women including poverty, welfare, labor market mobility, and the status of the family.

Study of money and the financial system. In particular, the operation, functions, structure and regulations of the banking system, and organization and functions of central banking. Special emphasis given to the study of monetary theories, monetary management, and the effectiveness of monetary policy.

Study of international economic relations and international finance - determination of trade patterns and competitiveness, tariff and non-tariff barriers, economic integration, multinational corporations, exchange rates, balance of payments problems and policies, and international monetary system.

Economic analysis of the operations of multinational corporations and the implications of global production, resource allocation, and distribution of goods and services. Emphasis on capital and technology transfer, intercontinental flow of information, transaction costs, transfer pricing and tax policies.

Applications of microeconomic theory to labor markets. Topics include labor supply and demand, investment in education and training, wage determination, working conditions, non-wage compensation, racial and gender discrimination, unions, and government regulation of wage-setting institutions.

Analysis of governmental policies involving taxes and expenditures and how effectively these policies attain their objectives. Topics include externalities and public goods, income redistribution, health and unemployment insurance, and the impact of taxes on labor supply, savings and wealth.

Problems of economic growth and development of less developed countries with emphasis on economic and non-economic obstacles to growth and development, financing of development, strategy of development policy, development planning and project evaluation, industrial and agricultural development, and the role of international trade in growth and development.

Study of the economics of urban and regional development. Emphasis on principles of regional analysis, location theories, population movements, urban base, problems of urban renewal, economics of poverty, transportation, pollution, and housing.

Comparative study of organization, operation and performance of some important economic systems. Emphasis on the socio-cultural and political environment, and on the institutional factors explaining the differences in the performance of various systems.

Microeconomic analysis applicable to the problems of businesses with emphasis on the determination of prices, outputs and inputs. Other topics include demand and cost measurements, forecasting, and cash flow analysis. The course utilizes different constrained optimization and quantitative techniques. Note: Credits for this course may not be applied towards the economics major requirements.

Application of economic analysis to the health care industry. Emphasis on the demand and supply of health care services, and private and group health insurance (HMO, PPO, Medical Care, Medicaid). Analysis of for-profit and non-profit production of health care services under different market structures. Other topics include problems of allocation of medical care resources and analysis of health care policies.

The course will use rational choice theory to analyze how individuals and groups make decisions in strategic and non-strategic situations. Strategic situations are the result of the interdependent decisions of several individuals, e.g., nuclear deterrence or business competition. Problems covered include how computers beat humans at chess to the evolution processes of society. How do group norms arise where individual competition is the usual course of action? A low level of mathematical background is required.

Study of the historical development of those ideas intended to provide a deeper understanding of present economic realities. Emphasis is placed on fundamental areas such as the economist's methodology, value and distribution theory, free trade, economic growth, and macroeconomics, and how the topics have been addressed by major thinkers in the field of economics.

Economic analysis of natural resource and environmental issues and policies. Social cost-benefit analysis, theories of externalities and intertemporal resource allocation and their application to renewable and exhaustible natural resources are emphasized. Topics include pollution control, efficient and equitable resource management, energy issues, ecological and environmental quality, and global sustainability.

Examination of topics in economic issues, problems, theory and policy not covered in any other course offered by the department.

Comparative study of labor market characteristics among U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, OECD countries and a selection of emerging market economies. Emphasis on those factors that enhance economic integration and influence human resource policies. Comparative policy analysis of medical care, immigration, education and employment training, minimum wages, work standards, unemployment insurance, retirement systems and collective bargaining.

Analysis and application of regression covering topics on econometric problems and techniques of estimation (both single and multi-equation models). The science and art of econometric model building and forecasting with its wide application in finance, marketing, banking, and other fields in business and economics are discussed. Use of the computer is an integral part of the course.

Study of the sources and consequences of market power in the U.S. economy. Deals with economic definitions, measures of market power and legal standards for monopoly and oligopoly; examines major court decisions that have shaped antitrust policy; also covers economic regulation as a response to market power.

Introduces students to mathematical techniques used in economic analysis, including optimization theory, consumer and producer problems and general equilibrium models.

Study of the operation of the capital and money markets, determinants and structure of interest rates. Broad analysis of financial intermediaries, and regulation of the financial systems.

Individualized study under the supervision of a faculty member.

Application of research and writing skills to the critical analysis of selected broad current economic problems and issues, integrating several areas of study in economics and other disciplines.

Provides students the opportunities to earn credits for professional experience gained through learning-by-doing techniques.

Provides students the opportunities to earn credits for professional experience gained through learning-by-doing techniques.