Schedule of Classes

Nature, scope, and methods of economics; current economic institutions, problems, and policies. Students who have already completed ECO 221 and/or 222 will not receive credit for this course.

Institutions, problems, and policies of the market system and alternative systems: allocation of resources and distribution of income. Not open to students with ECO 100.

Process and determinants of overall economic activity and growth. National income accounting; determination of aggregate income, employment, and the price level; money and banking; government monetary and fiscal policies; international economics.

Techniques and procedures of application of statistical tools to economic research problems; selected methods for investigating the empirical validity of economic theory.

Optimizing behavior and market processes. Emphasizes proficiency in numerous microeconomic tools of analysis. Encourages thought about these tools and the real world they are designed to illuminate.

Health economics applies the tools of economics to issues of the organization, delivery, and financing of healthcare.

Behavioral economics describes how individual people make economic decisions, both for themselves and in interactions with other people. Experimental economics is a primary tool in the study of behavioral economics, running controlled experiments to observe individual behavior. This course will broadly survey ways in which individuals make decisions. In many different fields, we will study how neoclassical economics predicts human behavior, and how observed behavior differs from those predictions. We will also discuss research in behavioral economics, including designing and implementing experiments.

Topics of special interest which may vary each time course is offered. Topic stated in current Schedule of Classes. May be repeated under different topics.

Continuation of Economics 300, with more difficult and challenging readings.

Individual readings for qualified students under the guidance of a member of the economics staff.

Student begins to explore an area of economics in which he or she has a particular interest and plans to write a senior thesis. Required for all economics majors. Pass/Fail.

Capstone project where each student completes a senior research thesis under the guidance of an economics faculty member. Student explores an area of economics in which he or she has a particular interest.

Analysis of domestic and international markets, resource allocation, applied strategic thinking and competitive analysis, market structure, impacts on business decision making and on society, ethical issues, role of government regulation in business, pricing strategies, and quantitative decision making tools.