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.

Foundational topics of interest which may vary each time course is offered. Topic stated in current Schedule of Classes.

This course covers four broad categories: Foundations of insurance and risk, the private insurance industry, managing individual life and health risk with insurance and managing personal property and liability risk with insurance.

An introduction to theoretical and applied analyses of microeconomics, including supply and demand analysis, elasticities, firm costs and profit maximization, market structures, wage determination, and market failures such as externalities, public goods, and monopoly power.

An introduction to theoretical and applied analyses of macroeconomics, including determinants of overall economic activity and growth, market analysis, national income accounting, employment, inflation, monetary and fiscal policies, and international economics.

This course is an overview of labor economic theory and its practical applications. The course will concentrate on labor supply and labor demand and how economic conditions affect labor markets and individual labor supply and demand decisions. Topics of interest include: human capital, firm compensation policies, labor market discrimination, labor unions and unemployment.

Introduction to advanced regression analysis. Topics include ordinary least squares, generalized least squares, nonlinear regression, dummy variables, autocorrelation, heteroskedasticity, and serial correlation. Computer software used extensively.

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.

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.

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.

Examination of global macroeconomics and its application to the modern business environment, the business cycle and economic policies, major linkages between economies, domestic and international economic indicators, institutions and cultural aspects of business, sustainable development.

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.