Economics (ECON) Courses

1300 Economic Issues (3-0). A one-semester introduction to microeconomic and macroeconomic principles, focusing on contemporary social and economic issues including economic growth and development, poverty and welfare programs, international trade, and government spending and taxation. This course may not be taken to satisfy economics course requirements for the Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

2301/ECON 2301 Principles of Macroeconomics (3-0). Economic principles, aggregate income, output, and employment; money, fiscal, and monetary policy.
Prerequisite: Mathematics 1314 or 1324 or 1342.

2302/ECON 2302 Principles of Microeconomics (3-0). Product pricing, resource allocation, factor pricing, income distribution, and economic growth; contemporary problems such as foreign trade and agriculture.
Prerequisite: Mathematics 1314 or 1324 or 1342.

3311 Intermediate Macroeconomics Theory (3-0). Analysis of the determinants of aggregate demand and supply with special emphasis on macroeconomic problems such as unemployment and inflation.
Prerequisite: Economics 2301.

3312 Intermediate Microeconomics Theory (3-0). Intermediate price theory, including theory of demand, production and cost theory, theory of the firm, and factor markets.
Prerequisite: Economics 2302.

3320 Economics for Managers (3-0). The application of economic theory to the management of firms. Includes topics of demand and consumer behavior, production and costs, theory of firms, and public policy towards business. This course is specifically designed for business majors.
Prerequisite: Economics 1300 or 2301 or 2302 and Management 2331.

3331 Comparative Economic Systems (3-0). This course is a study of various types of economic systems ranging from a free market economy to a centrally planned economy. This includes capitalism, socialism, communism, and modifications to these basic models.
Prerequisites: Economics 1300 or 2301 or 2302 or equivalent.

3360 Money and Banking (3-0). The role of money, financial markets, and institutions. Monetary theory, central bank monetary policy, and the international financial system. (Credit may not be earned for this course and Finance 3360).
Prerequisite: Economics 2301.

4304 Industrial Organization (3-0). The purpose of this class is to link the behavior observed in actual markets with the abstract models of firms and industries that are a core part of microeconomics theory. The study of industrial organization differs from microeconomics in that it has an empirical component and focus on public policy not found in most theory courses. Industrial organization deals with many of the problems that are typically assumed away when students first learn about firms and industries, including imperfect information, product differentiation, transaction costs, ownership integration, etc. These features of the real world raise two questions: how does the structure of industry and business practices affect consumer welfare, and what policies, if any, can be employed to promote market outcomes that are closer to the competitive ideal.
Prerequisite: Economics 2302.

4306 Law and Economics (3-0). The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the application of economic reasoning to the law. This will be a survey course, that covers a range of topics, including property and contract law, public regulation of the market, corporate law, taxation, legal processes, and constitutional law. The course will be particularly useful for students considering law school or those students interested learning more about the relationship between economics and law.
Prerequisite: Economics 2302.

4307 International Economics (3-0). This is a foundation course that covers international trade theories and policy. The course highlights sources of comparative advantage, gains and losses from trade, the impact of trade on economic growth, and effects of trade policy interventions such as tariffs, quotas, voluntary export restraints, and export subsidies. International agreements on regional trade liberalization (such as EU and NAFTA) and on multilateral trade liberalization (e.g., WTO) will also be discussed. Topics on international finance include balance of payments and determination of foreign exchange rates.
Prerequisites: Economics 2301 or 2302 or equivalent.

4308 Economic Development (3-0). This course deals with the disparity of material world and considers a few key questions: Why have some countries remained poor, volatile, and violent? Will these countries see future growth in incomes, stability, and freedom? What role has the West played in past failures, and what role (if any) should it play in the future? The course will cover the history, politics and economics of development, and dabbles in geography, sociology, and anthropology. Topics include causes of poverty, wealth and inequality; the nature of economic growth; and the roles of the state, markets, social and cultural institutions in economic development.
Prerequisite: Economics 2301.

4309 Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences (3-0). This course to introduce students to quantitative methods and how they are applied in social science research. The course is a practical introduction to statistics, it engages with empirical analysis, showing students how to analyze data and to interpret the results. The course encourages hands-on learning to understand and describe the behavior of individuals, groups and organizations.
Prerequisite: Management 2331 or equivalent statistics.

4371 Internships in Economics. Students will participate in a structured work experience. A pass or fail grade will be assigned by the instructor based on input on student performance by the employment supervisor using the weekly journals prepared by the students. (Course may be repeated once for credit with permission of the instructor or department chair.)
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

4381 Special Topics (3-0). Selected topics in economics. May be repeated once for credit when the topic varies.
Prerequisite: Junior status.

4391 Research. A specialized course which may be directed reading or research for superior students.
Prerequisite: Departmental permission.

6311 Managerial Economics (3-0). A survey of microeconomic theories and analysis methods with applications in business problems for managerial decision making. Topics include demand analysis and estimation, costs, market structures and pricing.

6371 Internship in Economics. A structured assignment with a company. A pass or fail grade will be assigned by the instructor based on input on student performance by the employment supervisor using the required weekly journals prepared by students.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.