Course Descriptions

ECO201 / Microeconomics [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course is an introductory course dealing with the nature and scope of economics, consumer behavior, theory of the firm, price determination, and allocation of resources.

ECO202 / Macroeconomics [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course is an introductory course dealing with the principles of national income accounting, national income determination, macroeconomics’ objectives and policy instruments, and the relative effectiveness of fiscal and monetary policies in stabilizing the economy.

ECO304 / Mathematical Methods for Economics [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course covers advanced mathematical methods and tools used in modern economics. The course includes a brief calculus review, matrix theory, con- strained optimization, and elements of game theory and dynamical systems.

Prerequisite: MTH105 / Business Math or equivalent

ECO305 / Intermediate Microeconomics [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course covers in depth the theory and applications of consumer and producer behavior. It covers topics such as price/wage determination under various market structures, estimation of demand for a given product, analysis of a firm’s pricing strategies, levels of price discrimination, comparison of the welfare effects of different policies, and externalities and public goods.

Prerequisites: ECO201 / Microeconomics and ECO202 / Macroeconomics

ECO306 / Intermediate Macroeconomics [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course uses the latest theoretical techniques and models in macroeconomics to address the measurement and determination of income, prices, employment, interest rates, and aggregate demand and supply. The course also stresses stabilization, fiscal and monetary policies, various schools of macroeconomic thought and the sources of instability in the private economy.

Prerequisites: ECO201 / Microeconomics and ECO202 / Macroeconomics

ECO311 / Economic Development [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course covers the theories of economic development, planning and policies. The course also discusses the building of institutional mechanisms to achieve development.

Prerequisites: ECO201 / Microeconomics and ECO202 / Macroeconomics.

ECO320 / Environmental, Resource, and Energy Economics [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course introduces students to the basics of environmental and natural resource economics and the fundamentals of environmental policymaking. The first part of the course will discuss environmental pollution and policy solutions, the second part will discuss natural resource exploitation, sustainability and keys issues in energy economics. The course also highlights scientific facts that shape environmental policy debates.

Prerequisites: ECO201, ECO202, and ECO305

ECO332 / Introductory Econometrics [4-0, 4 cr.]

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of econometric analysis. The course will include simple regression models, multiple regression models, regression with discrete random variables, and topics in time series analysis.

Prerequisite: STA201 / Business Statistics

ECO333 / Comparative Economic Systems [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course will examine the basic principles and institutions of past and contemporary economies, with a special emphasis on capitalist, socialist and mixed economic systems. The course provides information on the methodology to be employed in making economic and social comparisons across countries and regions, by exploring differences in institutions, policy and performance. In addition to comparing capitalist and socialist systems, the course will study the contemporary experience of transition from one economic system to another. The course will also devote attention to the growing interest in the comparative analysis of institutions in capitalist societies, and to the historical evolution of these institutions. The course introduces students to recent comparative research on globalization and varieties of capitalism.

Prerequisites: ECO201 / Microeconomics and ECO202 / Macroeconomics

ECO335 / International Economics [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course deals with the principles of trade, resource allocation among nations, international monetary and exchange rate arrangements, and trade restriction problems.

Prerequisites: ECO201 / Microeconomics and ECO202 / Macroeconomics

ECO340 / Economics of Organizations and Management [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course is an introduction to the economics of organizations and management. The course focuses on decision-making within a firm and strategic inter- actions among firms in industries. The objective is to develop the knowledge and strategies useful in making efficient business or managerial decisions both within firms and between firms in different market settings. The course will also study the application of economic models to address the effectiveness of organizations.

Prerequisites: ECO201 / Microeconomics and ECO202 / Macroeconomics

ECO342 / Labor and Human Resource Economics [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course introduces students to the economic analysis of labor markets and theories of human resources economics. The course includes topics in labor demand and supply, human capital accumulation, wage determination, inequality in earnings, unions and collective bargaining, training and human-resource development, productivity and pay, and labor discriminations.

Prerequisites: ECO201 / Microeconomics and ECO202 / Macroeconomics

ECO344 / Economics, Ethics and Philosophy [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course is an exploration of some topics at the intersection of economics, ethics and philosophy. The course will examine the ethical and philosophical foundations of normative economics, by seeking to understand the role of efficiency and equity considerations in economic behavior and policy-making. It seeks to investigate the role of ethical theories and concepts in comprehending economic life. The course will also examine questions concerning the methodology of economics, and the distinct nature of economics as a science. Some of the topics to be explored include rationality, self-interest, value, welfare, justice, optimality, models, causality and reductionism.

Prerequisites: ECO201 / Microeconomics and ECO202 / Macroeconomics

ECO346 / Foundations of Political Economy [3-0, 3 cr.]

The course will address the fundamentals of political economy: production, exchange, value, and distribution. The course mainly is an exploration of the ideas of Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus, David Ricardo, Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes. In addition, the marginalist theory will be studied within the context of the evolution of economic thought. The basic ideas of Veblen, Hayek and Schumpeter will also be briefly discussed. The course will draw lessons for the understanding of modern capitalism, in relation to issues such as technological change, market competition, wealth creation, income distribution, instability, long-run capitalist development, morality and class conflict.

Prerequisites: ECO201 / Microeconomics and ECO202 / Macroeconomics

ECO402 / Special Topics in Economics [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course deals with selected topics in economic theory.

Prerequisite: At least 12 credits of economics courses. This course may be repeated for credit with the instructor’s consent.

ECO420 / Monetary Theory and Policy [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course covers money and the banking system’s nature and functions. It also covers the interaction between the monetary and real sectors, money supply and demand analysis, and the theory of transmission mechanisms of monetary policy, and central banking.

Prerequisites: ECO201 / Microeconomics and ECO202 / Macroeconomics

ECO422 / Public Finance and Fiscal Policy [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course addresses government intervention under conditions of market failure. Topics covered include public debt, government expenditure patterns, and tax structures. These are considered from the perspective of government services provision and as public policy instruments.

Prerequisites: ECO201 / Microeconomics and ECO202 / Macroeconomics

Last modified: September 26, 2017