ECON 190S – Principles of Economics
4 semester hours
Ankrom, Jeff, Frost, Marcia, Gwinn, Lawrence, Tiffany, Frederick, and Wishart, David
Prerequisites: Students must have attained the math placement level 22 to enroll.
An introduction to basic principles of economics. Topics covered include supply and demand, marginal analysis, competition, profit maximization, aggregate demand and supply, the level of employment, inflation, fiscal policy, monetary policy, and international trade. Lecture/discussion format.
ECON 220C – Economics of Developing Areas
4 semester hours
Frost, Marcia
This course is concerned with the post –World War II experiences and future prospects of the developing nations of Africa, Asia, Latin America and transition Eurasia. Topics include measures of development, alternative strategies for development, demography, human capital and labor, agriculture and finance. Lecture/discussion format.
ECON 260C – East Asian Economies
4 semester hours
Gwinn, Lawrence
Prerequisites: ECON 190.
Study of specific problems and institutions of the East Asian economies. Topics include international trade and development practices as well as fiscal and monetary policies in the region. Writing Intensive.
ECON 290C – Topic: Economics of Sports
4 semester hours
Ankrom, Jeff
Prerequisites: ECON 190
Why do professional athletes make so much money? Why do cities use tax incentives to attract teams to their markets? Is the NCAA a cartel, and does it have the interests of student athletes in mind? How does money affect the competitive balance of sports leagues? Is amateurism possible today? These are some of the questions that will be addressed in this course. Sports are a huge business in the U.S. and ECON 290 examines the forces that have changed sports in recent decades. Grade is determined by a number of short writing assignments and the quality of classroom participation. Lecture/discussion format.
ECON 301 – Money and Banking
4 semester hours
Ankrom, Jeff
Prerequisites: ECON 190 and MATH 120.
The course is meant to impart a basic understanding of money and financial institutions and their impact on the working of the economy. This will be accomplished by examining the following topics.
The course will have a lecture/discussion format and will involve regular reading of the Wall Street Journal. Exams, quizzes, and class discussion form the basis for the course grade.
ECON 311 – Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
4 semester hours
Gwinn, Lawrence
Prerequisites: ECON 190 and MATH 120 or its equivalent.
This course builds on the ideas presented in ECON 190 and develops in greater detail models that analyze the national economy, with an emphasis on the distinction between short-run and long-run equilibrium, and on the various schools of thought. We discuss problems inherent in fiscal and monetary stabilization policy and their relationship to unemployment, inflation, and economic growth. A good understanding of algebra is necessary.
ECON 315 – Labor Economics
4 semester hours
Frost, Marcia
Labor Economics explores the determinants of the supply of and demand for labor, wages and working conditions, and the productivity of labor. It is concerned with both the microeconomic decision-making of individuals, households and firms, and the macroeconomic outcomes of their decisions. The course will also explore the institutional framework of contemporary labor markets, including discrimination and affirmative action, government regulation, and unions. Lecture/discussion format.
ECON 320 – History of Economic Thought
4 semester hours
Wishart, David
Prerequisities: ECON 190 or equivalent.
This course critically examines the work of economic thinkers from the time of Plato through the early 20th century. The goal of this course is to both enable students to understand how the environment economic thinkers lived in influenced their analysis and to appreciate how economic thought has been refined and improved through the ages. The centerpiece of the course will continue to be a detailed textual analysis of Adam Smith’s classic work, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Readings will focus on original texts as much as possible throughout the course. Students will be expected to write two short papers, give one in-class presentation, write midterm and final exams, and participate actively in class discussions. The format for the course is lecture-discussion. This course is writing intensive.
ECON 360 – Industrial Organization
4 semester hours
Tiffany, Frederick
Prerequisites: ECON 280 or 310, or permission of the instructor.
This course will examine the economics of the firm, imperfect competition and market structure. The goal is to extend and deepen the student’s understanding of microeconomics and to apply it to real world situations. We will begin with a review of the standard theory of the firm in a perfectly competitive market, and then consider a variety of models of imperfect competition.
The course will have a lecture/discussion format. Students will be evaluated on the basis of a midterm examination, a final examination and a major research project, involving two writing assignments in which the student must demonstrate the ability to use microeconomic analysis. Some class time will be spent developing the skills necessary to write the paper. Depending on enrollment, the research project may be structured as a group project. Writing Intensive.
ECON 391 – Advanced Economic Theory
4 semester hours
Ankrom, Jeff and Tiffany, Frederick
Prerequisites: ECON 310 and 311, MGT 210, MATH 131 or 201.
This course broadens and deepens understanding of intermediate economic theory through the coverage of a series of advanced topics in both microeconomic and macroeconomic theory. The microeconomic portion of the course focuses on game theory and its use in economics while the macroeconomic portion is devoted to developing a market-clearing macroeconomic model and contrasting it with traditional Keynesian models. The course assumes basic knowledge of both calculus and probability. Lecture/discussion format.
