DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
ECON 110 – Economics Issues: International Economics
4 credits
Gwinn, Lawrence
Prerequisites: Minimum Math Placement Level 22.
Introduces students to the fundamental economics of international trade and international monetary relations. Students develop a thorough understanding of demand and supply as the main tool of analysis to examine topics such as the effect of international trade on world and national welfare, how trade influences a country’s distribution of income, tariffs and other trade restrictions, the operation of floating and fixed exchange rate systems, and the relationship of international exchange to domestic macroeconomic economic goals. Alternate Years.
ECON 190 – Principles of Economics
4 credits
Frost, Marcia, Tiffany, Frederick, and Wishart, David, Staff
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 231 - European Economic History
4 credits
Wishart, David
This course examines the evolution of capitalism in Europe from the Paleolithic period to the present, the impact of European capitalism on economies and societies in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, the rise and demise of centrally planned state socialist economies in Russia and the Eastern European countries, and the prospects for European economic integration. The topics presented in this course will emphasize the use of principles of economics to understand historical change and methods of empirical analysis that are commonly used by economic historians. Grades will be determined by two exams, a final, and a 10-15 page term paper. Lecture/discussion format. Writing Intensive.
ECON 265 – Economics of Sports
4 credits
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 three exams, a number of short writing assignments and the quality of classroom participation. Lecture/discussion format.
ECON 275: Economies in Transition
4 credits
Frost, Marcia
Prerequisite: Econ 190
Transition economics, a new field since the early 1990s, explores the process and results of the decisions of the nation states of the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and East Asia to move from centrally-planned toward market and from socialist toward capitalist economies. A central focus of the course will be the examination of the strategies pursued and progress of transition in these countries at the macro and sectoral levels, the institutions that have evolved, and the human welfare consequences of the transition process. This course meets the non-Western goal (C) and is cross-listed with East Asian and Russian and Central Eurasian Area Studies; offered every 3rd semester.
ECON 280 – Managerial Economics
4 credits
Tiffany, Frederick
Prerequisites: ECON 190 and MGT 210
In this course, students will extend their understanding of microeconomic theory and its use in managerial decision-making. Topics will include the theories of demand, production and cost. Theories of market structure and capital budgeting will also be considered.
The course will have a lecture/discussion format. Students will be evaluated on the basis of two or three midterm examinations, a final examination, and frequent homework assignments. Note: A student cannot receive credit for both ECON 280 and ECON 310.
ECON 300 – Econometrics
4 credits
Gwinn, Lawrence
Prerequisites: ECON 190 and MGT 210 or its equivalent.
Econometrics revolves around constructing and statistically testing economic models. The lectures will focus on discussing methodology in economics and learning the fundamentals of regression analysis. In addition, a large portion of the course will be devoted to research projects in which students use a computer regression package to test economic theory against empirical evidence, analyze economic policies, and forecast economic variables. Writing Intensive.
ECON 310: Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
4 credits
Tiffany, Frederick
Prerequisites: ECON 190 and MATH 120.
Economics 310 is a rigorous examination and extension of the microeconomic principles learned in ECON 190. Formal models of consumer and producer behavior are presented, along with theories of market behavior under assumptions of both perfect and imperfect competition. It is essential that students taking this course have a thorough understanding of ECON 190 and MATH 120. Lecture/discussion format. Grade is based on two midterm exams and a comprehensive final exam.
ECON 391 – Advanced Economic Theory
4 credits
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.
