Economics Department

Course Descriptions

Economics

• ECNS 101S - Economic Way of Thinking

  Credits: 3. Offered autumn and spring.  A critical examination of the market mechanism as a social decision-making device to guide the use of a nation's resources. The limitations of these processes in light of current economic problems such as the rise of the large corporation, monopoly, environmental degradation, economic discrimination and the increasing role of the government.

  Course Attributes:

  • Social Sciences Course

• ECNS 191 - Special Topics

  Credits: 1 TO 6. (R-6) Offered intermittently.  Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

• ECNS 201S - Principles of Microeconomics

  Credits: 3. Offered every term.  The nature of a market economy, economic decisions of the household and firm, competition and monopoly, value and price determination, distribution of income and applied microeconomic topics.

  Course Attributes:

  • Social Sciences Course

• ECNS 202S - Principles of Macroeconomics

  Credits: 3. Offered every term.  Prereq., ECNS 201S.  The determination of the level of national economic activity, inflation, economic instability, the role of money and financial institutions, and selected topics in public economic policy.

  Course Attributes:

  • Social Sciences Course

• ECNS 217X - Issues in Economic Development

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., ECNS 201S. Study of the processes of economic growth and development in the less developed world.

  Course Attributes:

  • Indigenous and Global

• ECNS 301 - Intermediate Micro with Calc

  Credits: 3. Offered spring and  autumn.  Prereq., ECNS 201S and M 162 or equiv. Analysis of consumer behavior, production, factor pricing, externalities and public goods.

• ECNS 302 - Intermediate Macroeconomics

  Credits: 3. Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq., ECNS 202S.   Analysis of national income determination, unemployment, and inflation with emphasis on the role of fiscal and monetary policy.

• ECNS 310 - Intro Health Economics

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently.  Prereq., economics course. Survey of market forces that govern the production and consumption of medical care in the U.S. market; uncertainty, asymmetric information, and concentrations of market power resulting in inefficient outcomes. Topics include cost escalations, role of medical insurance, and problems of an aging population.

• ECNS 312 - Labor Economics

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently.  Prereq., ECNS 201S. Economic analysis of labor markets. Theories of wage determination, discrimination and poverty with implications for manpower policy.

• ECNS 313 - Money and Banking

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently.  Prereq., ECNS 202S. Definition and role of money; banks and other financial institutions as suppliers of money; the federal reserve system as a regulator of money; monetary theories, history, and policy.

• ECNS 320 - Public Finance

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently.  Prereq., ECNS 201S. Rationale for governmental expenditure; public goods; public choice. Analysis of expenditure policy. Intergovernmental relations.

• ECNS 374 - Comparative Economics

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently.  Prereq., ECNS 201S.  Comparative analysis of alternative ideal types of economic organization stressing the assumptions and values used in their critique and defense. Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, Fascism.

• ECNS 391 - Special Topics

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently.  Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

• ECNS 392 - Independent Study

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently.  Prereq., six credits in economics and consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.

• ECNS 398 - Internship

  Credits: 1 TO 6. (R-6) Offered intermittently.  Extended classroom experience that provides practical application of classroom learning during placements within the business community. The student must complete a learning agreement with a faculty member, relating the placement opportunity to his or her field of study. The department will determine the number of credits to be earned for the experience based upon the activities outlined in the learning agreement. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. The department has determined that credit for this course cannot count in the 36 credit minimum requirement for the major. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

  Course Attributes:

  • Internships/Practicums

• ECNS 403 - Introduction to Econometrics

  Credits: 4. Offered autumn.  Prereq., an introductory statistics course.  Quantitative methods in economics with emphasis on regression analysis.

• ECNS 405 - Game Theory

  Credits: 3. Offered every other autumn.  Prereq., ECNS 201S. An introduction to the tools of game theory and how they are applied.  In many real-world economic situations, outcomes are jointly determined where one agent's choices will affect another's welfare, and vice versa.  Game theory provides a method of analyzing these economic situations where decisions are interrelated, and each agent recognizes this fact and thus makes decisions strategically.

• ECNS 406 - Industrial Organization

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently.  Prereq., ECNS 201S.  The theoretical basis for public policy solutions to market power. Emphasis on case studies in matters of antitrust, regulation of public utilities, and public ownership of business enterprises.

• ECNS 431 - International Trade

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., ECNS 201 or consent of instr. International trade: theory, policy, institutions, and issues. Analysis of comparative advantage and trade restrictions, negotiations, and agreements.

• ECNS 433 - Economics of the Environment

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently.  Prereq., ECNS 201S. Outlines a theoretical framework for the analysis of environmental problems, including concepts of market failure and externalities, materials balance and property rights. The policy implications of this analytical model are explored for a range of topics including pollution and the preservation of natural environments and species.  Formally cross-listed with EVST 440.

  Course Attributes:

  • Writing Course-Intermediate

• ECNS 445 - Int Env Econ & Clim Change

  Credits: 3. Offered autumn every other year. Same as CCS 445. Prereq., ECNS 201S. An introduction to the economics of various policy approaches towards climate change and other international environmental issues such as trans-boundary pollution problems, international trade and the environment and pollution haven hypothesis.

• ECNS 450 - Adv. Topics in Economic Dev.

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently.  Prereq., ECNS 201S and ECNS 202S, or consent of instructor.  Advanced treatment of the processes of economic growth and development in the less developed world.

• ECNS 451 - Behavioral and Experimental Economics

  Credits: 3. Prereq., ECNS 201. An overview of experimental economics and behavioral economics. Outlines methods and instruments frequently used in economics experiments. Experimental design and assessment. Risk aversion, prospect theory, preference stability, and altruism.

• ECNS 486 - Economic Research Seminar

  Credits: 1 TO 15. (R-15) Offered intermittently.  Prereq., consent of instr.

• ECNS 488 - Res Meth & Thesis Design

  Credits: 2. Offered autumn.  Prereq., senior standing, economics major. Development of senior thesis proposal; presentation of research topics and methods by economics faculty and seminar participants.

  Course Attributes:

  • Writing Course-Advanced

• ECNS 491 - Special Topics

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently.  Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

• ECNS 492 - Independent Study

  Credits: 1 TO 15. (R-15) Offered intermittently.  Prereq., 12 credits in economics and consent of instr.

• ECNS 494 - Senior Seminar

  Credits: 2. Offered spring.  Prereq., senior standing, economics major. Capstone course for economics majors.  Advanced topics in economic methodology, theory and/or public affairs.

• ECNS 499 - Senior Thesis/Capstone

  Credits: 2. Offered spring. Prereq., senior standing, economics major.  Completion of senior thesis; presentation of results by seminar participants.

  Course Attributes:

  • Writing Course-Advanced

• ECNS 501 - Graduate Research

  Credits: 1 TO 6. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring.  Directed individual research and study appropriate to the back ground and objectives of the student. Level: Graduate

• ECNS 511 - Microeconomic Theory

  Credits: 3. Offered autumn.  Prereq., ECNS 301. Advanced theoretical treatment of consumer and producer behavior. Level: Graduate

• ECNS 513 - Macroeconomic Theory

  Credits: 3. Offered spring.  Prereq., ECNS 302. Advanced theoretical treatment of national income determination, unemployment and inflation. Level: Graduate

• ECNS 560 - Advanced Econometrics

  Credits: 4. Offered spring.  Prereq., ECNS 403. Advanced quantitative methods in econometrics. Coverage of probit-logit regression models, simultaneous equation system, and other specialized techniques. Level: Graduate

• ECNS 569 - Empirical Research Design

  Credits: 1 TO 3. (R-6) Offered every term.  Role and scope of empirical research. Planning and conduct of a research project. Level: Graduate

• ECNS 595 - Special Topics

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently.  Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics. Level: Graduate

  Course Attributes:

  • Internships/Practicums

• ECNS 596 - Independent Study

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student. Level: Graduate

  Course Attributes:

  • Service Learning/Volunteer

• ECNS 598 - Internship

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently.  Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom experience that provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. Level: Graduate

  Course Attributes:

  • Internships/Practicums

• ECNS 599 - Thesis

  Credits: 1 TO 12. (R-9) Offered every term. Preparation of a thesis or manuscript based on research for presentation and/or publication. Level: Graduate