Economics

Economics analyzes the ways in which resources can be most effectively organized to meet the changing goals of a society. Courses in the department combine theoretical and applied economics as a basis for developing and evaluating alternative public policies for entire economies and for the institutions and organizations within an economy. Department courses give a broad and practical perspective for those considering careers in law, government, business, education, journalism or social service; they also meet the needs of students seeking graduate work in economics, business administration, and public affairs. The basic introductory courses, 110 or 111 or both, are prerequisites to advanced courses; they offer a good foundation for further work in economics, but they have also been designed for students who have not yet selected majors and for those in other majors seeking an introduction to the analysis of economic theory and policies. Note: Either course in the principles sequence, Economics 110 or 111, can be taken first. Independent study (291 or 391) for those with special research interests can be taken with any faculty member.

Requirements for the Economics Major

All economics majors are required to successfully complete 75 credits from:

  • ECON 110
  • ECON 111
  • MATH 111 (or equivalent)
  • STAT 120 (formerly MATH 215) or STAT 250 (formerly MATH 275) or equivalent
  • Three core courses
  • Advanced Seminar, ECON 395
  • ECON 400
  • 24 additional credits in Economics courses numbered 215 or above (this includes 6 credits in ECON 398)
  • Six Talk Credits: As part of the satisfaction of their comps exercise, majors must accumulate six talk credits during their combined junior and senior years by attending department events, including: the Veblen-Clark Lecture, the Lamson Lecture, other scheduled talks by visiting speakers sponsored by the department, and candidate job talks during recruiting years. These talk credits will be tracked by the economics department and will not appear on your transcript.  Note: Attending the Veblen-Clark Lecture or the Lamson Lecture each count for two talk credits. All others count for one talk credit. Juniors may accumulate one talk credit for attending the senior comps poster session. We encourage majors to participate in the numerous activities that take place in the department. 

Mathematics 111 (or equivalent) and Statistics 120 (formerly Mathematics 215) or Statistics 250 (formerly Mathematics 275) or equivalent, are prerequisites for Economics 329 and 331, and Mathematics 111 (or equivalent) is a prerequisite for Economics 330. We strongly encourage prospective majors to complete all mathematics prerequisites no later than the sophomore year. Math courses may be taken on an elective S/Cr/NC basis but we encourage students to take these on a graded basis. Completion of the core sequence is a prerequisite for Advanced Seminars and the integrative exercise and must occur by the end of the junior year. We encourage students to take Economics 329 in their sophomore spring or junior fall terms. All Advanced Seminars (395) are typically offered only in fall term.

Any student intending graduate work in economics should also take Mathematics 120, 210 or 211, 232, 236, 241 and Statistics 250 (formerly Mathematics 275). Courses teaching additional skills such as computer science, advanced rhetoric and analysis of political and social policies are highly recommended.

Economics Courses

ECON 110 Principles of Macroeconomics This course gives students a foundation in the general principles of economics as a basis for effective citizenship and, when combined with 111, as a preparation for all advanced study in economics. Topics include analysis of the measurement, level, and distribution of national income; the concepts of inflation and depression; the role and structure of the banking system; fiscal and monetary stabilization techniques; implications of and limits to economic growth; and international economic relations. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Fall, Winter, Spring; Yingtong Xie, Michael T Hemesath, Victor Almeida, Ethan L Struby
ECON 111 Principles of Microeconomics This course gives the students a foundation in the general principles of economics as a basis for effective citizenship and, when combined with 110, as a preparation for all advanced study in economics. Topics include consumer choice theory; the formation of prices under competition, monopoly, and other market structures; the determination of wages, profits, and income from capital; the distribution of income; and an analysis of policy directed towards problems of public finance, pollution, natural resources, and public goods. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Fall, Winter, Spring; Aaron M Swoboda, Nathan D Grawe, Jonathan M Lafky, Faress F Bhuiyan
ECON 201 Analysis of Microeconomic Development Models This course is the second part of a two-term winter break course sequence beginning with Economics 240. This course will focus on critically analyzing the appropriateness of modern microeconomic development models in the context of Bangladesh. Students exposed to various on-site visits and lectures in Bangladesh during the winter break will be required to research, write, and present their views on the reliability of different model assumptions and implications they studied in Economics 240. Prerequisite: Economics 111 and 240. 6 credits; SI, QRE, WR2, IS; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 205 Race & Inequality: Policing Policies An ongoing important issue that reflects the racial divide in the United States concerns policing practices and their differential impact on racial groups. The recent book Transforming the Police takes an evidence-based approach to examine policing practices, including ways to reduce racial inequality, institute procedural justice, and increase civilian oversight. In this course, we read Transforming the Police for deeper insights into challenges associated with current policing practices and informed opportunities for meaningful reform. There will be a final paper and students will be expected to lead discussions, which form part of the basis for evaluation of their participation. 2 credits; SI; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 221 Cambridge Program: Contemporary British Economy The course focuses on the development of the British economy since the inter-war period. The approach integrates economic and historical analysis to discuss the development of the structure of the British economy, economic policy, and the institutions affecting economic performance. Students majoring in economics, political science, and history are particularly encouraged to apply, but the seminar is open to students of all majors. Prerequisite: Students who have completed Economics 110 and 111 by the end of spring term 2023 are eligible to participate in the seminar. 6 credits; SI, QRE, IS; Summer; Michael T Hemesath
ECON 222 Cambridge Program: The Industrial Revolution in Britain Economic growth only became an expected part of modern life during the Industrial Revolution. This course will explore the origins and implications of the Industrial Revolution in Britain.  Why did this revolution start in Britain?  How did it change life for British citizens, and how did the many changes move beyond Britain?  The course will use readings, lectures and visits to industrial sites and museums in and around Manchester. Students majoring in economics, political science, and history are particularly encouraged to apply, but the seminar is open to students of all majors. Prerequisite: Students who have completed Economics 110 and 111 by the end of spring term 2023 are eligible to participate in the seminar. 6 credits; SI, WR2, QRE, IS; Summer; Michael T Hemesath
ECON 223 Cambridge Program: The Economics of Multinational Enterprises Among the most important economic institutions in the world today are multinational enterprises. This course will explore the theory and practice of MNEs. Lectures and reading will be supplemented with visits to British multinationals. Students majoring in economics, political science, and history are particularly encouraged to apply, but the seminar is open to students of all majors. Prerequisite: Students who have completed Economics 110 and 111 by the end of spring term 2023 are eligible to participate in the seminar. 3 credits; NE, QRE, IS; Summer; Michael T Hemesath
ECON 224 Cambridge Program: J.M. Keynes and the Bloomsbury Group Britain has nurtured some of the most important economists in the world and Cambridge was the intellectual home of the foremost of these, J.M. Keynes. This course will explore the economic theory and social thought of Keynes and the influence of his contemporaries in the Bloomsbury group on post-WWI Britain. Students majoring in economics, political science, and history are particularly encouraged to apply, but the seminar is open to students of all majors. Prerequisite: Students who have completed Economics 110 and 111 by the end of spring term 2023 are eligible to participate in the seminar. 3 credits; S/CR/NC; SI, QRE, IS; Summer; Michael T Hemesath
ECON 230 Politics & Pub Policy in Washington DC Program: Policy Analysis in Washington, DC Students will participate in a seminar centered around meetings with experts in areas of global and domestic politics and policy. Over the course of the term they will collaborate in groups to produce a presentation exploring the economic dimensions of public policy with a focus on identifying the costs and benefits to the various stakeholder groups and the methods economists use to measure those impacts. Prerequisite: Economics 110 or 111 and Statistics 120 or instructor consent. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 233 World Economic History This course surveys world economic history from Paleolithic times to today. It helps students understand the fundamental forces that drive economic growth and living standards. We address questions such as: How did economic systems function during the ancient and medieval periods? What caused the Industrial Revolution, allowing billions of humans to escape the “Malthusian trap”? Why haven’t all countries experienced economic growth?  Finally, what lessons can we learn from the past to help us better understand what the future may hold? The course focuses on long-term trends, but we will also examine short-run cyclical phenomena such as financial crises. Prerequisite: Economics 110 and 111. 6 credits; SI, WR2, IS, QRE; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 240 Microeconomics of Development This course explores household behavior in developing countries. We will cover areas including fertility decisions, health and mortality, investment in education, the intra-household allocation of resources, household structure, and the marriage market. We will also look at the characteristics of land, labor, and credit markets, particularly technology adoption; land tenure and tenancy arrangements; the role of agrarian institutions in the development process; and the impacts of alternative politics and strategies in developing countries. The course complements Economics 241. Prerequisite: Economics 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE, IS; Winter; Faress F Bhuiyan
ECON 241 Growth and Development Why are some countries rich and others poor? What causes countries to grow? This course develops a general framework of economic growth and development to analyze these questions. We will document the empirical differences in growth and development across countries and study some of the theories developed to explain these differences. This course complements Economics 240. Prerequisite: Economics 110. 6 credits; SI, QRE, IS; Spring; Ethan L Struby
ECON 242 Economy of Latin America This course offers an introduction to the economy of Latin America. We will study the region's policies undertaken during its colonial period and its development strategy during the twentieth century. Topics include import substitution industrialization, the 1980s debt crisis, hyperinflation, dollarization, and international trade agreements. Besides these experiences shared by many countries in Latin America, we will also analyze selected country-specific ones such as the Brazilian stabilization plans and the recent Argentine sovereign debt crisis. Prerequisite: Economics 110. 6 credits; SI, IS; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 257 Economics of Gender This course uses economic theory and empirical evidence to examine gender differentials in education, marriage, fertility, earnings, labor market participation, occupational choice, and household work. Trends and patterns in gender-based outcomes will be examined across time, across countries, and within socio-economic groups, using empirical evidence from both historical and recent research. The impact of government and firm policies on gender outcomes will also be examined. By the end of the course, students will be able to utilize the most common economic tools in the study of gender inequality, as well as understand their strengths and weaknesses. Prerequisite: Economics 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Fall; Prathi Seneviratne
ECON 262 The Economics of Sports In recent years, the sports business in the United States has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry. Understanding the sports business from an economic viewpoint is the subject of this course. Topics will include player compensation, revenue-sharing, salary caps, free agency, tournaments, salary discrimination, professional franchise valuation, league competitiveness, college athletics, and the economics of sports stadiums and arenas. Prerequisite: Economics 110 and 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Spring; Mark T Kanazawa
ECON 263 Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Economic Performance Joseph Schumpeter, in lamenting the absence of an accepted theory of entrepreneurship, observed that this gap in economics is much like having Hamlet performed with the Prince of Denmark absent. Much has changed since Schumpeter leveled this criticism. Economics has embraced the contributions of entrepreneurs and provided theoretical models explaining their actions. This course explores the foundations of a microeconomic theory of entrepreneurship, investigating the role of entrepreneurs (and intrapreneurs within large organizations) as agents for change. Case studies of business development provide practical illustrations of ways in which entrepreneurs operate and how their efforts contribute to economic progress. Prerequisite: Economics 110 or 111. 6 credits; SI; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 264 Health Care Economics This course will focus on the economics of medical care and how health care markets and systems work. We will consider both private health insurance markets and publicly provided social health insurance. The changes which demography, technology and the Affordable Health Care Act are bringing to health care delivery will be examined. Some time will be devoted to understanding the health care systems in other countries. This is a discussion course. Prerequisite: Economics 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Fall; Nathan D Grawe
ECON 265 Game Theory and Economic Applications Game theory is the study of purposeful behavior in strategic situations. It serves as a framework for analysis that can be applied to everyday decisions, such as working with a study group and cleaning your room, as well as to a variety of economic issues, including contract negotiations and firms' output decisions. In this class, modern game theoretic tools will be primarily applied to economic situations, but we will also draw on examples from other realms. Prerequisite: Economics 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Spring; Jonathan M Lafky
ECON 267 Behavioral Economics This course introduces experimental economics and behavioral economics as two complementary approaches to understanding economic decision making. We will study the use of controlled experiments to test and critique economic theories, as well as how these theories can be improved by introducing psychologically plausible assumptions to our models. We will read a broad survey of experimental and behavioral results, including risk and time preferences, prospect theory, other-regarding preferences, the design of laboratory and field experiments, and biases in decision making. Prerequisite: Economics 110 and 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Winter; Jonathan M Lafky
ECON 268 Economics of Cost Benefit Analysis Cost-benefit analysis is a tool commonly used by economists and policy makers to compare and choose among competing policy options. This course will cover the basic theory and empirical techniques necessary to quantify and aggregate the impacts of government policy, especially as related to the environment. Topics covered include the time value of money; uncertainty; sensitivity analysis; option value; contingent valuation; hedonic estimation; basic research design. Throughout the course case studies will be used to elucidate and bring life to the theoretical concepts. Prerequisite: Economics 111. Some statistics background will be useful. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 270 Economics of the Public Sector This course provides a theoretical and empirical examination of the government's role in the U.S. economy. Emphasis is placed on policy analysis using the criteria of efficiency and equity. Topics include rationales for government intervention; analysis of alternative public expenditure programs from a partial and/or general equilibrium framework; the incidence of various types of taxes; models of collective choice; cost-benefit analysis; intergovernmental fiscal relations. Prerequisite: Economics 110 and 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE, WR2; Winter; Jenny Bourne
ECON 271 Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment This course focuses on environmental economics, energy economics, and the relationship between them. Economic incentives for pollution abatement, the industrial organization of energy production, optimal depletion rates of energy sources, and the environmental and economic consequences of alternate energy sources are analyzed. Prerequisite: Economics 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Winter; Mark T Kanazawa
ECON 274 Labor Economics Why do some people choose to work and others do not? Why are some people paid higher wages than others? What are the economic benefits of education for the individual and for society? How do government policies, such as subsidized child care, the Earned Income Tax Credit and the income tax influence whether people work and the number of hours they choose to work? These are some of the questions examined in labor economics. This course will focus on the labor supply and human capital decisions of individuals and households. Prerequisite: Economics 110 and 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 275 Law and Economics Legal rules and institutions influence people's behavior. By setting acceptable levels of pollution, structuring guidelines for contract negotiations, deciding who should pay for the costs of an accident, and determining punishment for crimes, courts and legislatures create incentives. How do economic considerations factor into legal rules, and how do laws affect economic output and distribution? In this class, we use court cases, experiments, and current legal controversies to explore such issues. Prerequisite: Economics 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE, WR2; Fall; Jenny Bourne
ECON 276 Money and Banking This course examines the role of money and monetary institutions in determination of income, employment, and prices in the domestic and world economies. It also examines the role of commercial banking and financial markets in a market-based economy. Prerequisite: Economics 110 and 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 277 History and Theory of Financial Crises This course provides a historical perspective on financial crises and highlights their main empirical patterns. This course also introduces economic theories of financial crises, in which leverage, moral hazard, mistaken beliefs, and coordination problems play a central role. We will also discuss some policy instruments used to balance risk exposure, such as deposit insurance, collective action clauses, exchange controls, and foreign reserves. Prerequisite: Economics 110 and 111. 6 credits; SI, IS; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 278 Industrial Organization and Firm Behavior This course analyzes the firm's marketing and pricing problems, its conduct, and the resulting economic performance, given the nature of the demand for its products, its buying markets, the nature of its unit costs, and the structure of its selling markets. Prerequisite: Economics 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 279 Technological Change and the Labor Market This course studies dynamics in domestic labor markets in the context of technological advancements. Topics are centered around the impact of different types of technological change, implications on productivity, and job polarization. To gauge the economy’s structural transformation due to adoption of new technologies, we explore rising levels of employment and income inequality, both from a theoretical and empirical perspective. These core subjects are accompanied by discussions on related phenomena, which shaped modern labor markets, such as immigration and institutional changes in form of unionization and minimum wages. Prerequisite: Economics 110 and Economics 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 280 International Trade A study of international trade theories and their policy implications. Classical and neo-classical trade models, the gains from trade, the terms of trade and the distribution of income, world trade patterns, international factor movements, tariffs, and the impact of commercial policy on developing and developed countries are analyzed. Prerequisite: Economics 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Spring; Prathi Seneviratne
ECON 281 International Finance This course studies theories of the multi-faceted interaction between the balance of international payments and foreign exchange market and the general levels of domestic prices, employment and economic activity. Topics include the balance of payments, foreign exchange markets, adjustment mechanisms in international payments, macroeconomic policies for internal and external balance, and international monetary systems. Prerequisite: Economics 110. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Spring; Victor Almeida
ECON 282 The Theory of Investment Finance This course provides an introduction to the main financial instruments that are used to fund economic activity. We will explore how investment products function and learn how to price a few of them. Attention will be given to the choices investors make, and should make, when allocating portfolios. Topics include bond pricing, stock pricing, option pricing, the mortgage market, hedge funds, private equity, optimal portfolios, defaults, financial intermediary capital, and investors' behavioral biases. Prerequisite: Economics 110 and 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Fall; Yingtong Xie
ECON 283 Corporate Organization and Finance This course investigates decision-making by firms and their managers. Specific topics include tradeoffs in corporate organization, executive compensation, project valuation, the cost of capital under debt and equity financing, and the firm’s optimal capital structure.  Prerequisite: Economics 110 and 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Spring; Yingtong Xie
ECON 293 Race and Inequality This course examines the empirical economics literature surrounding racial inequalities. Readings will be selected by students to reflect the dimensions of inequality of greatest interest but may include: employment, earnings, wealth, education, criminal justice, and family choices. Students will draw on these works in addition to theories of economic justice to develop proposals for just policy reform. Prerequisite: Economics 110 & 111 and Economics 293 Theories of Economic Justice. 2 credits; SI, WR2; Not offered 2022-23
ECON 329 Econometrics This course is an introduction to the statistical methods used by economists to test hypotheses and to study and quantify economic relationships. The course emphasizes both econometric theory and practical application through analysis of economic data sets using statistical software. Prior experience with R is strongly encouraged. Topics include two-variable and multiple regression, interval estimation and hypothesis testing, discrete and continuous structural change, parameter restrictions, model construction, experimental design, issues of functional specification, model overfitting and underfitting, heteroscedasticity, autocorrelation, and multicollinearity. Prerequisite: Economics 110 and 111, Mathematics 111 and either Statistics 120 or Statistics 250 or instructor consent. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Fall, Spring; Mark T Kanazawa
ECON 330 Intermediate Price Theory An analysis of the forces determining relative prices within the framework of production and distribution. This class is normally taken by juniors. Sophomores considering enrolling should speak to the instructor. Prerequisite: Economics 110 and 111 and Mathematics 111. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Fall, Winter; Jenny Bourne
ECON 331 Intermediate Macro Theory Analysis of the forces determining the general level of output, employment, and prices with special emphasis on the role of money and on interest rate determination. This class is normally taken by juniors. Sophomores considering enrolling should speak to the instructor. Prerequisite: Economics 110 and 111, Mathematics 111 and Statistics 120 or Statistics 250 or instructor consent. 6 credits; SI, QRE; Winter, Spring; Ethan L Struby
ECON 395 Advanced Topics in Economics of Inequality This seminar focuses on empirical analysis of topics in the economics of inequality. Specific areas of study depend on student interest and may include: labor markets; earnings gaps across gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, and immigrant status; labor-market discrimination; gender inequality in different countries and regions; immigration and the role of cultural transmission; and family decision-making. Class time is primarily devoted to discussion of peer-reviewed journal articles, theory and application of advanced econometric techniques, and student-led presentations. Prerequisite: Economics 329, 330 and 331 or instructor permission. 6 credits; SI, WR2, QRE, IS; Fall; Prathi Seneviratne
ECON 395 Advanced Topics in Housing Economics This course focuses on the empirical analysis of housing prices, quantities, supply, demand, and related policy. Specific areas of study include: market trends in housing prices over time and space, hedonic analysis of local amenities like schools, parks, or pollution, differential effects of housing policy, segregation, migration, and many others depending on student interests. Class time is a mix of journal article discussion, empirical lab exercises, and other individual and small group activities aimed at helping students write an independent research prospectus. Throughout, we'll pay special attention to issues of research integrity, the open science movement, and causal inference research methods. Prerequisite: Economics 329, 330, and 331, or instructor permission. 6 credits; SI, WR2, QRE; Fall; Aaron M Swoboda
ECON 395 Advanced Topics in Macroeconomics and Finance The seminar will explore contemporary approaches to the analysis of the macroeconomy and financial markets. Topics include tests of canonical, micro-founded models of household, investor, and firm behavior; the analysis of business cycles and the dynamic response of the macroeconomy to exogenous shocks; proximate and fundamental theories of long-run growth across countries; and the design and effects of stabilization policies. Students will also be exposed to empirical methods suited for the causal analysis of cross-sectional, time series, and panel data. Prerequisite: Economics 329, 330 and 331 or instructor permission. 6 credits; SI, WR2; Fall; Victor Almeida
ECON 398 Advanced Research in Economics This course is designed to support majors in developing advanced skills in economic research and communication. Through a combination of class discussion, small group work, and/or one-on-one interactions with the professor, majors learn the process of constructing strong, theoretically-grounded arguments through primary research, secondary research, or both. Students will also learn and practice strategies for engaging critically with contemporary scholarship and effective techniques of peer review and the oral presentation of research. Prerequisite: Economics 395. Requires concurrent registration in Economics 400. 6 credits; S/CR/NC; NE; Fall, Winter, Spring; Ethan L Struby, Aaron M Swoboda, Victor Almeida, Prathi Seneviratne
ECON 400 Integrative Exercise 3 credits; S/NC; Fall, Winter, Spring; Ethan L Struby, Aaron M Swoboda, Victor Almeida, Prathi Seneviratne