Economics Newsletter

April, 2008                                                                                                                 Spring Issue

ECN 203, Economic Ideas & Issues

Foundation of modern Western economic thought.  The model economists have built on this foundation as applied to current issues facing individuals and society.  Credit is given for either ECN 203 or ECN 101, 102.

Open to all
ECN 203, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 11747, Prof. Evensky, MWF, 9:30-10:25
ECN 203, Sec. 002, Ref. No. 16992, Prof. Evensky, MWF, 10:35-11:30

Freshmen only register for the associated lab and the section will auto enroll
ECN 203, Sec. 003, Ref. No. 17143, Prof. Dutkowsky, MWF, 12:45-1:40 (Freshmen - Lab required)
            ECN 203, Sec. 004, Ref. No. 17144, M, 8:25-9:20 (Lab)
            ECN 203, Sec. 005, Ref. No. 17145, T, 5:00-5:55 (Lab)
            ECN 203, Sec. 006, Ref. No. 17146, TH, 5:00-5:55 (Lab)

ECN 203, Sec. 007, Ref. No. 17147, Prof. Dutkowsky, MWF, 8:25-9:20 (Freshmen - Lab required)
            ECN 203, Sec. 008, Ref. No. 17148, M, 12:45-1:40 (Lab)
            ECN 203, Sec. 009, Ref. No. 17149, T, 5:00-5:55 (Lab)
            ECN 203, Sec. 010, Ref. No. 17150, TH, 5:00-5:55 (Lab)

ECN 203, Sec. 011, Ref. No. 17151, Prof. O’Connor, TTH, 2:00-3:20 (Freshmen - Lab required)
            ECN 203, Sec. 012, Ref. No. 17152, M, 12:45-1:40 (Lab)
            ECN 203, Sec. 013, Ref. No. 17153, W, 3:45-5:05 (Lab)
            ECN 203, Sec. 014, Ref. No. 17154, T, 5:00-5:55 (Lab)

Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only register for sections 015, 016 or 017
ECN 203, Sec. 015, Ref. No. 17155, Prof. Dutkowsky, MWF, 12:45-1:40 (Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors)
ECN 203, Sec. 016, Ref. No. 17156, Prof. Dutkowsky, MWF, 8:25-9:20 (Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors)
ECN 203, Sec. 017, Ref. No. 17157, Prof. O’Connor, TTH, 2:00-3:20 (Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors)
ECN 203, Sec. 018, Ref. No. 23812, Prof. O’Connor, TTH, 12:30-1:50 (Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors)
ECN 203, Sec. 019, Ref. No. 17181, Prof. Ashby, TTH, 3:30-4:50 (Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors)

ECN 301, Intermediate Microeconomics

Concepts and tools for the analysis of the behavior of consumers and firms, consumption decisions, market structures, and general equilibrium.  Pricing, production, purchasing, and employment policies.  Both ECN 301 and 311 cannot be counted toward the major/minor.  Credit cannot be given for ECN 301 after completing ECN 311. Prereq:  ECN 101 or 203; quantitative skills requirement of the liberal arts core recommended.

ECN 301, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 11775, Prof. Ashby, TTH, 9:30-10:50
ECN 301, Sec. 002, Ref. No. 11776, Prof. Ashby, TTH, 11:00-12:20
ECN 301, Sec. 003, Ref. No. 11777, TBA, WF, 12:45-2:05
ECN 301, Sec. 004, Ref. No. 19024, TBA, MWF, 9:30-10:25

ECN 302, Intermediate Macroeconomics

National product and income concepts, measurements and relationships; interrelationships of the major segments of the national economy; forces affecting the general level of economic activity.  Prereq: ECN 102 or 203; quantitative skills requirement of the liberal arts core recommended. 

ECN 302, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 11778, Prof. Ondrich, TTH, 9:30-10:50
ECN 302, Sec. 002, Ref. No. 11779, TBA, MW, 2:15-3:35
ECN 302, Sec. 003, Ref. No. 13092, TBA, TTH, 5:00-6:20
ECN 302, Sec. 004, Ref. No. 19025, TBA, MWF, 9:30-10:25

ECN 310, Special Topics in Economics

ECN 310, Sec. 001, Economics of Social Issues, Ref. No. 23811,
Professor O’Connor, TTH, 9:30-10:50
Application of the economic tool kit developed in introductory economics classes to current issues facing society. Topics include but are not limited to: market failure (the environment, drugs); price control issues (farm policy, rent control, minimum wage); health issues (health care, Medicare, Medicaid, prescription drugs); and other social issues (poverty, discrimination, social security). Prereq: ECN 203 or permission of instructor.

ECN 311, Intermediate Mathematical Microeconomics

This course covers the same materials as covered in ECN 301, but the presentation is more mathematical than ECN 301.  Both ECN 301 and 311 cannot be counted towards the manor/minor.  Credit cannot be given for ECN 301 after completing ECN 311.  Prereq:  ECN 101 or 203 and MAT 284 or 285 or 295; or permission of instructor.
ECN 311, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 11780, Prof. Iantchev, MW, 12:45-2:05

ECN 355, Economics of Health and Medical Care

Application of economics concepts to the study of health care, especially the U.S. system.  Topics include the nature of the commodity health care, health production functions; market, financing, behavior of providers, public policy, reform proposals.  Prereq:  ECN 101 or 203.
ECN 355, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 17158, Prof. Tussing, MWF, 10:35-11:30

ECN 365, The World Economy

Non-technical introduction to analysis of international economic issues.  Protectionism, the multi-national firm, the debt crisis, international macroeconomic policy coordination, and European integration.  This course may not be used to fulfill the upper division elective requirement for the economics major.  Prereq:  ECN 101, 102 or 203 or ECN 109.
ECN 365, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 23813, Prof. Richardson, MWF, 11:40-12:35

ECN 410, Special Topics in Economics

ECN 410, Sec. 001, Real Estate Economics & Finance, Ref. No. 18573,
Prof. Rosenthal, MW, 12:45-2:05
This course is designed to provide students with an introductory analysis of investment in real estate markets.  The class will consider both land and mortgage markets, as well as a variety of public policies that affect these markets.  The class begins with an analysis of real estate markets, paying special attention to what determines house price movements (including bubbles).  This analysis will establish several principles that we will draw upon in the rest of the course.  Our focus will be primarily on residential properties, but we will also consider commercial real estate. An important segment of the course will analyze mortgage instruments used to finance investments in real estate.  This will include calculating payments streams for different types of mortgages, consideration of how lenders manage interest rate and default risk, and the role of the secondary market for mortgage securities.  The course concludes by examining recent efforts to promote homeownership, especially among lower income families.  Prereq:  ECN 301 and solid math skills are required.  Some calculus may be used in the course, but only infrequently.  Previous course work in finance is not required

ECN 410, Sec. 002, Health Economics, Ref. No. 18989,
Prof. Singleton, MW, 2:15-3:35
 The theme of the course is the utilization of analytic economic tools to examine contemporary health issues. Topics of the course include the government control of unhealthy behavior, markets for health insurance and medical care, social insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the various sectors of the health care industry.  Prereq:  ECN 203.

ECN 410, Sec. 003, Economic Growth, Ref. No. 18996,
Prof. Laing, TTH, 11:00-12:20
This course offers an introduction to the study of economic growth. It will be devoted to the study of models of economic growth, their applications, and the empirical evidence across different countries. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding recent advances in the area: in particular, those pertaining to the nexus between economic growth and the labor market.  Prereq:  ECN 302.

ECN 431, Public Economics

Theory of the public sector.  Government expenditures, revenue, and debt.  Intergovernmental fiscal relations.  Government contributions to stabilization and growth.  Interaction of public and private sectors.  Prereq:  ECN 301 or 311.
ECN 431, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 23818, Prof. Rohlfs, MWF, 10:35-11:30

ECN 451, Labor Economics

Contemporary theories and issues of public policy concerning labor supply and demand, wage determination, disincentive effects of public transfer payments (e.g. welfare) unemployment, human capital, and unions.  Prereq:  ECN 301 or 311.
ECN 451, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 13198, Prof. Kubik, TTH, 11:00-12:20

ECN 465, International Trade Theory and Policy

Economic causes and consequences of international trade.  Models of trade, gains from trade, tariffs, and other controls on trade, and international institutions guiding the trading systems.  Prereq:  ECN 301 or 311.
CN 465, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 17885, TBA, MWF, 10:35-11:30

ECN 495, Economics Honors Thesis

This seminar is open only to Economics Distinction students.  In the fall semester, its goal is to orient students to professional economics research and to guide them as they define and begin their thesis projects.  In the spring semester, thesis writers present their ongoing research, constructively engage the work of other honors students, and work in close cooperation with a faculty mentor to complete their research.  Prereq: Permission of instructor.
ECN 495, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 18758, Prof. Rohlfs, MWF, 9:30-10:25

ECN 500, Topics in Economics & Gender

Economic issues are examined within a gender sensitive context.  Topics related to labor markets, the economics of the family, and the economics of marriage are covered.  No prerequisite.  Crosslisted as WSP 325.
ECN 500, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 18768, Prof. Gensemer, MW, 12:45-2:05

ECN 505, Mathematical Economics

Introduction to use of basic mathematical techniques in economic analysis. 
Prereq:  MAT 284 or 286 or 296 and ECN 301 or 311.
ECN 505, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 18738, Prof. Kelly, TTH, 9:30-10:50

ECN 510, Special Topics in Economics

ECN 510, Sec. 001, Stabilization Growth in Emerging Markets, Ref. No. 16991,
Prof. Brown, TTH, 12:30-1:50
A review of macroeconomic models relevant to developing and transition economies with special attention given to the fiscal, monetary and exchange rate policy tradeoffs under international capital flows.  The course examines short-run macroeconomic management during periods of trade, price and financial liberalization, as well as medium-term issues of stabilization and growth.  Finally, it analyzes the role of political factors in the adoption and abandonment of stabilization and structural adjustment programs in emerging markets.  ECN 302 or 602 is required.  A course in open economy macroeconomics (or international finance) is recommended.  Instructor consent required.

ECN 510, Sec. 003, Economic Development, Ref. No. 23842,
Prof. Afridi, TTH, 2:00-3:20
This course aims to equip students with the economic tools required for analyzing issues currently faced by developing countries across the world. Topics included in the course are poverty, health, credit and labor markets in the less developed world. The objective of the course is also to evaluate existing public policy on these issues. Prereq:  ECN 301 and ECN 302

ECN 521, Economic Statistics

Statistical methods applied to economics.  Conventional descriptive statistics, conceptual and measurement problems peculiar to economics.  Analytical statistics, including time-series analysis, elementary theory of probability and statistical inference, correlation and regression analysis.  Nonparametric methods.  This course is not suitable for students who have taken six credits of statistics to fulfill their quantitative skills requirement.  Prereq:  Completion of liberal arts quantitative skills.
ECN 521, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 11785, Prof. Kelly, TTH, 2:00-3:20
ECN 521, Sec. 002, Ref. No. 17889, Prof. Horrace, MW, 2:15-3:35

ECN 522, Econometric Methods

Statistical procedures.  Problems of estimating parameters in regression models of economic behavior.  Prereq:  ECN 521 or equivalent and ECN 301 or 311; or permission of instructor.
ECN 522, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 18463, Prof. Horrace, MW, 3:45-5:05

ECN 566, International Macroeconomics and Finance

Monetary, fiscal, and regulatory consequences of mushrooming international financial markets including equities, bonds, and other securities, commodity and options contracts, and bank deposits and loans.  Prereq:  ECN 302. 
ECN 566, Sec. 001, Ref. No. 11786, Prof. Brown, TTH, 9:30-10:50.   [Instructor consent required]