Download DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS ECON 12100

Spring 2016
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
By the end of the sophomore year, the prospective major should have completed ECON 12100, Principles of
Macroeconomics, and ECON 12200, Principles of Microeconomics; Mathematics 105, 108 and 243; also WRIT
10600, Academic Writing I, and other required or elective courses. All courses in the Department are open to
non-majors.
ECON 12100-all sections Principles of Macroeconomics LA SS 1b
3 credits
INSTRUCTORS:
Sections 01 & 02: Jennifer Tennant, Muller 419, 4-1041
Sections 03 & 06: Elia Kacapyr, Muller 426, 4-3274
Sections 04: Albert Alexander, Rothschild 123, 4-1579
Sections 05 & 11: Brett Kocher, Muller 418A, 4-5833
Sections 07, 08: Puspa Amri, Muller 421, 4-3421
Sections 09 & 10: Kenny Christianson, Muller 418A, 4-3134
Section 12: Melissa Bauco, Rothschild 123, 4-3033
ENROLLMENT: 33
PREREQUISITES: None.
STUDENTS: Freshman and sophomores from a variety of majors.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is an introduction to economics as a discipline. Graphs are often used to
analyze economic theories and solve problems. Macroeconomics includes the following topics: productionpossibilities frontiers, determination and measurement of national income, business cycles, money and
banking, fiscal and monetary policy, schools of economic thought, taxation, price levels, and applications to
current economic problems.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lectures/discussions. Tutoring available.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Exams (15% each); final (10%).
ECON 12200-all sections Principles of Microeconomics LA SS 1b
3 credits
Sections 01 & 02: Brett Kocher, Muller 418A, 4-5833
Sections 03 & 04: Elizabeth Kaletski, Muller 410, 4-3259
ENROLLMENT: 35
PREREQUISITES: None.
STUDENTS: Generally first year students from all majors with economics and business majors taking the
course as a requirement.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: To introduce students to microeconomics with topics such as determination of price
by supply and demand, theory of consumer demand and utility, analysis of costs and supply, market
structures and industry organization including monopoly, distribution of income, pricing of productive
resources (wages, interest, profits, and rents), international economics, comparative economic systems, and
applications to current economic problems.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lectures and discussions.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Letter grades with pass/fail available for some majors (not
economics) see major advisors for specifics.
ECON 28100-01, 02 Environmental Economics LA SS 1h
3 credits
INSTRUCTOR: Bill Kolberg, Muller 430, 4-3609
ENROLLMENT: 25
PREREQUISITES: ECON 12200.
STUDENTS: Sophomores through seniors; all majors and schools.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The objective of this course is to provide a methodology for examining the underlying
causes for the crisis of the environment, to analyze existing regulatory programs and to explore policy
alternatives. Topics include: stationary source, mobile source, regional and global air pollution; toxic
substances; site preservation; distributional effects of environmental policy, and international aspects of
environmental problems.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture/discussion.
ECON 29901-01 Microeconomic Experiments SS LA
3 credits
INSTRUCTOR: William Kolberg, Muller 430, 4-3609, [email protected]
ENROLLMENT: 30
PREREQUISITES: ECON 12200, Principles of Microeconomics
STUDENTS: Sophomores, juniors, seniors; any major.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: To provide a “real world” arena for applying theory and concepts discussed in
Principles of Microeconomics. Students manage firms in a market composed of class participants. After an
orientation/introduction unit, students will make decisions for their firms three times per week during the
semester. Grades will be based on profits earned and class participation.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Orientation and introduction component will be conducted in classroom as
informal lecture/workshop. The market simulation will be conducted on-line. At the end of the semester,
there will be a final in-class de-briefing session.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: In addition to weekly discussions, students will write up a 5 page lab
report summarizing their experience in the market simulation. Letter grades based on profit rank (75) and
lab report (25).
ECON 30400-01 Economics of Health Care SS
(cross listed with HLTH 30400)
3 credits
INSTRUCTOR: Jennifer Tennant, Muller 419, 4-1041
ENROLLMENT: 25
PREREQUISITES: ECON 12100/12200 and two courses in humanities, social sciences, or business.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will introduce students to the health care delivery and financing system
in the United States. We will use economic analysis to dive into these concepts, as well as current health
policy debates. Topics will include insurance, health care reform in the United States, Medicare, Medicaid,
physician payment arrangements and resulting incentives, global comparative health systems and quality of
care.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lectures and discussions.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Midterm, policy brief, reading responses and final exam.
ECON 31200-01 Economic Development SS LA
3 credits
INSTRUCTOR: Elizabeth Kaletski, Muller 410, 4-3259
ENROLLMENT: 25.
PREREQUISITES: ECON 12100 and ECON 12200 or two additional courses in humanities, social sciences, or
business.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course provides an overview of topics related to the field of development
economics. The general aim is to show how economic analysis has been applied to issues related to
developing countries from both a theoretical and empirical perspective. We will cover topics associated with
income distribution, poverty, health, population growth, education, migration, economic growth, conflict, and
the environment. Policy options will be explored and evaluated based on the present political and economic
climate.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture, group discussion, student presentations.
ECON 32200-01 Monetary Theory and Policy LA SS
3 credits
INSTRUCTOR: Puspa Amri, Muller 421, 4-3421
ENROLLMENT: 25.
PREREQUISITES: ECON 12100-12200; two courses in humanities, social sciences, or business.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is concerned with the evolving theoretical and practical aspects of
monetary policy. Monetary policy can be a powerful tool to stabilize the economy from business cycle
fluctuations, yet “best practices” for monetary policymaking have continuously evolved over time, in light of
the recurrence of recessions and financial crises. This class will cover macroeconomic theories that help
establish core principles of good central banking, as well as the instruments, tools, and policy rules that make
up the central bank toolkit. Special emphasis will be placed on a set of conventional and unconventional
monetary policy instruments in the U.S. which was formulated in response to the 2007-09 Global Financial
Crisis.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture and discussion, centered around journal articles and reports that will be
assigned by the instructor.
COURSE REQUIREMENT AND GRADING: There is no required textbook for this class, but some of the class
material will be drawn from a number of textbooks. Required readings will be provided electronically by the
instructor. Grading will be a weighted average of exams, class presentations, homework assignments, and
article critiques.
ECON 33400-01 Econometrics II LA SS
3 credits
INSTRUCTOR: Elia Kacapyr, Muller 426, 4-3274
ENROLLMENT: 25.
PREREQUISITES: ECON 33300.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Advance topics in econometrics, including problems in regression (multicollinearity,
autocorrelation, heteroscedasticity), tests of linear restrictions, dummy variables, distributed lags and
simultaneous-equation models. Exposure to econometric computer packages.
ECON 34200-01 Macro Analysis LA SS
3 credits
INSTRUCTOR: Shaianne Osterreich, Muller 420, 4-3552
ENROLLMENT: 25.
PREREQUISITES: ECON 12100-12200; two courses in the humanities, social sciences, or business. Not
available to students who have taken ECON 34400.
STUDENTS: Open to all majors.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This intermediate course in macroeconomic theory examines mainstream and
alternative approaches to understanding unemployment, inflation and economic growth. We will cover
theoretical frameworks that seek to explain the role of policy in influencing price stability, business cycles,
interest rates, employment as well as deficits and debt. The course will also cover open-economy macro,
which represents theory that explicitly incorporates the global economy.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture/discussion.
ECON 37200-01 Industrial Organization LA SS
3 credits
INSTRUCTOR: Albert Alexander, Rothschild 123, 4-1579
ENROLLMENT: 25.
PREREQUISITES: ECON 12100-12200; two courses in humanities, social sciences, or business.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Extends and refines the economic theory of the firm to which students are exposed
in economics principles courses. Collecting and analyzing empirical evidence primarily from U.S. industries, it
examines theories concerning the motives of firms, barriers to entry, product differentiation, and
interdependence among firms. It also examines the history of U.S. antitrust policy and regulatory issues.