5: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

General Information | Programs and Degrees Offered | Admission Information
Financial Assistance | Graduate Academic Regulations
Requirements for Specific Graduate Degrees | Departments and Programs | Faculty

James Wilson Department of Economics
Course Descriptions | Departmental Degree Requirements

Course Descriptions

ECON 507 - (3) (IR)
British Economic History Since 1850

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Structure, performance and policy in the British economy since 1850, focusing on the causes and consequences of Britain's relative economic decline.

ECON 509 - (3) (Y)
Introduction to Mathematical Economics I

Prerequisites: One semester of calculus plus one additional semester of college mathematics or permission of instructor
Topics in univariate and multivariate calculus and linear algebra. Applications to the theory of economic statics.

ECON 510 - (3) (Y)
Introduction to Mathematical Economics II

Prerequisite: ECON 509 or permission of instructor
Topics in the theories of difference and differential equations and dynamic optimization. Applications to the theory of economic dynamics.

ECON 572 - (3) (Y)
Introductory Econometrics

Prerequisites: ECON 371 or the equivalent and one semester of calculus
Meets concurrently with ECON 372. The application of statistical methods to the testing and estimation of economic relations. Development of the linear regression model including hypothesis testing, specification, instrumental variables, generalized least squares. Introduction to identification and estimation of simultaneous equation models.

ECON 701 - (3) (Y)
Microeconomic Theory I

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor
Theory of consumer and producer choice. Partial equilibrium analysis of competitive and imperfectly competitive markets.

ECON 702 - (3) (Y)
Macroeconomic Theory I

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor
Introduction to macroeconomic theory, with an emphasis on economic growth and the business cycle.

ECON 703 - (3) (Y)
Microeconomic Theory II

Prerequisite: ECON 701 or permission of instructor
General equilibrium analysis, welfare economics, externalities and public goods.

ECON 704 - (3) (Y)
Macroeconomic Theory II

Prerequisite: ECON 702 or permission of instructor
Advanced topics in the theory of money and income.

ECON 771 - (3) (Y)
Econometrics I

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor
Concepts and basic techniques of probability theory and statistical inference.

ECON 772 - (3) (Y)
Econometrics II

Prerequisite: ECON 771 or permission of instructor
Development of the linear and non-linear regression models including hypothesis testing, specification, instrumental variables, generalized least squares, and asymtotic distribution theory. Introduction to identification and estimation of simultaneous equation models.

ECON 791, 792 - (3) (Y)
Guided Study in Economic Theory and Policy

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Selected topics in economics.

ECON 801 - (3) (Y)
Microeconomic Theory III

Prerequisite: ECON 703 or permission of instructor
Advanced topics in microeconomic theory such as uncertainty, imperfect information, imperfect competition, game theory, capital theory and dynamic analysis.

ECON 803 - (3) (Y)
Advanced Economic Theory I

Prerequisite: ECON 703 or permission of instructor
Advanced topics in economic theory. Specific topics vary from year to year. Recent examples are models of Bayesian learning, the economics of uncertainty, and game theory.

ECON 804 - (3) (Y)
Advanced Economic Theory II

Prerequisite: ECON 703 or permission of instructor
Advanced topics in economic theory. Specific topics vary from year to year. Recent examples are models of financial intermediation, endogenous growth, and alternatives to expected utility theory.

ECON 805 - (3) (IR)
American Economic History

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor
Economic evolution of the United States.

ECON 806 - (3) (IR)
Topics in Economic History

Prerequisite: ECON 805 or permission of instructor
Selected topics in economic history.

ECON 811 - (3) (IR)
Foundations of Modern Economic Thought

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor
Development of classical economic thought from Adam Smith to Karl Marx.

ECON 812 - (3) (IR)
Seminar in the History of Thought

Prerequisite: ECON 701 or permission of instructor
Topics in the history of economic thought.

ECON 815 - (3) (Y)
Economics of Labor Markets

Prerequisite: ECON 703 and ECON 772 or permission of instructor
Introduction to labor economics, including economic aspects of employment, wages, schooling, labor unions, and discrimination.

ECON 816 - (3) (Y)
Seminar in Labor Economics and Development

Prerequisites: ECON 815 and ECON 772
Advanced topics in labor economics, with an emphasis on applications to developing countries. Cross-listed with ECON 852.

ECON 817 - (3) (Y)
Industrial Organization I

Prerequisite: ECON 703 or permission of instructor
Industrial structure of the economy and its effects on allocation of resources.

ECON 818 - (3) (Y)
Industrial Organization II

Prerequisite: ECON 817 or permission of instructor
Advanced study of selected problems in industrial organization.

ECON 821 - (3) (Y)
International Trade Theory

Prerequisite: ECON 703 or permission of instructor
The theory of international trade and analysis of the economic effects of tariffs, quotas and other departures from free trade.

ECON 822 - (3) (Y)
International Finance

Prerequisite: ECON 702 or permission of instructor
Balance of payments, long-term and short-term capital movements, the international money market, international monetary standards, international equilibrium and the mechanism of adjustment, exchange variations, and the objectives of international monetary policies.

ECON 831 - (3) (Y)
Public Economics I

Prerequisite: ECON 703 or permission of instructor
Justifications for government activities; principles of program analysis; illustrative theoretical and empirical analyzes of expenditure programs; theories of political processes.

ECON 832 - (3) (Y)
Public Economics II

Prerequisite: ECON 703 or permission of instructor
Foundations of excess burden, incidence analysis, and optimal taxation; studies of taxation; general equilibrium analysis for tax policy; study of tax reform.

ECON 833 - (3) (Y)
Theory of Financial Markets

Prerequisite: ECON 771 or permission of instructor
The theory and operation of financial markets.

ECON 834 - (3) (Y)
Derivative Securities

Prerequisites: ECON 701, 771 or permission of instructor
Theory of the pricing of options and other derivative assets.

ECON 835 - (3) (Y)
Monetary Economics I

Prerequisite: ECON 704 or permission of instructor
Advanced study of selected monetary topics, with an emphasis on theoretical issues.

ECON 836 - (3) (Y)
Monetary Economics II

Prerequisite: ECON 704 or permission of instructor
Advanced study of selected monetary topics, with an emphasis on empirical issues.

ECON 851 - (3) (Y)
Topics in Growth Theory

Prerequisite: ECON 704 or permission of instructor
An empirical and theoretical study of the issues related to economic development, with an emphasis on endogenous growth models. Topics covered include human capital, R & D, learning by doing, fiscal policy, trade, and financial development.

ECON 852 - (3) (Y)
Economics of Underdeveloped Areas

Cross-listed as ECON 816.

ECON 871 - (3) (Y)
Cross Section Econometrics

Prerequisite: ECON 772 or permission of instructor
Econometric tools for the analyzes of cross-section and qualitative data.

ECON 872 - (3) (Y)
Time Series Econometrics

Prerequisite: ECON 772 or permission of instructor
Econometric techniques for the analysis of economic time series.

ECON 882 - (3) (Y)
Experimental Economics

Prerequisite: ECON 701 or permission of instructor
The use of laboratory methods to study economic behavior. Experimental design, laboratory technique, and nonparametric analysis of data. Emphasis on using controlled observations to evaluate alternative economic theories and policies. Applications include: bargaining, auctions, oligopoly, asymmetric information, voting, public goods, financial markets, and tests of expected utility and game theories.

ECON 891 - (3) (Y)
Applied Microeconomics Workshop

Prerequisite: Third-year status or permission of instructor
Current research in applied microeconomics.

ECON 892 - (3) (Y)
Macroeconomics Workshop

Prerequisites: Third-year status or permission of instructor
Current research in macroeconomics.

ECON 893 - (3) (Y)
Economic Theory Workshop

Prerequisite: Third-year status or permission of instructor
Current research in economic theory.

ECON 894 - (3) (Y)
International Trade and Development Workshop

Prerequisite: Third-year status or permission of instructor
Current research in finance.

ECON 895 - (3) (Y)
Public Economics Workshop

Prerequisite: Third-year status or permission of instructor
Current research in public economics.

ECON 896 - (3) (Y)
Econometrics Workshop

Prerequisite: Third-year status or permission of instructor
Current research in econometrics.

ECON 897 - (1-12) (S-SS)
Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Research

For master's research, taken before a thesis director has been selected.

ECON 898 - (1-12) (S-SS)
Non-Topical Research

For master's thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director.

ECON 995 - (3) (SI)
Selected Research Problems in Economics I

Advanced research into specific economic problems under detailed faculty supervision.

ECON 996 - (3) (SI)
Selected Research Problems in Economics II

Continuation of ECON 995.

ECON 997 - (1-12) (S-SS)
Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Doctoral Research

For doctoral research, to be taken only in the first semester after passing a field exam, and before a dissertation director has been selected.

ECON 998 - (1-12) (S-SS)
Non-Topical Research

For doctoral research, taken under the supervision of the second reader or prospective second reader.

ECON 999 - (1-12) (S-SS)
Non-Topical Research

For doctoral dissertation, taken under the supervision of the first reader or prospective first reader.


Continue to: Departmental Degree Requirements
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