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Courses:
Economics |
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ECON E-10a
Principles of Economics
Fall term (10062) (Syllabus or Website) (Print View): Siddiq M. Abdullah, PhD, Professor of Economics, Pine Manor College. Tuesday, Sept. 16, 7:35-9:35 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 201. Optional sections to be arranged. Spring term (22004) (Syllabus or Website) (Print View): Felipe S. Martin, PhD, Lecturer in Economics, Tufts University and University of Massachusetts, Boston. Friday, Feb. 6, 5:30-7:30 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 201. The course deals with basic economic principles that help us understand the process of decision making by individuals and societies. We will analyze the fundamental economic activities of production, distribution, exchange, and consumption both at the micro and macro level. Besides developing an understanding of the functioning of a free market system, we will also critically examine the controversies that surround the use of public policies for the greater common good. Prerequisite: a working knowledge of elementary algebra and geometry. Back to top of page.
ECON E-1010
Microeconomic Theory (10782)
This course presents the basic analytical tools of microeconomics. We will start by looking at the decision-making of individual consumers and ask how these decisions can be optimized, or improved. Next, we will look at the ways firms make and coordinate their decisions under varying market structures, including perfect competition and monopoly. Then we will look at strategic behavior in imperfectly competitive markets, making use of concepts from game theory such as Nash equilibrium. Finally, we will take up topics including bargaining theory, information economics, environmental externalities, and public goods. Prerequisites: ECON E-10a or equivalent and MATH E-8 or satisfactory math placement test score required; MATH E-15 recommended. Back to top of page.
ECON E-1012
Macroeconomic Theory (20061)
This course provides an analysis of the economy in aggregate. We will examine competing theories of national income determination, growth, unemployment, inflation, business cycles (recession and depression), financial markets, and the global economy. Special attention will be paid to policy issues, the evolving debate over the role of government in the modern United States economy, budget deficits, trade deficits, and the changing nature of work in America. Prerequisite: ECON E-10a. Back to top of page.
ECON E-1030
Comparative Economic Systems (12227)
A survey of comparative political economy. The first part of the course consists of an intensive review of the foundational philosophies of economic systems through the reading of primary and secondary sources. From there we shall proceed to a series of national case studies: the USSR/Russia, Sweden, Germany, France, and Japan. Back to top of page.
ECON E-1040
Strategy, Conflict, and Cooperation (21946)
An introduction to the "strategic way of thinking" and a primer on the mathematical theory of games. Students will learn about game theory through a combination of analytical techniques and a series of in-class and take-home exercises. Applications will be drawn from economics and other social sciences. Topics include the prisoner's dilemma and the arms race, the minimax theorem, Nash equilibrium, bargaining, subgame perfection, and the evolution of cooperation. Prerequisite: MATH E-8 or satisfactory math placement test score. Back to top of page.
ECON E-1297
International Economics (21181)
Introduction to foreign trade and international finance theories. Empirical examination of recent developments in the economies of the United States, Europe, and the Pacific region. Discussion of NAFTA, the European Union, WTO, economic reforms, and other contemporary institutional changes. Prerequisite: ECON E-10a or equivalent. Back to top of page.
ECON E-1350
Money, Banking, and the Economy (12269)
An economic analysis of the United States financial system including the major types of financial markets, financial institutions, and financial assets. Special attention is given to the operation of banking firms and the structure and regulation of the United States banking industry. Other topics include the creation of the money supply and the role of the Federal Reserve in conducting monetary policy. The role of money and financial markets in determining the levels of output, employment, and prices will also be discussed. Prerequisite: ECON E-10a or equivalent. Back to top of page.
ECON E-1360
Risk Applied to Economics and Finance (12072)
This course will examine how economists use statistical tools to introduce risk and uncertainty in economic models of consumer choice, firm behavior, and financial decision-making. In one case, the methods are applied to situations where individuals have full information and compared to situations where individuals have asymmetric information. In another case, the methods are applied to static problems and compared to alternative two-period dynamic problems. These methods have wide applicability in economics and finance. Prerequisites: intermediate microeconomics and basic undergraduate statistics. Back to top of page.
See courses listed under Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management. |
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