Description of Courses
 

Undergraduate Courses

ECO 1311
Principles of Microeconomics:  Consumers, Firms, and Markets
ECO 4396 
Business and Economic Forecasting Internship
ECO 1312
Principles of Macroeconomics:  Inflation, Recession and Unemployment
ECO 4397
Law and Economics Internship
ECO 2320
Introduction to Public Policy
ECO 4398 
Departmental Distinction in Economics
ECO 3301
Price Theory (Intermediate Microeconomics)
ECO 4399 
Research/Reading Seminar in Economics
ECO 3302 
Intermediate Macroeconomics: National Income and Employment
ECO 5337
Urban Economics
ECO 3321
International Economic Policy
ECO 5340
Decision Making Under Uncertainty
ECO 3355 
Money and Banking
ECO 5341
Strategic Behavior
ECO 4351
Labor Economics
ECO 5350
Introductory Econometrics
ECO 4357
International Trade
ECO 5353 
Law and Economics
ECO 4358
International Macroeconomic Theory and Policy

ECO 5355

Political Economics

ECO 4361

Economics of Education

ECO 5357 
Economics of Human Resources
ECO 4366 
Economics of the Public Sector

ECO 5359

Economic Development: Microeconomic Perspectives

ECO 4368
Introduction to Financial Economics
ECO 5360
Economic Development: Macroeconomic Perspectives
ECO 4371
Theory of Industrial Structure
ECO 5361 
Natural Resources and Energy Economics
ECO 4378 
Financial Economics and Investment Behavior
ECO 5362
Economic Growth
ECO 4382 
Economics of Regulated Industries
ECO 5365 
Public Finance
ECO 4385
Macroeconomics: Theory and Policy
ECO 5370 
Cost-Benefit Analysis
ECO 4386
Topics in Monetary Economics
ECO 5375 
Economic and Business Forecasting
ECO 4390
Independent Study in Economics
ECO 5385
Data Mining
ECO 4395
Economics Internship

ECO 5390

Mathematical Finance: Theory and Application

  ECO 6352 
Applied Econometric Analysis


ECO 1311 — Principles: Consumers, Firms, and Markets (Principles of Microeconomics)

The course focuses on the individual participants in the economy: producers, workers, employers, and consumers.  In everyday economic life, goods are bought and sold, people decide where and how many hours to work.  Business managers decide what to produce and how this production is to be organized.  These activities result in transactions that take place in markets where buyers and sellers come together.  People involved in microeconomic transactions are motivated to do the best they can for themselves with the limited resources at their disposal, using marginal analysis to determine their best course of action.

            Prerequisite None

Topics
            Demand and Supply
            Preferences and Constraints in Consumer Behavior
            Effects of Changes in Income and Price
            Theory of Production
            Theory of Cost
            Price in Perfectly Competitive Markets
            Price Under Monopoly
            Imperfect Competition

            Factor Markets

 

ECO 1312 — Principles: Inflation, Recession and Unemployment

(Principles of Macroeconomics)

This course studies the production of the entire economy, dealing with such issues as the general price level, the national employment rate, government spending, and the nation's money supply.  Important to these issues is the definition and measurement of macroeconomic aggregates such as gross domestic product (GDP), the consumer price index (CPI), the unemployment rate, and the government surplus and deficit.  These measures are called aggregates because they add together individual microeconomic components.  The course looks at the determinants of inflation and the relationship between inflation and other factors, including interest rates, the money supply, and unemployment.

Prerequisite ECO 1311

Topics
            Measuring Domestic Income and Domestic Product
            Money and Prices
            Commercial Banking and the Federal Reserve
            Keynesian Economics
            Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply
            Inflation
            Stabilization Policy
            Economic Growth


ECO 2320 — Introduction to Public Policy

This course presents the institutions and processes by which governments make public policy and examines the substances and impact of public policy in such areas as international political economy and domestic social policy.

Prerequisites ECO 1311 and PLSC 1320

Note This course is designed primarily for Public Policy majors. The course cannot count toward the advanced economics requirement for Economics majors.

Recommended ECO 1312 and either PLSC 1340 or PLSC 1380

Topics
            Policy-Making Structures and Processes
            Rationality and Its Limits
            Assessing Public Policy: Analytics, Ethics and Politics
            Welfare State
            K-12 Educational Governance


ECO 3301 — Price Theory (Intermediate Microeconomics)

This course considers more advanced problems in microeconomics.  The focus is on understanding how consumers behave, how firms make pricing and output decisions, and the structure of markets and how this impacts the behavior of firms and consumers.  Economic theory postulates certain behavioral rules for consumers and firm managers, and makes certain assumptions concerning the institutional structure of society (its laws, property rights, customs, etc.).  Various testable propositions can be derived from the operation of the society's economic system.  These propositions are investigated by working through actual models.

Prerequisites ECO 1311 and 1312

Topics
            Supply and Demand Analysis
            Total, Average, and Marginal Magnitudes
            Utility and Preference
            Consumption and Demand
            Theory of the Firm
            Competitive Supply
            Monopoly
            Oligopoly
            Factor Demand and Supply
            Intertemporal Choice

ECO 3302 — National Income and Employment (Intermediate Macroeconomics)

This course is designed to investigate the factors that influence the level of aggregate income in an economy.  It attempts to study the decision-making that ultimately results in the determination of the levels of consumption, investment, or employment.  For the most part, primitive general equilibrium models are employed to investigate these questions, as well as to analyze the impact of various government fiscal policies.  The behavior of business cycles and patterns across various countries is also analyzed.

Prerequisites ECO 1311 and 1312

Recommended ECO 3301

Topics
            Determinants of National Income
            Determinants of Consumption Spending
            Interest Rates and Credit Markets
            Investment
            Government Spending
            Business Cycles
            Growth
            Employment

ECO 3321 — International Economic Policy

This course will examine the facts and theories of both international trade and finance.  Emphasis is placed on developing a framework useful for analyzing current issues such as the U.S. Trade Deficit, policies toward multinational firms, harmonization of fiscal and monetary policies among a set of countries (such as the European Union and NAFTA), and the importance of global patent protection for economic growth.

Prerequisites ECO 1311 and 1312

Note This course is designed primarily for International Studies and Public Policy majors. Economics majors should take ECO 4357 – International Trade instead. In any case, ECO 3321 cannot be taken after or concurrent with ECO 4357

Topics
            Stylized Facts of International Commerce
            Theories of Trade — Comparative Advantage, Economies of Scale, and Imperfect Competition
            Theory of Commercial Policy
            Motives for Protection and Strategic Trade Theory
            Economic Integration
            The Balance of Payments: The Current Account and the Capital Account
            Exchange Rate Determination
            The International Monetary System

ECO 3355 — Money and Banking

Monetary policy is an important dimension of the federal government.  To fully understand monetary policy, knowledge of the financial system first must be acquired.  This course seeks to explain the nature of money: What is it, what purposes does it serve, and how is it measured?  Attention also is paid to the banking system, its historical origins, the nature of banking as a business, and why banking is so heavily regulated. The creation of money by banks is examined as well as the role of central banking and its effect on monetary policy.  The fundamentals of exchange rate determination and the international finance system are also examined.

Prerequisites ECO 1311 and 1312

Topics
            Functions of Money
            Fundamentals of Interest Rates
            Financial Institutions
            Banking Industry
            The Money Supply Process
            Central Banking
            International Finance
            Monetary Theory

ECO 4351 — Labor Economics

This course is an introduction to the study of labor economics.  It provides an overview of labor supply and labor demand models, with extensions to models of taxes and tax credits, welfare, and social security.   The focus then shifts to models of wage determination and extensions such as the effects of minimum wage, performance-based pay, unions, and discrimination.  The course will be equally devoted to both theoretical and empirical analysis of these issues.

Prerequisite ECO 3301

Topics
            Labor Supply and Demand
            Wage Determination
            Unions and Strikes
            Discrimination

ECO 4357 — International Trade

The purpose of this course is to provide an understanding of international trade in goods and services among countries and to develop a framework for analyzing trade policy issues.  Major topics covered include the determinants of trade; the gains from trade; the relation between trade and foreign direct investment; trade and labor migration; the effects of trade restrictions such as import tariffs or export subsidies; and the analysis of regional economic integration such as the European Union or NAFTA.  The course covers only the real effects of trade; international financial issues will not be treated.

Prerequisite ECO 3301

Topics
            Trade Models Based on Differences in Production Technologies
            Trade Models Based on Differences in Factor Endowments
            Trade Models Based on Economies of Scale
            Trade and Foreign Direct Investment
            Trade and Labor Migration
            Analysis of Selected Trade Restraints and Subsidies
            Economic Integration
            Strategic Trade Policy

ECO 4358 — International Macroeconomic Theory and Policy

This course examines the monetary aspects of international economics.  Implications of contemporary banking and foreign exchange practices are explored, as are interpretations given to changes in the structure of a nation's balance of payments.  Central attention is given to the macroeconomic interactions among national economies and international systematic adjustments expected from market disturbances and shifting government policies.  Students will evaluate the operation of the international monetary system from the gold-standard period to the present.

Prerequisites ECO 3301 and 3302

Topics
            Foreign Exchange and International Banking
            Balance of Payments Adjustments Under Fixed and Flexible Exchange Rates
            Problems and Prospects of the International Monetary System

ECO 4361 - Economics of Education

An economics analysis of the state of the U.S. educational system.

            Prerequisite ECO 3301 Intermediate Microeconomics or an equivalent course.

             Topics

             Trends in Academic achievement

             Educational Production Functions

             Teacher Labor Markets

             Educational Reforms

 

ECO 4366 — Economics of the Public Sector

This course discusses both the positive and normative aspects of government expenditures.  The focus is on theoretical principles useful for analyzing the role of government intervention.  Problems of market failures due to externalities and the presence of public goods (like national defense) serve as the starting point for explaining why government spending occurs.  The free-rider problem and incentive mechanisms for preference revelation will be covered.  A brief survey of voting and social choice models is presented.  Specific government expenditure policies are explored.  These topics may vary from year to year.

Prerequisite ECO 3301

Topics
            Welfare Economics of Perfectly Competitive Markets
            Market Failures
            Social Choice and Voting Theory
            Preference Revelation Mechanisms
            Government Expenditures
            Income Redistribution Policies
            Social Insurance, e.g., Social Security
            Health Care Policies
            Education Policies

ECO 4368 (formerly ECO 3368)— Foundations of Financial Economics

This course applies the tools of economic analysis to financial decision-making.  Emphasis is placed on developing a framework for understanding the economic nature of these problems and their solutions.

Prerequisites ECO 3301, ECO 3355, ACCT 2311, ITOM 2305 or STAT 2301 (ECO 4368 cannot be taken if student has taken FINA 3320.)

Topics
            Introduction to Financial Economics
            Time Value of Money
            Investment Decisions
            Risk and Return, Capital Asset Pricing Model
            Capital Budgeting
            Capital Structure
            Dividend Policy
            Hedging
            Mergers and Acquisitions
            International Financial Management

ECO 4371 — Theory of Industrial Structure

This course focuses on the structure (internal organization) and behavior (market strategy) of firms in the marketplace.  Firm structure and behavior are worth studying, since most real markets violate the standard of competitive assumptions and, therefore, may not maximize social welfare.  The course considers both the exercise of market power (e.g., price discrimination) in relatively simple markets with a single firm as well as the more complicated exercise of market power (e.g., limit pricing, product differentiation, vertical foreclosure) in markets with multiple firms.  Particular attention is paid to such policy-relevant issues as the relationship between market concentration and market power and the relationship between “meeting the competition” and predatory pricing.

Prerequisite ECO 3301

Topics
            Monopoly and Competition
            Oligopoly
            Advertising and Product Differentiation
            Economies of Scale and Entry Barriers
            Price Discrimination and Other Pricing Practices

ECO 4378 — Financial Economics and Investment Behavior

The objective of this course is to give the student a theoretical basis for financial analysis within the context of the total process of investment decision-making.  Theoretical foundations will be developed for the analysis of equities and bonds as well as portfolio performance.

Prerequisites ECO 3301, ECO 4368 or FINA 3320 or permission of instructor (ECO 4378 cannot be taken if student has taken FINA 4320 or 4326.)

Topics
            Risk and Return
            Portfolio Theory
            Asset Pricing Models
            Market Efficiency
            Bonds
            Equities
            Options
            Futures

ECO 4382 — Economics of Regulated Industries

The existence of government regulation of business prompts economists to ask both why such regulations exist and what impact they have on firms’ behavior, market structure (in particular, firms’ market shares) and social welfare.  The parallel goals of the course are to provide (1) a solid analytical foundation for investigating the above questions and (2) a thorough and detailed description of the most important government regulations (including antitrust, product quality, and patent laws).

Prerequisite ECO 3301

Topics
            Natural Monopoly and the Regulation of Utilities
            Price Controls
            Regulating Transportation
            Regulating Communication
            Consumer Safety Regulations
            Regulatory Behavior
            The Antitrust Laws

ECO 4385 — Macroeconomics: Theory and Policy

The purpose of the course is to take students beyond the traditional macroeconomics course.  Among the topics examined are new developments in the analysis of business cycles, the causes and consequences of inflation, and the sources of economic growth.  Special emphasis is placed on “taking theory to the data,” so that students begin to see more clearly how to evaluate current macroeconomic theories and controversies.

Prerequisites ECO 3301 and 3302

Topics
            Business Cycle Models and Facts
            Inflation and Unemployment
            Understanding Economic Growth
            Assets Markets, Financial Institutions, and Macroeconomic Performance  
            Fiscal and Monetary Policy

ECO 4386 — Topics in Monetary Economics

Monetary economics is one of the largest fields in economics.  Rather than provide extensive coverage touching on a large number of topics, this course will provide students who have had intermediate macroeconomics with a course where fewer topics in monetary economics are covered intensively at a more advanced level.  The course will take an in-depth look at selected topics of current interest in the field of monetary theory and policy.  The topics covered vary from year to year.

Prerequisites ECO 3301 and 3302

Topics
            Nature of Money
            Money in Macroeconomic Models
            Financial Institutions
            Models of Money Supply
            Monetary Policy
            Monetarism:  Old and New
            The Transmission Mechanism
            Portfolio Choice
            Overlapping Generations and Monetary Policy

ECO 4390 — Independent Study in Economics

By arrangement with faculty sponsor and departmental Director of Undergraduate Studies. Eligible students must complete a 15- to 20-page paper under the supervision of the faculty sponsor and give an oral presentation of the paper to the faculty sponsor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies at the end of the term. Note: This course can only be taken once!

Prerequisites 2.5 G.P.A. in economics classes and completion of those classes appropriate for the project. Student must find a faculty sponsor prior to enrollment.

 

ECO 4395 — Economics Internship

By arrangement with faculty sponsor and departmental Director of Undergraduate Studies. Eligible students will perform an economic analysis of a particular economic problem appropriate to the interning firm or organization. The project must be approved by the student, the faculty sponsor, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and the interning firm or organization prior to term registration. In addition, the student must complete a 15- to 20 page paper under the supervision of the faculty sponsor and give an oral presentation of the paper to the faculty sponsor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies at the end of the term. Note: This course can only be taken once!

Prerequisites 3.0 G.P.A. in economics classes and completion of those classes appropriate for the project. Student must find a faculty sponsor and an interning firm or organization prior to enrollment.

 

ECO 4396 — Business and Economic Forecasting Internship

Similar to 4395 but with focus on the econometric analysis of a particular empirical issue appropriate to the interning firm or organization.

Prerequisites 3.0 G.P.A. in economics classes and completion of ECO 5350 and ECO 5375. Student must find a faculty sponsor and an interning firm or organization prior to enrollment.

ECO 4397 — Law and Economics Internship

Similar to 4395 but with focus on the economic and legal analysis of a particular issue appropriate to the interning firm or organization.

Prerequisite 3.0 G.P.A. in economics classes and completion of those classes appropriate for the project. Student must find a faculty sponsor and an interning firm or organization prior to enrollment.

ECO 4398 — Departmental Distinction in Economics

By arrangement with departmental Director of Undergraduate Studies. Eligible students must complete a 20- to 25-page research paper under the supervision of the faculty sponsor and present the results of their research before a faculty committee at the end of the term. Note: This course can only be taken once!

Prerequisites 3.7 G.P.A. in economics classes and 3.5 G.P.A. overall. Student must find a faculty sponsor prior to enrollment.

ECO 4399 — Research/Reading Seminar in Economics

The research/reading seminar is designed for honors students and other exceptional undergraduate students at the junior or senior level who would like to investigate a select number of topics in economics in great depth. Under the guidance of a faculty member, the students will read a number of professional journal articles and books in economics and discuss the assigned readings in a seminar format. Note: This course can only be taken once!

Prerequisites 3.5 G.P.A. in economics classes (or related major) and 3.0 G.P.A. overall, or permission of instructor

 

Please contact the Advising Office, 301D Umphrey Lee, for an application to enroll in ECO 4390, 4395, 4396, 4397, 4398 and 4399.

ECO 5337 — Urban Economics

This course applies economic concepts to an understanding of urban form, urban growth, trends in size and structure of urban areas, and the predominant urban public issues of transportation, housing, land-use planning, and environmental controls.  This course provides an opportunity to study particular topics in depth.

Prerequisite ECO 3301

Topics
            Definition and History of the Urban Spatial Structure
            Theoretical Urban Models
            Public Issues:
                        Zoning
                        Transportation
                        Housing
                        Environmental Quality

ECO 5340 — Decision Making Under Uncertainty

This course examines how uncertainty affects decision making. Lack of full information makes any decision risky in the sense that a given decision may lead to any one of several possible outcomes.  For example, a gambler may want to choose the winning team in a sports contest, knowing that his or her chosen team (the decision) may win (one outcome) or lose (another outcome).  Similarly, an entrepreneur may want to choose that output level which maximizes profits but, under conditions of risk, each possible output decision may yield several different possible profit outcomes.  In particular, if the entrepreneur is uncertain about consumer demand for the product, then the market price and the entrepreneur’s profit will also be uncertain.

Prerequisites ECO 3302, STAT 2301 or ITOM 2305

Topics 
            Risk and Utility Theory
            Portfolio Analysis
            Insurance and Lotteries
            The Firm Under Uncertainty
            Game Theory
            Factor Adjustment

ECO 5341 — Strategic Behavior

This course introduces the basic concepts and tools of game theory, with applications to various areas of economics.  In particular, we study how individuals and firms behave when they are well aware that their decisions affect the behavior of others.  The areas of application are numerous and diverse: technology adoption, bargaining between labor unions and management, insurance, welfare policies, optimal pricing and location, division of an estate, strategy on the battlefield, etc.  The various topics are unified by the techniques employed for determining the outcome in particular situations.

Prerequisite ECO 3301

Topics
            Theory
                        Nash Equilibrium
                        Subgame Perfection
                        Pure and Mixed Strategies Applications
                        Commercial Policy
                        International Relations
                        Mergers and Acquisitions
                        Research and Development

ECO 5350 — Introductory Econometrics

This course is designed to present the basic concepts of econometrics and, in particular, regression analysis.  It will provide students with the skills and insight necessary for conducting their own regression analysis in general.  The emphasis of the course is on the application of regression analysis to inference and hypothesis testing.  The topics are geared to first-time regression users.  However, the course goes beyond the rudimentary mechanics of regression analysis.  It covers the consequences for inference and hypothesis testing of making various kinds of specification errors.

Prerequisites STAT 2301 or 4340 or ITOM 2305, MATH 1309 or 1337, and ECO 3301 or permission of instructor

Topics
            Review of Basic Statistical Concepts
            Classical Linear Regression Model (CLRM)
            Violations of Assumptions of CLRM and What to Do About Them
            Applications and Utilization of Computer Programs

ECO 5353 — Law and Economics

Dick's advice in Henry VI, “Let us first kill all the lawyers,” is well taken, but impractical.  For better or for worse, laws and lawyers are becoming more and more important in defining how we live and how our economy operates.  Law and Economics is a course designed to apply the tools of economic analysis to legal questions.  The primary purpose of this course is to examine economic theories that explain the development of common law and constitutional law.  Secondly, the course will look at the economic implication of certain laws, particularly laws regulating contracts, antitrust laws and liability rules.

Prerequisite ECO 3301

Topics
            An Economic Theory of Constitutions
            The Efficiency of the Common Law
            Property Rights and the Law
            Laws Regulating Competition
            Torts and the Structure of Liability

ECO 5355 — Political Economics

This course is a study of both methods and applications of political economics models via theoretical and empirical investigation of various topics with emphasis on asymmetric information, income redistribution and fairness, federalism and formation of institutions, and strategic behavior of special interest groups.

             Prerequisite ECO 3301

             Topics

              Taxation and Redistribution

              Federalism and the size of the countries

              Interest groups

            

ECO 5357 — Economics of Human Resources

This course examines several topics of interest to modern labor economists: individual labor supply and time allocation, human capital investments and the return to education, unemployment, job search, minimum wage, children and marriage, inequality, income mobility and immigration (both legal and illegal).  The course will be equally devoted to theoretical modeling and interpreting empirical evidence, and to the analysis of policies such as subsidizing education, unemployment insurance, minimum wage, and restricting immigration.

 

Prerequisite ECO 3301

Recommended ECO 4351

Topics
Labor Supply
Human Capital
Returns to Education
Unemployment
Job Search
Inequality and Income Mobility
Intergenerational Mobility
Household Production
Children and Marriage
Immigration

ECO 5359 — Economic Development: Microeconomic Perspectives

A Microeconomic examination of the economics issues faced by developing countries.

           Prerequisite ECO 3301 Intermediate Microeconomics or an equivalent course.

           {Note: Students who have taken ECO 5360 prior to Fall 2007, will not receive credit for

                     this course.}

            Topics

             Intrahousehold resource allocation

             Rural and urban labor markets

             Migration

             Credit and Insurance markets

ECO 5360 —Economic Development: Macroeconomic Perspectives

A Macroeconomic examination of the economic issues faced by developing countries.

Prerequisites ECO 3301 and 3302, or permission of instructor

Topics
            Population Growth
            National Savings
            Capital Accumulation
            Human Capital Formation
            Government Institutions
            International Integration
           

ECO 5361 — Natural Resources and Energy Economics

This course is designed to develop an understanding of the economics of energy and natural resource use and policy.  The course will cover natural resource supply and demand, the economics of renewable and non-renewable resource usage, sustainable economic growth, the environmental effects of natural energy conservation, energy security and the (de)regulation of U.S. electricity and natural gas markets.

Prerequisites ECO 3301 and 3302

Recommended Math 1309 or 1337

Topics
            Introduction:  Why Energy and Natural Resource Economics?
            Fundamental Tools for Natural Resource Economics
            Nonrenewable Natural Resources
            Resource Scarcity and Economic Growth
            Natural Resource Use and Environment
            Fundamentals of the Energy Market
            OPEC and the World Oil Market
            Energy and the Environment
            Energy Prices, Economic Performance and Inflation
            Energy and Natural Resource Conservation
            (De)Regulation of Energy and Natural Resources

ECO 5362 — Economic Growth

This course examines the facts and theories of economic growth, the economics of technological changes, and the role of governments and markets in promoting or impeding economic development.

Prerequisites ECO 3301 and 3302

Topics
            Introduction – Some Stylized Facts
            Older Models of Economic Growth
            The New Growth Theory
            Empirics
            Technological Change and R&D
            Human Capital Investment
            Role of Institutions
            Population and Natural Resources

ECO 5365 — Public Finance

This course begins by developing the principles to be used when evaluating a tax.  This framework includes efficiency and equity considerations, incentive effects, tax incidence, and dead weight loss.  These concepts are used to evaluate specific revenue sources such as taxes on personal income, corporate income, payroll, and value-added.  A theoretical analysis of intergovernmental transfers will be completed and used to evaluate the structure of fiscal federalism in the United States.

Prerequisite ECO 3301

Recommended ECO 3302

Topics
            Principles of Taxation:
                        Efficiency
                        Incidence
                        Incentive Effects
            Specific Revenue Sources:
                        Personal Income Tax
                        Corporate Income Tax
                        Payroll Tax
                        Excise Taxes
            Fiscal Federalism: Theory and Practice

ECO 5370 — Cost-Benefit Analysis

Individual economic decisions coordinated through a fully functioning set of competitive markets guarantee an efficient outcome.  However, in a large number of instances markets may fail to operate satisfactorily, requiring the government to intercede to promote efficiency and/or equity.  This course introduces the students to the tools for evaluating alternative methods of government intervention. In particular, it develops a framework for evaluating costs and benefits of economic projects from the government's point of view.

Prerequisite ECO 3301 or graduate standing

Topics
            Economic Efficiency and Market Failure
            Voting Paradoxes and Social Welfare
            Elements of Cost-Benefit Analysis
            Project Evaluation over Time
            Linear Programming: The Concept of Shadow Prices
            Shadow Prices of Time, Labor, Capital, and Foreign Exchanges
            Uncertainty and Project Evaluation

ECO 5375 — Economic and Business Forecasting

This course presents methods used by economists to forecast economic and business trends.  Statistical procedures for evaluating the usefulness of these methods are also discussed.  Illustrative examples include forecasting GNP, interest rates, and unemployment.

Prerequisite STAT 2301 or ITOM 2305 or equivalent

Topics
            Objectives and Methods of Forecasting
            Leading, Lagging, and Coincident Economic Indicators
            A Method for Validating Proposed Leading Indicators
            Box-Jenkins Time-Series Models and Forecasting
            Econometric Models which Implement Leading Indicators
            Combination Forecasting


ECO 5385 — Data Mining Techniques for Economists

A study of data mining techniques used by economists in the fields of applied economics, marketing and finance. These techniques include classification methods, affinity analysis, and data reduction and exploration methods.

Prerequisite Eco 5350 or ECO 5375 or equivalent

Topics

Target marketing

Credit scoring

Customer segmentation

Market basket analysis

Fraud detection


ECO 5390 — Mathematical Finance: Theory and Applications

A study of selected topics in Finance (such as Capital Asset Pricing, Options and their Valuation, Analytics of Credit Derivatives) that combines theory with actual applications in the financial profession.

Prerequisite  ECO 5350 Introductory Econometrics or an equivalent course, ECO 4378     Financial Economics ( Or FINA 4326), ECO 4368 Introduction to Financial Economics (Or FINA 4325)

Topics

Capital Asset Pricing Model

Options

Models of Bond Default, Analytics of Credit Ratings

Interest Rate Models and Interest Rate Derivatives

Optimal Portfolio Hedging

Value at Risk Analysis

 
ECO 6352 — Applied Econometric Analysis

This course is an extension of ECO 5350. It deals with statistical techniques that go beyond multiple regression analysis such as unit root testing, VAR modeling, innovation accounting, ARCH and GARCH analysis, logit and probit models, and count data, among other topics. The emphasis in this course is on extensive computer analysis or current economic topics using advanced econometric techniques.

            Prerequisite ECO 5350 or permission of instructor

Note Undergraduate students taking this course must go to the Undergraduate Advising Office (301D LEE) to request that this course be counted toward their undergraduate degree

Topics
            Modern Time Series Analysis
            Analysis of Qualitative Dependent Variables
            Pooling Time Series and Cross Sectional Data
            Simultaneous Equation Models
            Utilization of Computer Programs like SAS and EVIEWS