Economics (ECO)

Macroeconomics; the foundation of economic analysis; national income, employment, and economic growth; aggregate demand and supply, saving, and investment, economic fluctuations; monetary and fiscal policy; the international economy.

Microeconomics; markets, the price system, and the allocation of resources; competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly; government and business; the distribution of income.

The core areas covered in this course include linear algebra, differential calculus and their most common applications in economics and finance. By learning these concepts students will gain the tools and confidence to be better consumers of specialized economic and financial literature, which tend to be couched in mathematical and technical language.

This course investigates the connections between human rights, environmental sustainability, and global finance. It will introduce students to cutting edge debates in those fields as well as practical perspectives on ways forward

An examination of significant economic problems and an application of economic theory to an analysis of their roots and possible solutions. Typical issues include recession, poverty, financial instability, underdevelopment, monopolies, and pollution.

Money and credit; commercial banking; central banking; monetary theory and practice; financial regulation.

This course will examine Brazil's recent economic development, its social and political consequences, as well as the practical details of doing business in Brazil. Major political, social, and cultural developments in Brazil during the 20th and 21st centuries will be discussed, as well as issues like investment opportunities, foreign trade, regulatory environment, banking and finance, labor relations, general accounting practices, and taxation. The program is led by an SFC faculty member and taught in English by FACAMP instructors, a partner institution in Campinas, Brazil, for two weeks during the summer.

Empirical and theoretical issues relating to the process of economic development in Third World countries. The measurement of economic growth and the meaning of economic development; the mobilization of economic resources; poverty, unemployment, and unequal income distribution; the debt crisis and development strategies. Discussion of modernization, dependency, and neoclassical theories of economic development.

Cross-listed with: ICS-3305. A study of the European Union, the economies in transition in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Particular emphasis is placed on the question of nationalism and the issues confronting multinational states in Europe today. Prerequisite: ECO 1201. 3 credits. Spring semester; day.

This is a course on the current US economy and the monetary policy formulated and carried out by the Federal Reserve System. It examines the leading economic indicators used by the Fed in assessing the state of the US economy.

The impact of production and consumption decisions on the environment. The principles of sustainable economic development and their implications for policy in both developed and less developed countries.

The interaction between private decisions on the location of production and housing and forms of transportation, together with an analysis of the impact of government policy. A critical discussion of the impact of economic crises on cities and states. An analysis of contemporary urban problems such as homelessness, unemployment, racial antagonism, and pollution.

The operation of labor markets, including and analysis of wage structure and unemployment. Labor-management relations and their effect on productivity, profitability, and wage levels. Current labor legislation. An evaluation of institutional and radical approaches which challenge traditional neoclassical analysis of labor market dynamics.

An introductory study of health economics that explores a variety of health-related issues. On the basis of given scarce resources and using economic tools, this course analyzes the process of the production of health care and its distribution in the United States as compared to other countries. This analysis will include a critical approach to the details of private and public health-care systems.

This course discusses the Chinese model of economic development focusing on its transformations since 1978, the changing relation between China and the United States, and consequences of China's rise as a global player.

This course provides students with an introduction to the way in which economists make use of data in the analysis of both micro- and macroeconomics issues. Students will learn to apply some of the basis tools of statistics, such as regression analysis, to address both theoretical questions and policy issues.

Cross-listed with: FIN-3301. Aspects of financing corporate entities in the functioning of the economy; equity financing, capital structure; bond flotation, mergers and takeovers; holding companies; security underwriting and market rights; warrants and options. Use of financial ratios, time value of money, and other techniques of financial analysis.

Cross-listed with: FIN-3302. Focuses on the efficient management of the financial resources of the firm. Introduction to applications of financial ratios, time value of money and statistical analysis of risk. Presentations also include topics of financial planning, working capital management and capital budgeting. Prerequisite: ECO 3331/FIN 3301 and MAT 1109. 3 credits. Offered as needed. This course will not count as a liberal arts elective.

Cross-listed with: FIN-3312. Quantitative and qualitative methods of analyzing various types of securities such as bonds, stocks and derivatives. Applications of time value of money and statistical analysis of risk are used for valuation and portfolio selection purposes. Prerequisite: ECO 3331/FIN 3301 and MAT 1109. 3 credits. Offered as needed. This course will not count as a liberal arts elective.

Cross-listed with: FIN-3334. A study of government budgets and the budgetary process. The role of federal, state, and local governments in the production and the provision of social security. The economic impact of alternative expenditure on income distribution. The impact of government borrowing on financial markets.

An exploration of the ways in which economic systems are structured by gender. The course revisits economic history, paying particular attention to changes in the gender division of labor, and the gender distribution of production. It will look at economic issues facing women in the world today, in advanced countries such as the United States and in less developed countries. It will also explore the ways in which economic theory is changing as economists work to broaden their perspective and overcome their historical blindness to issues of gender.

Principles, practices, and problems of international trade and finance. The development and current state of regulations and treaties governing international economic relations. International institutions such as the IMF, World Bank, and WTO.

A survey of economic thought principally from the seventeenth century to the present day; mercantilism; physiocracy and the emergence of the science of economics; the Classical School; the rise of socialist protest; marginalism and the neo-classical synthesis; Keynes and post-keynesian economics.

Intermediate micro and macro-economic theory. This course is highly recommended for students who intend to pursue graduate studies.

Cross-listed with: FIN-4412. The construction and analysis of both individual and institutional investment portfolios; portfolio objectives, strategies, and constraints; economic and non-economic variables impacting portfolios; performance measurement.

Students with significant accomplishments in the major may be granted permission by the chairperson of the Economics Department to serve as an intern in selected workplaces. Assignments depend on availability of suitable internships. The student must maintain a comprehensive daily log of work activities and report regularly to the chairperson throughout the internship.

Individual research and study with the approval of the Department of Economics.

A thesis seminar primarily for Economics seniors, in which the main project is the writing of a research paper on a topic to be chosen by the student in consultation with the instructor.

Cross-listed with: SOC-5401. Islam has the second largest religious following and is the fastest growing religion in the world. The dawn of the 21st century finds an increasing polarization between modernization and Islam. This course will have a basis in historiography, with politics as a backdrop, within the context of social/cultural and economic understanding, it seeks to describe the phenomenon of contemporary Islam.

The history of New York City from the Great Depression to the Current Downturn. Students are required to read The New York Times daily on city matters.

Mirroring the heterogeneity of modern societies, signed by deep imbalances in the distribution of wealth and power, several radical economic views have emerged and developed historically. In opposition to the standard of the discipline, which promotes the notion that markets, as flawed as they may be, are - by comparison - the most efficient ways to allocate society's resources, these nonconventional economic analyses question the basic socioeconomic conditions on which markets and modern capitalism stand. This course examines the present relevance - the economic-theoretical, political, ethical, and philosophical significance - of two major heterodox schools of economic thought whose key critical insights have never been duly incorporated into the dominant tradition; respectively, the schools associated with the views of Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes, with the latter including a review of the recently influential Modern Monetary Theory.

Advanced macro- and microeconomic theory. The course covers such topics as consumer theory, production theory, cost theory, market structure in competitive and monopolistic environments, national income determination using four-sector Keynesian cross models and the IS/LM framework, and finally introductory dynamics and the Harrod Domar and Solow growth models.

Graduate students only. Supervised work experience in various fields of accounting--including submission of a written report. Requires approval of the departmental chairperson.

Independent research and study in a topic in Economics including submission of a written report. Prerequisites: graduate standing and approval of the department chairperson.