Economics (ECON) Undergraduate Course Descriptions
ECON 195. Economics and Democratic Citizenship [Goal 9]
Economics, the economy, democratic government, and the citizen. 3 Cr. F, S, SUM.
ECON 197. Economics for Everyday Life [Goal 5]
Basic economic principles and concepts applied to common daily decisions. Budgeting, taxes, consumer credit, home finance, insurance, savings and investing. 3 Cr. F, S.
ECON 201. Introduction to Economics [Goal 5]
Basic economic concepts and an overview of current economic issues. Cannot be taken after 205 or 206. 3 Cr. F, S, SUM.
ECON 205. Principles of Macroeconomics [Goal 5]
Economic decision-making, market processes, measurement and determination of aggregate prices and employment, money and banking process, fiscal policy, and monetary policy. May be taken before or after 206. 3 Cr. F, S, SUM.
ECON 206. Principles of Microeconomics [Goal 5]
Economic decision-making, marginal analysis, consumer and producer behavior in markets, price and output under different market structures, input markets, and policy analysis. May be taken before or after 205. 3 Cr. F, S, SUM.
ECON 327. Introduction to International Economic Issues
Analyze the increasing internationalization of the world economy. Issues of international monetary systems and international macro-economic policy. Taught in Ingolstadt, Germany. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. F, S.
ECON 350. Economics of Developing Countries [Goal 8] (Diversity/MGM)
Economic development and policy issues in developing countries. 3 Cr. S.
ECON 351. Environmental Economics
Economic principles relating to use of environmental resources. Market processes and the environment. Pollution, recycling, air and water quality, risk and environmental policy. Not open to economics majors and minors. 3 Cr. F.
ECON 360. Comparative Economic Systems
Real and ideal economic systems including capitalism, socialism, and communism. 3 Cr. F, S.
ECON 365. Local and Urban Economics
Economic principles relating to local and urban affairs. Location theory, analysis of urban problems and public policy: poverty, housing, transportation, pollution, public service provision, etc. Not open to economics majors and minors. 3 Cr. F.
ECON 381. Economics of Crime and Justice [Goal 5]
Economic motivation for criminal behavior; costs of crime; optimal allocation of resources for preventing crime; welfare costs of criminal behavior. 3 Cr. F.
ECON 417. Managerial Economics
Economic analysis of decision-making. Demand, cost, capital, and profit analysis. Prereq.: 205, 206, IS 242 or STAT 219. 3 Cr. F, S, SUM.
ECON 444. Internship and Field Work
Intern in economics or intern in public service with a business, governmental, or civic organization approved in advance by the department. 1-12 Cr. DEMAND.
ECON 481. Senior Research Seminar
Capstone course requiring empirical research paper using tools of economic analysis. A written and oral presentation. Course fulfills university's upper division writing requirement. May be repeated with different topics. Max 6 Cr. Prereq.: 405 and 406 and IS 242 or STAT 219 or consent of instructor. 3 Cr. F, S.
ECON 499. Honors Thesis
Senior thesis project determined by the student and the department revealing scholarly effort, critical thinking, and the ability to handle bibliographic and research tools. 1-3 Cr. DEMAND.
Economics (ECON) Courses for Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate Students
ECON 405/505. Intermediate Macroeconomics
Functioning of the economy as a whole. Determinants and interrelation of the economy's aggregate production, inflation, unemployment, economic growth, business cycles, and monetary/fiscal policies. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. F, S.
ECON 406/506. Intermediate Microeconomics
Economic processes in the free enterprise system; determination of price, output, and factor services in different market structures. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. F, S.
ECON 420/520. Economics of Nonprofit Organizations
Economic theories of nonprofit and public organizations, their importance in the economy and the structure and performance of not-for-profit firms and public agencies. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. Even S.
ECON 442/542. Law and Economics
Laws' effects on market and non-market behavior emphasizing the theory of externalities. Contract law, property rights, tort law, and public choice theory. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. SUM.
ECON 451/551. Resource and Environmental Economics
Natural resource allocation, economic efficiency, externalities, and temporal implications. Environmental policy analysis: air and water quality, toxic substances, and distributional consequences. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. Odd S.
ECON 460/560. Public Finance
The role of government in the economy: public revenues and expenditures, tax structure, inter-governmental fiscal relations, fiscal policy, and public debt management. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. F, S.
ECON 461/561. Public Economics: State and Local
The economics of state and local government. Public projects, tax and revenue structures, and intergovernmental relations, as in Minnesota. Prereq.: 205, 206, or consent of instructor. 3 Cr. S.
ECON 465/565. Urban and Regional Economics
Analysis of regions, development, location theory, central place theory, local public finance. Urban problems: poverty, transportation, housing, crime, pollution. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. F, S.
ECON 470/570. Economic and Business Forecasting
Business fluctuations and stabilization policies. Forecasting methods; time series and regression-based techniques for short and long term forecasting. Prereq.: 205, 206, IS 242 or STAT 219. 3 Cr. F, S, SUM.
ECON 471/571. Money and Banking
Monetary economics, structure and functioning of commercial banks and other financial intermediaries. The Federal Reserve System and its monetary policy tools, goals, and targets. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. F, S, SUM.
ECON 472/572. Industrial Organization and Public Policy
Market structure, firm behavior, and market performance. Public policy toward business via government regulation and antitrust policy. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. S.
ECON 473/573. Labor Economics
Labor as a factor of production; growth of collective bargaining and labor legislation, and its effects upon society. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. S.
ECON 474/574. International Economics
Trade models, terms of trade, trade patterns, economic integration, and barriers to trade. Balance of trade/payments, exchange rate determination, capital mobility, and open economy policy coordination. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. F, S.
ECON 478/578. History of Economic Thought
Historical development of economic analysis and of the ideas of major economic thinkers. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. F.
ECON 480/580. Area Economic Studies
Economic problems of selected regions, areas, or countries of the world. May be repeated with different topics. Max. 9 Cr. Prereq.: Consent of the instructor. 1-3 Cr. DEMAND.
ECON 483/583. Contemporary Economic Problems
Solutions of problems arising from growth and development of modern institutions under the free enterprise system. May be repeated with different topics. Max 6 Cr. Prereq.: Consent of department. 3 Cr. DEMAND.
ECON 484/584. The Economics of Immigration
Migration causes, immigration affects on home and destination economies, characteristics of immigrants, and restrictive policies. Prereq.: 205, 206. 3 Cr. DEMAND.
ECON 485/585. Introduction to Econometrics
Model development and statistical testing procedures, applied economic analysis. Model specification, properties of estimation procedures, statistical inference. Prereq.: 205, 206, STAT 219 or IS 242. 3 Cr. F.
ECON 486/586. Introduction to Mathematical Economics
Application of mathematical tools to the problems of micro and macro economic theory. Prereq.: 406 and MATH 221 or equivalent. 3 Cr. S.
ECON 497/597. Advanced Topics in Applied Economic Theory
Applications of advanced economic theory. Topics to be selected by the instructor. May be repeated with different topics up to 9 credits. Prereq.: 405/505 or 406/506 or consent of instructor. 3 Cr. DEMAND.
ECON 498/598. Advanced Topics in Applied Econometrics
Applications of advanced econometric models. Topics to be selected by the instructor. May be repeated with different topics up to 9 credits. Prereq.: 485/585 or consent of instructor. 3 Cr. DEMAND.
