Accounting | Economics and Finance | Insurance-Finance | Management | Marketing | Evening Degree Programs | Entrepreneurial Studies

Economics and Finance Course Descriptions

EC 101 Introduction to Economics [3] An introduction to the study of economics and its applications to issues such as budget deficit, tax policy, inflation, unemployment, and international trade, as well as health care, poverty, and crime. The course may not be taken for credit by Barney students, A&S economics majors, or political economy majors.

EC 110 Principles of Macroeconomics [3] This course introduces students to macroeconomic theory relating to the collective economic roles of consumers, businesses, and governments. Topics include: national income accounting, unemployment, inflation, the business cycle, fiscal and monetary policy, banking, economic growth, and international trade.

EC 211 Principles of Microeconomics [3] This is an introductory course in microeconomic theory. Students will learn basic principles of economic decision making from the perspective of the individual, firm, and industry. Particular attention is given to the market system and how prices and profits coordinate the actions of economic decision makers. Topics include: demand and supply, consumer behavior, costs and production, market structure, market failure, regulation, poverty, and income distribution.

EC 215/GS 215 Women in the Economy [3] A survey course covering the economic factors that play a significant role in the economic life of women. Topics reviewed will include the economics of households, marriage, and families, changes in labor force participation, causes and consequences of gender differences in occupations and earnings, government policies that have an impact on the economic well-being of women, and an international comparison of the economic conditions of women.

EC 290 Special Topics of Economics [3] Study of selected topics in economics designed specifically for non business majors. Not available for credit for Barney School students.

EC 311 Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis [3] This course provides students with the economic and analytical tools to better understand the domestic and global economic environments, macroeconomic problems, such as inflation and unemployment, and the alternative policy proposals suggested for solving these problems. Emphasis will be placed on business cycle behavior, stabilization policies, economic growth and international macroeconomic linkages. Prerequisites: EC110 and 211.

EC 312 Managerial Economics [3] This course integrates the traditional coverage of microeconomic theory with modern developments in the theory of economic organizations and managerial decision making. Introducing the concepts of transaction costs, this course examines efficiency and coordination with firms, and provides tools for effectively analyzing a wide variety of business situations. Topics include the neoclassical theory of the firm, the organization of the firm, centralized decision making, market failure and externalities, economics of information, and game theory. Prerequisites: EC 110 and 211.

EC 316 The Economics of Public Policy [3] This course applies basic economic theories for analysis of some current socio economic issues for public policy decision making. Selected policy areas may include analyzing international macroeconomic and microeconomic data obtained through the Internet or other sources; inflation and unemployment; economic growth; urban decay; poverty, discrimination, health care, retirement policies, tariffs and international trade policy; pollution, government regulations, income distribution, and other contemporary issues. Students are expected to work in teams to develop alternative solutions to problems discussed. Prerequisites: EC110 and 211, or permission of instructor.

EC 324 Economics of Money, Banking and Financial Markets [3] This course stresses the economic way of thinking by developing a unifying analytical framework for the study of money, banking, and financial markets. This framework uses a few basic economic principles to analyze the structure of financial markets, the foreign exchange market, bank management, and the role of money in the economy. International applications are integrated throughout the course. Topics such as international banking, conduct of monetary policy in other countries and the growing integration of financial markets among others will be covered. Prerequisites: EC 110 and 211

EC 330 History of Economic Thought [3] This course examines the development of economic theories from pre classical to contemporary economics. Emphasis is placed on contributions of individual writers and schools of economic thought. Prerequisites: EC 110 and 211, or permission of instructor.

EC 344/HIS 320 Advent of Industrialization in the Western World [3] The processes of industrialization and economic growth; the first industrialization in England; the subsequent spread of industrialization in the Western world; the social, political, and intellectual concomitants of industrialization.

EC 346/HIS 272 Industrialization in Asia [3] An examination of the responses of non-Western societies to contact with Western technological superiority since the Mejii Era in Japan and their varied experiences with the imperatives of "induced" industrialization, as distinguished from the earlier Western pattern of "spontaneous" industrialization. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

EC 354 Economic Growth and Development [3] Analysis of the fundamental, social, political, and economic factors that influence economic development. Emphasis on factors that condition growth in underdeveloped countries and on problems of maintaining growth rates in advanced economies. Prerequisites: EC 110 and 211.

EC 362 Public Policy [3] Deals with decision making for governmental activities and expenditures, as affected by certain relevant areas of economics, political science, and administrative theory. Special emphasis is given to cost-benefit analysis; budget systems, particularly program budgeting; effects of taxation on equity and efficiency; fiscal policy and intergovernmental fiscal relationships. Examines the role of government activities in such fields as education, air pollution, and urban renewal. Prerequisite: EC 211.

EC 450 International Economics [3] A survey of the salient features of the present international economy and a foundation in the theory of international trade and finance. Topics include classical and modern trade theories, regional economic integration, commercial policy and current issues of the global economy. Prerequisites: EC 110 and 211.

EC 464 Economics of the City [3] Builds on basic microeconomic principles to address the questions of where firms and consumers choose to locate and how and why they make their choices. Topics include location theory; market forces that result in development of cities; government policies that affect land rent and land use within cities; spatial aspects of poverty, discrimination, and housing; and state and local government spending on education and property taxation. Prerequisite: EC 312.

EC 470 Industrial Organization and Antitrust Policy [3] A discussion and appraisal of specific governmental regulatory policies toward business. Topic areas include historical origins of regulatory policies; competition and monopoly theory; industrial organization theory, business concentration, predatory pricing theory and practice, barriers to entry; selected antitrust cases dealing with monopoly, price fixing, price discrimination, tying agreements and mergers. In addition, the political and social ramifications of regulatory policy will be examined. Prerequisites: EC 211

EC 480 Internship in Economics [3] This course fulfills the required internship for students majoring in Economics/Finance. Under the supervision of a faculty advisor, students will gain field experience with a for-profit or not-for-profit organization. Prerequisites: BAR 210, EC 311 or 312, junior status, departmental approval, and cumulative GPA of 2.0.

EC 481 Independent Study in Economics [3] Supervised individual study, under the direction of a faculty advisor, leading to a written report of professional quality. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing.

EC 491 Special Topics in Economics [3] This course will provide a vehicle for offering new or experimental courses to economics and finance majors. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing.

FIN 310 Business Finance [3] An introduction to general principles of business finance. Subjects include financial statements, forecasting, working capital management, discounted cash flow, capital structure, cost of capital, and capital budgeting. Emphasis will be placed on the development of problem solving skills and financial applications in the business community; ethical issues and uses of technology will be explored. Prerequisite: AC 210

FIN 360 Cases in Finance [3] Designed to train the student in the many ways of thinking about corporate financial problems. The cases provide the basis for class discussions on the approach to financial problem solving. Prerequisite: FIN 310 or equivalent.

FIN 430 Investment Analysis [3] In this course, students will learn about the analysis and valuation of stocks and bonds and the measurement of investment performance. Topics will include trading mechanisms and the structure of financial markets around the world. The risk associated with such investments and techniques for measuring them will be analyzed. Valuation of contingent claims such as options and futures will also be discussed. International topics and ethics will be an integral part of the course. Prerequisites: FIN 310.

FIN 432 Investment Management [3] In this course, students will learn about the theory and practice of portfolio management. These subjects will be covered for both individual and institutional portfolios. Topics included are alternative techniques for designing investment portfolios and the criteria for revision and performance evaluation. Portfolio insurance and the use of options and futures markets will also be discussed. International topics, ethics, and social issues will be an integral part of the course. A group project in portfolio management is designed to develop student skills to work cooperatively in teams. Prerequisite: FIN 430.

FIN 436 Real Estate Finance [3] The course is designed to give the student an understanding of the decision-making tools needed to accurately analyze real estate as an investment. Topics include appraisal techniques and investment evaluation, real estate development, financial leverage and corporate investment. The social and environmental impact of development is addressed, as are advances in informational technology related to development and evaluation. Prerequisite: FIN 310.

FIN 450 International Finance [3] Analysis of the international financial environment with particular emphasis on the foreign exchange markets and their interrelationships with international financial management, overview of major international financial markets and instruments, foreign exchange hedging, speculation and arbitrage, optimal short-term and long-term borrowing and investing decisions, analysis of currency futures, forwards, and options markets and their uses in international corporate financial management, forecasting foreign exchange rates, measuring and managing foreign exchange risks, multinational corporate cost of capital and capital budgeting, and instruments of international trade finance. Prerequisites: FIN 310

FIN 480 Internship in Finance [3] This course fulfills the required internship for students majoring in Economics/Finance. Under the supervision of a faculty advisor, students will gain field experience with a for-profit or not-for-profit organization. Prerequisites: BAR 210, FIN310, junior status, departmental approval, and cumulative GPA of 2.0.

FIN 481 Independent Study in Finance [3] Supervised individual study under the direction of a faculty advisor, leading to a written report of professional quality. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing.

FIN 484 Financing a Small Business [3] An examination of the financial issues and problems faced by small businesses. Topics include financial statement analysis, forecasting, working capital management, coping with financial distress, sources of capital, business valuation, and ethical issues. Students will develop problem-solving skills by analyzing weekly case study assignments and preparing a comprehensive business plan. Emphasis will be placed on the availability and use of community resources to assist small businesses. Extensive use of computer spreadsheet programs required. Prerequisite: FIN 310.

QNT 130 Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Business [3] This course equips students with the necessary tools in quantitative

methods and their business applications. Topics include applications of marginal analysis, data analysis, probability, univariate and bivariate

random variables, applications of expected values, covariance and correlation, and linear models with business applications and decision

making. Discussion of case studies and problem solving using Excel and other computer software is included. Prerequisite: M 110. Laboratory

fee.

 

QNT 230 Business Statistics [3] This course encompasses the basic statistical techniques used in business, government, and research.

Topics include probability distributions, sampling, statistical inference, quality control, chisquare tests, simple and multiple regression

with applications in business. Prerequisite: QNT 130 or equivalent. Laboratory fee.