Economics (ECO)

This is a draft edition of the 2024-2025 catalog. Information contained within is subject to change.

ECO 101  Current Issues in the Economy     Credits: 3

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.

Course Description: Introductory course covering current economic events and economic problems facing society. Topics include health care, the environment, crime and poverty, globalization, and recession and growth in the national economy. As the economic aspects of these issues are explored, the student is introduced to the methods used by economists to analyze problems and to develop possible solutions.

CORE 42: MOTR ECON 100; Introduction to Economics (attribute MO11)

ECO 260  Principles of Macroeconomics     Credits: 3

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.

Course Description: Introduction to basic principles of economics with emphasis on the analysis of unemployment, GDP, inflation, and public debt; discusses fiscal and monetary theories and public policies.

CORE 42: MOTR ECON 101; Introduction to Macroeconomics (attribute MO11)

ECO 261  Principles of Microeconomics     Credits: 3

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.

Course Description: Introduction to economic fundamentals with emphasis on supply and demand analysis, factor markets, different market structures, international economics, and various economic problems.

CORE 42: MOTR ECON 102; Introduction to Microeconomics (attribute MO11)

ECO 362  Public Finance     Credits: 3

Typically Offered: Fall.

Course Description: Studies principles of taxation and public expenditures, impact of fiscal policy on economic and social activity, and recent trends in public finance at the federal, state, and local levels. Prerequisite(s): ECO 260 and ECO 261.

ECO 363  Money and Banking     Credits: 3

Typically Offered: Fall, Summer.

Course Description: Continuation and expansion of money and banking concepts introduced in ECO 260; includes money, banks, and other financial intermediaries, the Federal Reserve System, concepts of monetary control, monetary policy, and international banking. Prerequisite(s): ECO 260 or ECO 261.

ECO 375  Economics of Health Care     Credits: 3

Typically Offered: Fall.

Course Description: Examines the application of economic theory to the health care industry. Topics include the demand for health and health care, the market for health insurance, managed care, the market for health care practitioners, hospital services, and pharmaceuticals, and the role and operation of Medicaid and Medicare. Current proposals for reform of the health care system and of government health care policy will be carefully examined. Prerequisite(s): ECO 260 or ECO 261.

ECO 376  Economics of the Environment     Credits: 3

Typically Offered: Spring.

Course Description: Application of economic principles and insights to environmental issues, and to the development of potential remedies. Areas of examination include valuing the environment and sustainable development, natural resource economics (incl. energy, water, and biodiversity), and environmental economics (incl. air, land, and water pollution, and poverty and development). Prerequisite(s): ECO 260 or ECO 261.

ECO 450  Independent Research/Project     Credits: 1-6

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.

Course Description: Investigation of a research problem, project, or topic on an individual conference basis. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): Minimum of 2.5 GPA in major field and departmental approval.

ECO 460  Business and Economic Forecasting     Credits: 3

Typically Offered: Fall.

Course Description: Basic and intermediate forecasting of business and economic variables. Forecasting of business variables such as sales, production, and stock prices. Economic forecasts of GDP, unemployment, and consumer prices. Techniques include judgmental methods, trend calculation, smoothing techniques, time series methods, and regression analysis. Prerequisite(s): ECO 260 or ECO 261, and GBA 210 or MAT 111 or MAT 111E.

ECO 461  International Trade     Credits: 3

Typically Offered: Spring.

Course Description: Introduction to the theory of international economics, with an emphasis on economic models of trade and on economic arguments for and against the use of trade barriers. The course examines the changing nature of international economic institutions and increasing world economic interdependence. Prerequisite(s): ECO 260 and ECO 261.

ECO 466  Economics in Action     Credits: 3

Typically Offered: Departmental Discretion.

Course Description: In-depth study of one of the following specialty areas in economics taught on a rotational basis each semester offered. Content will cover such topics as Economics of Crime and Justice, International Finance, Mathematical Economics, Economics of Sport, or Economics and the Media. Course may be repeated for credit up to five times with different topics. Prerequisite(s): ECO 260 or ECO 261.