Courses Offered
Economics
A list of regularly offered courses follows. The indication of when a course will be offered is based on the best projection of the home department and can be subject to change.
Please note the key for the following abbreviations: (A) Arts; (H) Humanities; (S) Social Sciences; (N) Natural Sciences with Laboratory; (LS) Language Studies requirement; (NSP) Natural Science in Perspective; (NW) Non-Western Cultures requirement.
ECO100. Introduction to Economic Principles. (S) Every Semester
Introduction to micro- and macroeconomics. Neoclassical models of economic behavior, market structures and aggregate economic performance. Topics include: supply and demand analysis; consumer and business behavior; market structures (competition, monopoly, oligopoly) and failures: inflation and unemployment; government fiscal and monetary policies. Flaherty, Harpankar, Zink
ECO103. Introduction to Economic Perspectives. (S) Every Semester
Introduction to economic institutions, history and competing paradigms and ideologies in economics. Conservative, liberal and radical perspectives; orthodox and heterodox economic theories. Topics include: the role of cultural, legal, economic and political institutions; class, gender and race; wealth and poverty; and the environment. Brennan, Tcherneva
ECO130. Marxian Political Economy. (S) Spring 2010
Marx's analysis of capitalism as an economic, social and historical system. Areas covered are: market economies and alienation; exploitation and class conflicts; the working "class"; competitive and monopolistic tendencies of capitalism; capitalist accumulation and economic crises; the role of the state; colonialism, imperialism and globalization. Particular attention will be paid to the contemporary relevance of Marx's theory. Students are also introduced to the problems and methods of critical inquiry. Callari
ECO201. Macroeconomics. (S) Every Semester
Aggregate economic activity: an examination of the factors that influence its level, stability and rate of growth. Consumption, savings, investment, fiscal and monetary policy and international trade and finance as influences on the level of prices, output, employment and income. Prerequisites: ECO 100 and 103. White
ECO205. Microeconomics. (S) Every Semester
The analytical foundations of neoclassical price theory: theory of the consumer; theory of the firm; market structure and efficiency; factor markets and income distribution; general equilibrium. Prerequisites: ECO 100 and 103. Flaherty
ECO207. Value and Distribution. (S) Every Semester
The analytical foundations of heterodox economic theories. Theoretical critiques of and alternatives to orthodox theories of: "factor" pricing and the distribution of income; macroeconomic dynamics of growth and stability; the neutrality and exogeneity of money; gendered (and non-market) economic relations. Prerequisites: ECO 100 and 103. Callari
ECO210. Economic Statistics. (S) Every Fall
An introduction to statistical concepts and techniques as used in economics. Topics include descriptive statistics, sampling, probability, estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis tests and regression analysis. Prerequisites: ECO 100 and 103. (ECO 210 is waived as a requirement for the economics major for students who have completed MAT 216) Zink
ECO231. Money and Banking. (S) Fall 2009
Commercial and central banking in the United States, including: Federal Reserve responsibility for influencing economic activity; the role of money in determining the level of national income and prices; and the nature of the international monetary system. Prerequisite: ECO 100 and 103. Tcherneva
ECO238. The Economy of Cities. (S) Fall 2009
An overview of the economic forces that have shaped the formation and transformation of cities in history, with particular focus on urban patterns since the 18th century. Topics covered include the effects of technological change (in production, transportation and marketing), urban sprawl, the role of "place" in the power dynamics and conflicts of capitalist societies and the history of urban-economic-development public policy initiates in the U.S. Required work includes a term paper. Prerequisites: ECO 100 and ECO 103. Callari
ECO240. Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. (S) Offered in 2010—2011
A survey of environmental and natural resource issues in economic theory and policy. History of the environmental movement and environmental debates; theory of natural resource allocation, natural resource issues; theory of environmental management-for example, externalities, public goods and common property. Topics covered will include pollution, resource depletion and global climate change. Prerequisite: ECO 100 and 103, or permission of the instructor. Same as ENV 240. Zein-Elabdin
ECO244. Women in the Economy. (S) Spring 2010
An analysis of the roles women and men have historically played and continue to play in the economy, both within and outside of the labor market. Topics include the historical conditions under which dominant gender ideals emerged, the value of unpaid work and national accounting, occupational segregation and labor market discrimination. Economic and interdisciplinary approaches are used. Prerequisite: ECO 100 and 103, or permission of the instructor. Same as WGS 244. Tcherneva
ECO264. Introduction to International Economics. (S) Every Fall
Introduction of key concepts to describe and analyze international economic linkages. Analysis of international transactions in various markets including goods and services, capital, labor and foreign exchange. Core topics include: reasons for and benefits from international trade; exchange rate developments; benefits and risks of international capital flows; globalization; liberalization; regional integration; and development. Empirical approach with introduction of core theoretical concepts and policy perspectives. Prerequisite: ECO 100. White
ECO281. Political Economy of Africa. (S) (NW) Spring 2010
A broad idea of economic and social conditions in Africa and the factors that influence economic development in the region, power structures and processes of change. Historical analysis of pre-colonial systems of production and exchange and modifications introduced during the European colonial period. Examination of major current economic and political problems such as food production, external debt and the role of the state. Reflection on the question of economic development. Prerequisites: ECO 100 and 103, or permission of instructor. Same as AFS 281. Zein-Elabdin
ECO282. Women, Culture and Development. (NW) (S) Fall 2009
Role of gender in different cultures across non-industrialized world and impact of economic development on position of women and gender relations in these societies. Women's contribution to economic and social change and the extent to which conventional methods of analysis in development economics can be applied to their situations. Examination of the development of the "Third World woman" in the development literature. Prerequisite: ECO 100 and 103, or permission of the instructor. Same as WGS 282. Zein-Elabdin
ECO291. Directed Readings. Every Semester
Tutorial for students who have not yet completed ECO 201, 205, 207 and 210. Students who have a special interest may arrange a tutorial with a faculty member. Enrollment is conditional on instructor's permission.
ECO310. Econometrics. (S) Every Spring
An introduction to statistical analysis of economic data, with a balance of theory, applications and original research. The Classical Linear Regression Model is covered in detail, along with typical departures from its assumptions including heteroscedasticity, serial correlation and non-stationarity. Further subjects can include instrumental variables, limited dependent variables and advanced time-series topics, depending on time and student interest. Prerequisites: ECO 100, 103 and ECO 210 or MAT 216. White
ECO320. International Trade. (S) Spring 2010
Intermediate and advanced topics in international trade. Introduces theoretical structures and evaluates associated empirical literature. Core topics include examination of the determinants of international trade patterns, the gains from trade, trade policy, the relationship between trade and growth and the institutional evolution of the international trading system. Emphasis on different theoretical approaches, including models based on assumptions of perfect competition and of imperfect competition. Prerequisite: ECO 205 and ECO 264. White
ECO325. International Finance. (S) Spring 2011
Intermediate and advanced topics in international finance. Introduces theoretical structures and evaluates associated empirical literature. Core topics include determination of exchange rates, the functioning of the macroeconomy under different exchange rate regimes, foreign exchange intervention, currency crises, debt crises, coordinated macroeconomic policy, the evolution and future of the international monetary system as a whole. Emphasis on open-economy macroeconomics. Prerequisite: ECO 201 and ECO 264 White
ECO335. Economic Development. (S) (NW) Fall 2010
Theories of economic growth and development. Historical and political context of the emergence of the "less developed" world and the project of international development. Structure and performance of' "less developed" economies. Current major policy issues including agriculture, industry, technology, foreign investment and international trade and debt. Prerequisite: ECO 201, or permission of the instructor. Zein-Elabdin
ECO350. Game Theory. (S) Offered in 2010—2011
Game Theory provides a framework for analyzing strategic situations. Where to put your first serve in tennis, why some professors will never accept late submissions and why do Circuit City and BestBuy offer price matching guarantees are examples of strategic situations. Here each participant's action can affect the outcome for others. The course teaches how to build models of strategic situations and introduces techniques to solve them. The solutions provide benchmark predictions of behavior observed in our lives. Prerequisite ECO 205. Dasgupta
ECO391. Directed Reading. (S) Every Semester
Tutorial for students who have completed ECO 201, 205 and 207. Students who have a special interest may arrange a tutorial with a faculty member. Enrollment is conditional on instructor's permission.
ECO430. Researching the Local Economy. (S) Every Semester
Ongoing research project on local (Lancaster City, County and region) economic issues and trends. Students choose from specific topics on which to conduct supervised research. Permission of instructor required. Callari, Flaherty
ECO490. Independent Study. Every Semester
Independent research directed by the Economics staff. Permission of the instructor.
