ECNS - Economics

ECNS 101IS Economic Way of Thinking: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

COREQUISITE: ECNS 105 or Math level 300 or above. (F, Sp) Introduces important tools and methods of economics, including the core reasoning that underlies decision-making, analytical thinking and problem solving, demand and supply analysis, and indicators of economic performance. Emphasis is on application of the tools of economics to current issues of social and personal importance. Must enroll in ECNS 105 as a co-requisite if math level is below 300

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define economics as the study of choices and how society allocates its scarce resources.
describe how markets allocate resources and identify the sources of market failure.
recognize the role of government in affecting the efficiency and equity of resource allocation.
distinguish positive and normative analyses of social and economic policy.

ECNS 105 Study Econ Way of Thinking: 1 Credits (1 Lec)

COREQUISITE: ECNS 101IS. (F, Sp) CO-REQUISITE: ECNS 101IS. Directed study in a small group setting for ECNS 101 students. Students meet weekly in small groups to review ECNS 101 concepts, gain additional practice with economic problems, and complete in-class problem sets

View Course Outcomes:

define economics as the study of choices and how society allocates its scarce resources.
describe how markets allocate resources and identify the sources of market failure.
recognize the role of government in affecting the efficiency and equity of resource allocation.
distinguish positive and normative analyses of social and economic policy.
analyze economic problems with their peers.\\n

ECNS 132 Econ & the Environment: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

COREQUISITE: Math placement level 300 or above. (Sp) Introduces important tools and methods of economics in relation to renewable and non-renewable natural resource issues, environmental resources, pollution control issues, and the global environment. Topics include fisheries, wildlife, surface water use, oil, natural gas, minerals, public lands, resource preservation, climate change, biodiversity and population

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Define basic economics as the study of choices and how society allocates scarce resources in relation to environmental and natural resources.
Describe how markets allocate renewable and non-renewable resources.
Recognize the role of government in affecting the efficiency and equity of resource allocation for environmental resources, pollution control issues, and the global environment.
Distinguish between positive and normative analysis of social and economic policy.

ECNS 202 Principles of Macroeconomics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 101IS
COREQUISITE: M 121Q or equivalent. (F, Sp) Topics include inflation, unemployment, interest rates, money, and the impact of government surpluses or deficits. Government policies of growth, employment, income distribution, and international trade are examined
.

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Graph supply and demand in a single graph, define basic items or concepts related to the graph, and use the graph to explain the process by which a good's equilibrium price and quantity are attained.
Graph the short-run aggregate demand-aggregate supply model (assuming the economy is in the expansionary phase of the business cycle) in a single graph and define basic items or concepts related to the graph. Define cost-push inflation and demand-pull inflation. Use the graph to identify shifts in the AD/AS curves reflecting the two types of inflation, and identify subsequent changes in the price-level and real output.
Define expansionary and contractionary fiscal policies, including the means by which they are achieved. Use the graph of the aggregate demand-aggregate supply model drawn in Learning Outcome #2 to identify shifts in the AD/AS curves and subsequent impacts of these policies on real output and the price level.
Define tight and easy monetary policies, including the Federal Reserve tools used to achieve them and when each type of policy would be appropriate. Use the graph of the aggregate demand-aggregate supply model drawn in Learning Outcome #3 to identify shifts in the AD/AS curves and subsequent impacts of these policies on real output and the price level.
Use the circular flow model to explain why Gross Domestic Product can be measured either through the income or expenditures approach.
Compute measures of macroeconomic activity, such as the national income accounts, inflation, and unemployment, and evaluate the shortcomings of traditional economic measures.
Describe the contemporary banking and monetary system and be able to assess current monetary policy of the Federal Reserve System.
Analyze factors that influence aggregate economic activity and the business cycle.

ECNS 204IS Microeconomics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 101IS or ECNS 251IS and M 121Q or equivalent. Consumer theory and the theory of the firm are utilized to show how independent decisions by consumers and firms interact in markets to determine the price and output of goods and services

View Course Outcomes:

identify the scope and method of economics as it pertains to everyday life.
analyze decision making by consumers in the U.S. and global marketplace.
analyze firm costs and production decision making by firms in the market.
explain concepts of scarcity, demand, supply, and market equilibrium.
demonstrate knowledge of economics and apply methods to issues such as individual decision making, firm decision making, government policy, market power, and trade.

ECNS 206 Study Principles of Macroeconomics: 1 Credits (1 Lec)

(F, Sp) Optional directed study in a small group setting for ECNS 202 students. Students meet weekly in small groups to review ECNS 202 concepts, gain additional practice with economic problems, and complete in-class problem sets.

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Explain concepts and principles of macroeconomics.
Identify existing tools and models to solve new macroeconomic problems.
Correctly complete in-lab problems comparable to those in ECNS 202.
Analyze new macroeconomic problems.
Demonstrate responsibility for their own learning by seeking help from the lab instructor and other students.

ECNS 251IS Honors Economics: 4 Credits (4 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Consent of Instructor. (F, Sp) Economic principles are introduced and applied to a wide range of contemporary and historical problems including legal, environmental, resource, health, taxation, poverty, economic development, and macroeconomic policy issues

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compute measures of microeconomic activity, including elasticities, consumer and producer surplus, and firm profits.
describe consumer behavior and be able to assess tax and externality impacts on consumers and producers.
identify market structures and firm behavior.
compute measures of macroeconomic activity, such as the national income accounts, inflation, and unemployment, and evaluate the shortcomings of traditional economic measures.
identify and analyze factors that affect economic growth.\\n
analyze the influences on the aggregate economic activity and the business cycle.\\n\\n

ECNS 290R Undergraduate Research: 1-8 Credits (1-8 Other)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 101IS and approval of instructor. () On demand. Intended for lower division undergraduate research/undergraduate scholars program. The student will work closely with the supervising faculty. Course will address responsible conduct of research
Repeatable up to 8 credits.

ECNS 291 Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Dependent on the offering. Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one-time need, or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting regular course number
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

ECNS 292 Independent Study: 1-3 Credits (1-3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Consent of instructor and approval of department head. () Directed research and study on an individual basis
Repeatable up to 6 credits.

ECNS 301 Intermediate Micro with Calc: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS and M 161Q or M 171Q or equivalent. (F, Sp) A study of microeconomic theory and selected applications with emphasis on theory of consumer behavior and theory of the firm. A major objective of the course is to prepare students for additional upper-division courses in economics

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Explain calculus-based microeconomics, including consumer theory, firm behavior, competitive markets, monopoly, imperfect competition, and extensions of the basic theory to additional topics.
Apply mathematical tools (e.g., partial derivatives) they have learned in calculus courses to a variety of problems.
Use mathematics and graphs, in conjunction with good writing, to explain economic phenomena.
Use calculus-based microeconomics to reason their way through abstract problems and real policy issues, and to explain how abstract problems can provide insight into the real world.
Develop the preparation necessary to do well in field courses that have calculus-based microeconomics as a prerequisite.

ECNS 303 Intermediate Macro with Calc: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 202 and ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251 or AGBE 210IS; M 161 or M 171 or equivalent. (F, Sp) The economic theory of economy-wide aggregates such as national income, levels of employment, income distribution; the determinants of the performance of entire economies: nations, groups of nations, and the world

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Demonstrate a solid foundation in calculus-based macroeconomics, including the economic theory of economy-wide measures, such as economic growth.
Demonstrate a solid understanding of aggregate measures in the macroeconomy (e.g., GDP, inflation, national income, employment) and understanding how they are measured (including the measurement error associated with them).\\n
Collect data from public sources (e.g., FRED, World Bank, Bureau of Labor Statistics) and use graphs, in conjunction with good writing, to explain macroeconomic phenomena.
Recognize the suite of monetary policy tools the Fed now uses, as well as how these policy levers affect the macroeconomy.\\n

ECNS 309 Managerial Economics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS; and M 161Q or M 171Q
COREQUISITE: STAT 216Q or BMGT 240IS or EIND 354. (F) An integration of various principles and concepts from different areas of economics. These are combined with several tools of analysis and related to problems of economic decision making and policy formulation at the firm level
.

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Demonstrate proficiency in explaining economic concepts related to risk analysis and insurance\\n
Apply basic statistical analysis to model economic problems and correctly interpret the corresponding output\\n
Analyze how market structure affects firm-level decision-making\\n
Use concepts from differential calculus to interpret economic decision-making

ECNS 310 Health Economics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS. (Sp) Use the concepts and tools of microeconomics to understand health care and health insurance markets and to analyze possible policy changes within the U.S. health care system

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Apply economic principles to describe the behavior of consumers, physicians, hospitals, and insurers in the health care market.
Describe the economic theory underlying health policy issues, and the associated constraints and trade-offs.
Analyze the pros and cons of various proposals for health care system reform using both microeconomic tools and empirical evidence from the health economics literature.

ECNS 311 Intermediate Microeconomics with Economics Education Applications: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204 or ECNS 251 or consent of instructor. A study of microeconomic theory with selected applications in the area of the economics of education and emphasis on the theory of the behavior of consumers, firms, nonprofit organizations and government agencies, and welfare economics. Applications will address issues such as the labor market for primary and secondary school teachers, the effects of voucher programs on the quality of public and private education, and the returns to primary and secondary education

ECNS 312 Labor Economics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS. (F) Economics of labor markets, wage determination, and human capital. The theoretical framework of labor market analysis is presented, along with empirical research results and descriptive aspects of current labor issues

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Explain labor markets at a level that builds on a prerequisite foundation basic microeconomic theory and household behavior
Discuss how economists model and study human capital\\n
Identify the conclusions, and ongoing debates, in the economics literature that examines the factors determining wages
Explain how economists assess the role of discrimination in determining labor market outcomes, including career paths and wage rates\\n
Explain how economists study the ways that economic policies affect labor markets\\n

ECNS 313 Money and Banking: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 202 or ECNS 251. (Sp) Principles and problems of money, banking, and credit. Monetary and banking history; monetary theory and policy; structure and operation of our financial system

ECNS 314 International Economics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS. (F) A survey of international economic theory and policy. Major concepts explored are comparative advantage, impacts of tariffs, exchange rates, and international payments

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Explain the theories of absolute and comparative advantage.
Analyze the effects of international trade on a country’s overall economic welfare.
Evaluate the impacts of trade on different groups within a country.
Explain how trade policies impact economic development, as well as the environment.
Explain a country’s balance of payments and how a balance of payments crisis can occur
Apply these concepts to analysis of real-world trade policies.

ECNS 315 Urban Economics and Community Development: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS. (Sp) This course explores the role that cities and municipalities play in the modern economy. This course applies economic principles and theories to study classical and contemporary urban issues. Topics include: why cities exist, where do cities develop, property taxation, household mobility, urban poverty and welfare, provision of local public goods, urban environmental challenges, land use controls, and local labor markets

View Course Outcomes:

Demonstrate proficiency in classical economic theories of urban economics.
Demonstrate proficiency in applying the intuition behind causal inference to topics in urban economics.
Effectively write a literature review on an urban economics topic of their choice.
Effectively communicate their literature review topic to a diverse audience.
Effectively critique and evaluate the literature reviews written by their classmates.

ECNS 316 Economics of Crime and Risky Behaviors: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or AGBE 210IS
COREQUISITE: STAT 337 or BMGT 240IS or EIND 354 or equivalent. On demand. This course applies economic principles to analyze criminal and risky human behavior. Topics include the rational choice model of crime, determinants of risky behavior among youths, and economic analysis of substance use and abuse
.

View Course Outcomes:

Demonstrate an understanding of classic rational choice model of crime and theory of deterrence.
Demonstrate an understanding of how well-defined natural experiments can be leveraged to determine causal relationships within the context of crime and risky behaviors.
Interpret large empirical literature on the economics of crime and risky behavior
Explain the basic game theoretic applications to crime.
Explain seminal neighborhood crime model and its extension to gang activity.
Discuss the role of risk preferences in the benefit/cost analysis of the crime decision.

ECNS 317 Economic Development: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS. (Sp) The plight of the world's low income countries, and the many national and international programs devoted to its alleviation. Primary emphasis directed to economic factors, but attention given to political and social characteristics vital to economic development

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Describe the Neoclassical and Endogenous Economic Growth Models, including their implications and underlying assumptions;
Set up a game matrix and extended form game for simultaneous and dynamic games respectively and find all Nash Equilibria using Game Theory techniques;
Determine whether a Nash Equilibrium is Pareto Efficient;
Use Game Theory to illustrate how poverty traps form in competitive markets where everyone is acting in his or her own self-interest;
Interpret production frontiers and indifference curves in an agricultural household model;
Describe fundamental issues in development economics by citing examples and outcomes from peer-reviewed economic studies

ECNS 320 Public Finance: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS. (F) Analysis of public expenditure programs, government behavior, and public decision making. Topics such as health care and welfare programs, and principles of taxation will be covered

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Apply microeconomic theory to issues in public finance, with a focus on externalities, public goods, taxation, and social insurance.
Evaluate the empirical literature on contemporary questions in public finance.
Explain equity and efficiency trade-offs in issues such as health care, income redistribution, taxation, and other policy issues.

ECNS 332 Econ of Natural Resources: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS. (Sp) Economic principles regarding the allocation and use of natural resources and the impact of institutional factors within which these decisions are implemented. Emphasis on property rights, economic rent, and impact of regulations on resources such as forests, fisheries, land, and water

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Explain the terminology and concepts used in natural resource management and policy.
Apply analytical tools (in words, graphs, and math) to understand real-world resource issues.
Identify potential policy solutions to new problems in natural resource management.
Critically evaluate policy proposals for resource problems and describe their pros and cons.
Recognize when empirical estimates are needed and suggest basic strategies to obtain them.

ECNS 335 Energy Economics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS. (Sp) This course covers the economics of international energy markets. You will learn and apply economic models to understand markets for oil, gas, coal, electricity, and renewable energy resources. Models, modeling techniques, and issues included are supply and demand, market structure, futures markets, climate change, other environmental issues, energy policy, energy regulation, energy conservation, pros and cons of different energy sources. The course will include data analysis, economic forecasting, game theory, and optimization

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Evaluate energy markets from economic, financial, and safety/security perspectives.
Discover energy related data necessary to evaluate energy markets.
Explain the factors that influence efficiency in allocating non-renewable energy resources and the correction of market failure.
Assess energy policy from the perspective of economic efficiency.
Summarize the basics of energy-related climate policy.

ECNS 345 Econ Org, Finance & Credit: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS. (F) Alternatives available to business owners for acquiring and maintaining control over resources used in production. Emphasis is on the management of cash, credit, debt, taxes, and interest in relation to price levels and general economic conditions. Primary focus is the agriculture industry. Cross-listed with AGBE 345

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An understanding of various ways in which firms organize, and financial capital markets are structured, to address the incentive and information problems that arise with the separation of ownership and an ability to determine credit worthiness, repayment capacity, financial performance, and amortization schedules under a variety of loan terms.
A solid foundation on the management of cash, credit, debt, taxes, and interest in relation to price levels and general economic conditions.
An understanding of the consequences of ownership structure and financial contracts for economic efficiency.
A thorough understanding of firm-level capital investment decision-making, including the consequent implications for incentives and information asymmetries.

ECNS 372 Economic History of US: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 202 and ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS. (Sp) This course will apply economic principles to study the determinants of growth within U.S. economic history. Topics include westward expansion, transportation and urbanization, slavery, political institutions, educational attainment, the public health revolution, and the urban mortality transition

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Demonstrate proficiency in applying the economic way of thinking to historical topics in economics
Demonstrate proficiency in applying the intuition behind causal inference to historical topics in\\neconomics
Effectively evaluate trends in economic growth from the perspective of causal inference \\n
Effectively evaluate drivers of long-run trends in mortality
Write a literature review on a historical economics topic of their choice
Effectively communicate their literature review topic to a diverse audience
Effectively critique and evaluate the literature reviews written by their classmates

ECNS 394 Seminar: 1 Credits (1 Other)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or consent of instructor. () On demand. Current economic problems and current writings of people in the profession. Topics vary each semester; students should check with the department before registering
Repeatable up to 99 credits.

ECNS 403R Introduction to Econometrics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 301 and M 161Q or M 171Q or equivalent; STAT 337 or BMGT 240IS or EIND 354 or equivalent. (F, Sp) Senior capstone course. Statistical analysis and interpretation of quantitative data in economics. Focus on estimating economic relationships and conducting hypothesis testing in economics. Utilizes cutting-edge statistical software packages and real data to apply economic methods to problems in business, economics, and public policy

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Formulate economic hypotheses and techniques for examining those hypotheses empirically.
Utilize statistical software and real data to apply economic methods to local and global problems in business, economics and public policy.
Apply critical thinking and analysis skills to assess the quality and content of things they read and hear.
Understand logical research organization and structure.
Communicate research and research methodology effectively through written and oral communication skills.
Show proficiency in Stata to perform statistical analysis.

ECNS 406 Industrial Organization: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 301. () On demand. Offers students the opportunity to use training in price theory by focusing on issues concerned with public policy toward business. The subject matter should appeal to students in pre-law and business as well as economics majors

ECNS 432R Economic Policy Evaluation: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 301. (F) Senior capstone course. The relationship between microeconomic analysis and policy evaluation. The course covers applied welfare economics and methods of causal inference for evaluating public policies. By the end of the course, students will have an understanding of the types of research designs that can lead to convincing analysis. Applications include public health, crime, environmental economics, and labor market issues

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Demonstrate proficiency in applying theoretical welfare economics to policy evaluation
Demonstrate proficiency in applying methods of causal inference to policy evaluation
Think critically about empirical methods, applications, and assumptions
Write a research paper on an applied economics topic that is based on an original data analysis
Effectively communicate their research topic to a diverse audience
Effectively critique and evaluate research topics chosen by their classmates

ECNS 433 Economics of the Environment: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS. (F) Prerequisite: ECNS 204IS or ECNS 251IS or AGBE 210IS. This course introduces students to the economic analysis of environmental issues and policies. It highlights the causes of environmental pollution and tools for controlling it through economic analysis. This course will cover topics on the values of preservation, climate change, and the distribution of costs and benefits from environmental policies

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Use evidence to identify sources and consequences of environmental degradation associated with human activity.
Explain the incentives and economic fundamentals that underlie these activities and develop policies that balance the costs and benefits associated with environmental economic policy.
Summarize research in environmental economics and critically analyze policy and media surrounding environmental issues.
Concisely communicate environmental policy in a manner that is understandable to policymakers and the general public.
Apply market and non-market valuation methods for environmental resources.

ECNS 451 Behavioral & Experimental Economics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 301 and STAT 337 or equivalent. (Sp) This course is an introduction to behavioral economics, a growing field which uses insights from psychology to improve economic models of behavior

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Articulate the predictions of standard economic models of rational behavior and explain how some commonly observed behaviors violate them.
Write down and solve alternate models that explain phenomena such as procrastination and self-control problems, sharing and cooperation norms, reference-dependent preferences, and biased predictions about one’s own future preferences.
Apply the concept of libertarian paternalism to identify and develop policies that lead individuals to make better choices according to their own preferences and goals.
Describe the common tools and tasks used by experimental economists, such as the dictator game, the ultimatum game, the beauty contest game, and methods for measuring risk preferences.
Rationalize, design, implement, analyze, and critique a simple experiment testing a hypothesis derived from the topics covered in this class.

ECNS 460 Advanced Data Analytics in Economics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 301 and either ECNS 403 or EIND 457. (F) Course builds practical skills, intuition, and best practices for cleaning, exploring, visualizing, and presenting data, programming with R, and solving problems in prediction and causal inference. Develops familiarity with available tools for data acquisition, spatial analysis, and machine learning

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Use the programming language R to load, clean, explore, and characterize data.\\n
Write code that conforms to best practices for collaboration and reproducibility.\\n
Create data visualizations that communicate meaning effectively and concisely.\\n
Distinguish between situations that call for predictive models vs. causal inference.\\n
Deploy common machine-learning algorithms in appropriate ways.\\n
Identify resources to learn more about tools in data science on your own.\\n

ECNS 461 Financial Econometrics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 403R or EIND 457. (F) Introduce important concepts in econometrics with an emphasis on time series and panel data. The R statistical software will be to develop empirical analyses of financial markets data

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Students will describe and comprehend in detail properties of the linear regression model.
Students will demonstrate proficiency in constructing usable time-series data sets.
Students will specify testable hypotheses that can be used to answer relevant questions in financial engineering.
Students will design time-series regression models that apply to financial engineering topics.
Students will analyze and critique existing financial engineering applied research.
Students will recognize and identify common modeling problems and modify regression models to appropriately reconcile the issues.
Students will develop R code to successfully implement econometric models for assessing time series and panel data.
Students will interpret statistical results and make inferences related to the research hypotheses.

ECNS 490R Undergraduate Research: 1-8 Credits (1-8 Other)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 204IS, junior standing, and approval of instructor. () On demand. Intended for upper division undergraduate research/undergraduate scholars program. The student will work closely with the supervising faculty. Course will address responsible conduct of research
Repeatable up to 8 credits.

View Course Outcomes:

Critical thinking necessary to synthesize information
Development and application of skills appropriate to the research project
Directed research and study on an individual basis for advanced students.
Directed undergraduate research which may culminate in a research paper, journal article, or undergraduate thesis. Course will address responsible conduct of research.

ECNS 491 Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Determined by each offering. On demand. Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one-time need, or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting a regular course number
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

ECNS 492 Independent Study: 1-3 Credits (1-3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Junior standing, consent of instructor, and approval of department head. Directed research and study on an individual basis
Repeatable up to 6 credits.

View Course Outcomes:

Critical thinking necessary to synthesize information
Development and application of skills appropriate to the research project
Directed research and study on an individual basis for advanced students.
Directed undergraduate research which may culminate in a research paper, journal article, or undergraduate thesis. Course will address responsible conduct of research.

ECNS 494 Seminar: 1 Credits (1 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Junior standing and as determined for each offering. () On demand. Topics offered at the upper division level which are not covered in regular courses. Students participate in preparing and presenting discussion material. Course is co-convened with ECNS 594
Repeatable up to 4 credits.

ECNS 502 Macroeconomic Theory: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 303. (Sp) This course provides the bridge from undergraduate to introductory graduate macroeconomic theory. The foundation of modern macroeconomics and dynamic economic analysis are rigorously presented. The macroeconomic workhorses: the Solow growth model, the Neoclassical growth model, the overlapping generations model, and models of technological change and technology adoption are surveyed along with many extensions to those models. Additional topics include time inconsistency, dynamic efficiency, and the Lucas critique

View Course Outcomes:

Apply mathematical tools necessary to analyze modern macroeconomic models.
Explain the effects of fiscal policies (taxes) and monetary policies (interest rates) on the macroeconomy.
Assess various models that explain how countries grow, both in the short and long run.
Identify, summarize, interpret, and critique relevant scholarly literature.

ECNS 503 Microeconomic Theory I: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 301 or consent of instructor. (F) PREREQUISITE: ECNS 301 or consent of instructor. This is an advanced course in microeconomic theory. Topics include comparative statics, partial equilibrium analysis, market structure, welfare analysis, strategic and extensive form games, and information economics

View Course Outcomes:

interpret comparative statics analyses.
compute equilibrium outcomes in different settings and market structures.
evaluate policy interventions.
compare economic and social outcomes across different settings and market structures.
apply game-theoretic tools to evaluate strategic interactions.

ECNS 504 Microeconomic Theory II: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 401 and Consent of Instructor. Economic models of optimization as they apply to consumer and firm decision making. Topics covered include comparative statics, theory of the firm and consumer, and consumer and producer surplus

View Course Outcomes:

Derive testable hypotheses regarding consumer and producer behavior using mathematical programming techniques
Evaluate the comparative statics consequences of changes in economic parameters for consumer behavior, producer behavior, and market outcomes using partial equilibrium models
Construct general equilibrium models of markets and use them to evaluate comparative statics consequences of changes in economics parameters
Derive conditions under which it is possible to rank alternative economic outcomes in terms of their social desirability\\n

ECNS 560 Advanced Data Analytics in Economics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 403 OR EIND 457. Course builds practical skills, intuition, and best practices for cleaning, exploring, visualizing, and presenting data, programming with R, and solving problems in prediction and causal inference. Develops familiarity with available tools for data acquisition, spatial analysis, and machine learning

View Course Outcomes:

Apply programming tools to locate, load, merge, clean, explore, characterize, and maintain data.\\n
Develop data analysis projects in ways that are reproducible and facilitate efficient collaboration.
Create data visualizations that successfully answer well-defined questions.
Evaluate the appropriate use and limitations of regression and machine learning models for research and analysis in specific situations.
Solve specialized problems in data analysis by identifying, assessing, selecting, and deploying new tools on their own\\n

ECNS 561 Econometrics I: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 301, M 221, and ECNS 403 or EIND 457. (F) The use of regression analysis in the estimation of economic relationships, with emphasis on development of the least squares technique, the properties of estimators, and hypothesis testing in the context of the regression model

View Course Outcomes:

Understand important concepts in econometrics, including probability theory, mathematical statistics, matrix algebra
Apply these concepts to developing econometric analyses.
Utilize the linear regression analysis to examine data and interpret results.
Describe the statistical properties of the linear regression model.
Understand issues related to data collection and data management skills.
Have direct experience in effectively choosing research topics.

ECNS 562 Econometrics II: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: ECNS 561 and Consent of Instructor. (Sp) Continuation of material in ECNS 561. The course covers advanced econometric techniques used by applied microeconomics. These typically include panel data methods, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity design, time series analysis, maximum likelihood estimation, and limited dependent variable models

View Course Outcomes:

Be able to identify common issues in estimating causal relationships using non-experimental data.
Be able to compare critique the most common identification methods used by applied economists both conceptually and using common test statistics.
Be able to implement these models using a student’s chosen statistical package. Analyze and interpret results.
Develop other econometric tools, including maximum likelihood estimators and limited dependent variable models. Depending on student interests, this may also include time-series estimation topics.
Conduct and present a substantive empirical research project using the tools developed in class. For students in the master’s program, this is often a start in your thesis.

ECNS 569 Research Methodology: 1 Credits (1 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Graduate standing, ECNS 301, ECNS 303. (F) The research process as a means of acquiring knowledge which is reliable and relevant to problems

View Course Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
1. Have an improved understanding of economics research
2. Understand and exercise the scientific method
3. Identify what is and is not good economics research
4. Describe and identify what constitutes fraud and dishonesty in research
5. Have improved technical writing skills

ECNS 589 Graduate Consultation: 3 Credits (3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Master's standing and approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies. () On demand. This course may be used only by students who have completed all of their course work (and thesis, if on a thesis plan) but who need additional faculty or staff time or help

ECNS 590 Master's Thesis: 1-10 Credits (1-10 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Master's standing. (Sp) May be repeated
Repeatable up to 99 credits.

View Course Outcomes:

Students will demonstrate an advanced level of Economic ability to merit the successful defense of the thesis.
Students will demonstrate the advanced critical and analytical ability to merit the successful defense of the thesis paper.
Students will demonstrate the combined analytical and critical ability to become successful professionals in the field of Applied Economics.

ECNS 591 Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Upper division courses and others as determined for each offering. On demand. Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one-time need, or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting a regular course number
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

ECNS 592 Independent Study: 1-3 Credits (1-3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and approval of department head and Dean of Graduate Studies. () On demand. Directed research and study on an individual basis
Repeatable up to 6 credits.

ECNS 594 Seminar: 1 Credits (1 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Graduate standing or seniors by petition. () On demand. Course prerequisites as dependent on the offering. Topics offered at the graduate level which are not covered in regular courses. Students participate in preparing and presenting discussion material. Course is co-convened with ECNS 494
Repeatable up to 4 credits.