• ECON 2060

    American Economic History
     Rating

    3.72

     Difficulty

    4.03

     GPA

    2.94

    Last Taught

    Fall 2025

    Surveys American economic history from colonial origins to the present. Cross-listed as HIUS 2061.

  • ECON 3430

    Economics of Sustainability and the Environment
     Rating

    3.82

     Difficulty

    2.73

     GPA

    3.45

    Last Taught

    Fall 2025

    Sustainability addresses how we manage the environment and share limited, valuable natural resources across time and space. The lens of microeconomics helps us understand why we have environmental problems and how we can solve them. Economics provides valuable tools for solving problems with pollution, over-exploitation of resources, loss of biological diversity and, of course, global warming. Prerequisite: ECON 2010 or instructor permission.

  • ECON 4430

    Environmental Economics
     Rating

    3.82

     Difficulty

    2.48

     GPA

    3.50

    Last Taught

    Spring 2026

    Explores the origins of environmental problems, how to measure the value of environmental amenities, and the efficacy of specific forms of regulation, including mandated technologies, taxes, subsidies, and pollution permit trading. Topics include air and water pollution, climate change, the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, and sustainable development. Prerequisite: ECON 3010 or 3110.

  • ECON 4010

    Game Theory
     Rating

    3.82

     Difficulty

    4.07

     GPA

    3.42

    Last Taught

    Fall 2025

    Analyzes the theory of strategically interdependent decision making, with applications to auctions, bargaining, oligopoly, signaling, and strategic voting. Prerequisite: ECON 3010 or 3110, and STAT 2120 or equivalent

  • ECON 4310

    Economics of the Public Sector
     Rating

    3.83

     Difficulty

    3.30

     GPA

    3.21

    Last Taught

    Fall 2025

    Studies the justifications for government activities, the design of programs consistent with these justifications, the effects of major existing and proposed expenditure programs and taxes, and positive and normative analyses of political systems. Prerequisite: ECON 3010 or 3110.

  • ECON 2010

    Principles of Economics: Microeconomics
     Rating

    3.84

     Difficulty

    3.11

     GPA

    3.17

    Last Taught

    Spring 2026

    Studies demand and supply, consumer behavior, the theory of business enterprise, the operation of competitive and monopolistic markets, and the forces determining income distribution. A full introduction to economic principles warrants completion of both ECON 2010 and 2020. Students planning to take both semesters of economic principles are advised to take ECON 2010 first, though this is not required. The department recommends ECON 2010 to students intending to take only one semester of principles.

  • ECON 4170

    The Economics of Risk, Uncertainty, and Information
     Rating

    3.86

     Difficulty

    3.17

     GPA

    3.64

    Last Taught

    Spring 2026

    The principles of microeconomics are used to examine decision making under uncertainty: finance, learning, savings, contracts, and oligopoly. Prerequisite: ECON 3010 or ECON 3110.

  • ECON 3040

    The Economics of Education
     Rating

    3.88

     Difficulty

    2.92

     GPA

    3.23

    Last Taught

    Fall 2025

    Analyzes the demand for, and supply of, education in the United States, governmental policies regarding education, and proposed reforms. Prerequisite: ECON 2010.

  • ECON 3110

    Mathematical Microeconomics
     Rating

    3.95

     Difficulty

    4.28

     GPA

    3.45

    Last Taught

    Fall 2025

    Covers the same topics as ECON 3010 using differential calculus through constrained maximization of functions of several variables. Credit is not given for both ECON 3010 and 3110. Prerequisite: ECON 2010 and two semesters of calculus.

  • ECON 4880

    Seminar in Policy Analysis
     Rating

    4.00

     Difficulty

    5.00

     GPA

    3.73

    Last Taught

    Spring 2026

    Introduces the methods used to estimate the effects of existing and proposed government programs. Methods will be illustrated with applications to several areas of government policy. Students will complete an empirical policy analysis under faculty supervision. Prerequisite: ECON 3010 or 3110, ECON 3720, and ECON 4310.