• ECON 4370

    Behavioral Finance
     Rating

    3.56

     Difficulty

    2.62

     GPA

    3.26

    Last Taught

    Spring 2026

    Behavioral finance questions the efficient market hypothesis. In addition, this course explores noise trader models and the 'over and under reaction' debate. Readings are mostly from professional journals. Students should be quite serious about finance. Prerequisite: Econ 3010 or 3110 and ECON 4340

  • ECON 4820

    Experimental Economics
     Rating

    3.67

     Difficulty

    2.00

     GPA

    3.81

    Last Taught

    Spring 2026

    Explores the use of laboratory methods to study economic behavior. Topics include experimental design, laboratory technique, financial incentives, and analysis of data. Emphasizes applications: bargaining, auctions, market price competition, market failures, voting, contributions to public goods, lottery choice decisions, and the design of electronic markets for financial assets. Prerequisite: ECON 3010 or 3110 and a course in statistics, 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 2010

    Principles of Economics: Microeconomics
     Rating

    3.85

     Difficulty

    3.10

     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 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.

  • ECON 2020

    Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics
     Rating

    4.06

     Difficulty

    3.02

     GPA

    3.12

    Last Taught

    Spring 2026

    Studies the determinants of aggregate economic activity, the effects of monetary and fiscal policy upon national income, and economic policy toward unemployment and inflation. 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 4110

    Competitive Strategy
     Rating

    4.33

     Difficulty

    3.00

     GPA

    3.57

    Last Taught

    Spring 2026

    A course in business strategy for advanced undergraduates. Examines topics such as value creation and capture, industry structure, creating and maintaining competitive advantage, vertical structure of the firm, adapting to change, and long-run growth of the firm. Extensive use of business school cases and readings from the popular press.

  • ECON 4360

    Empirical Finance
     Rating

    4.33

     Difficulty

    3.00

     GPA

    3.33

    Last Taught

    Spring 2026

    Develops and tests models of asset pricing and allocation in finance, to determine both the validity of the theories and the extent to which they should guide us in financial decision-making. Prerequisite: Must have met the Financial Economics concentration declaration prerequisites.

  • ECON 3600

    Economics of the Art Market
     Rating

    4.67

     Difficulty

    3.00

     GPA

    3.55

    Last Taught

    Spring 2026

    This course investigates key topics in the economics of the art market (or markets). It may be viewed as a course in applied micro-economics, with an interest in identifying the key factors that shape market outcomes, whether measured in terms of prices of individual artworks, the distribution of revenues among the major players in the market (artists, dealers, auction houses, etc.), or the financial rewards to the ownership of fine art.