General Economics (ECON)

2410 Principles of Economics, Macroeconomics. Three credits. As an aid to understanding modern economic society: economic concepts of national income and its fluctuations, inflation, unemployment, role of the banking system, monetary and fiscal policies, and international topics.

2420 Principles of Economics, Microeconomics. Three credits. As an aid to understanding modern economic society: economic concepts of consumer and firm behavior; the pricing of goods, services, and productive factors; international topics; and an overview of the American economy.

3210 The Financial System and the Economy. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 2410; junior standing. Basic introduction to the functions of financial institutions and markets in the conduct of domestic and international economic transactions. Within financial market context, focus on special role that money plays as an asset and a determinant of the price level, the cause of inflation and inflation's effects on interest rates and borrowing costs, and the influence of Federal Reserve actions (monetary policy) on money and interest rates.

3510 Macroeconomic Theory and Policy. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 2410; junior standing. Analysis of national income, employment, and price levels. Monetary and fiscal policies; international economic relations.

3540 Japanese Economy and Business. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 2410; junior standing. The Japanese economy and its social, physical, and trade environment in comparison with those in other countries, particularly the United States. May be used for credit toward the Global Studies minor.

3910 Computer Applications in Economics and Finance. Three credits. (Same as FIN 3910.) Prerequisites: INFS 3100; ECON 2420; FIN 3010 or 3000. Employing a computer in economic and financial decision making. Covers spreadsheets, object-relational database management systems, and data warehousing.

3970, 3980 Cooperative Education. Three credits. (Same as FIN 3970 and 3980.) Prerequisite: Junior standing. Cooperative Education experiences provide students with opportunities for on-the-job training in conjunction with on-campus academics. These courses do not satisfy major or minor requirements. Interested students should contact the MTSU Cooperative Education Office. Students will be selected for participation, and opportunities may be limited.

4260 Financial Markets and Institutions. Three credits. (Same as FIN 4260.) Prerequisites: ECON 3210 with a minimum grade of C (2.0); FIN 3010 or 3000. Examines the structure and functioning of our monetary-financial system. Emphasis on the institutional process of financial intermediation in the financial marketplace and the role that specific institutions and instruments play.

4440 International Economics. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 2410, 2420; junior standing. Differences between domestic trade and international trade, foundations of international trade, economic effects of free trade and restricted trade; mechanisms of international payments and structure of balance of payments; history and contemporary issues of trade policies and world monetary systems.

4470 Economic Development of the Third World. Three credits. Pre-requisites: ECON 2410, 2420; junior standing. Conditions and problems of the less-developed countries; causes, processes, and consequences of economic development; introduction to basic growth models, development theories, and strategies for development. Economic as well as non-economic factors studied.

4570 Managerial Economics. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 2420; MATH 1630 or 1810 or 1910; junior standing. Familiarity with time value of money, spreadsheet, and regression analysis helpful. Microeconomic theories in depth; emphasizes practical applications in economic decisions. Topics cover fundamental economic concepts, theory of demand, theory of production, theory of cost, optimization, forecasting, game strategy in oligopolistic rivalry, long-term investment, and regression analysis.

4620 Econometrics and Forecasting. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 2410, 2420; MATH 1810 or 1910; junior standing. The application of statistical methods to economic problems; covers statistical inference, regression analysis in economics and finance, and an introduction to econometrics. Emphasis on applications to actual economic data and includes use of econometric software.

4650 Comparative Economic Systems. Three credits. Prerequisite: ECON 2410. Compares economic institutions and performance among nations; presents the historical and cultural context of economic evolution in selected nations; and examines the relationship between institutional arrangements and outcomes such as prosperity, liberty, and equality.

4660 History of Economic Thought. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 2410, 2420; junior standing. Background of modern economic thought; ancient economic thought; the main current of developing economic analysis through feudalism, mercantilism, and the physiocrats; Adam Smith and the classical economists; rebels and the neoclassical economists; twentieth-century contributions.

4890 Internship in Economics. One to three credits. Prerequisites: Junior standing and recommendation of advisor. Supervised work experience in cooperating business firms or governmental agencies together with specialized academic study relating to the work experience.

4920 Business Decisions Using an Intelligence System. Three credits. Prerequisite: INFS 3100, ECON/FIN 3910, or consent of the instructor. Logic, techniques, and practical implementation of a business intelligence system. Focuses on incorporating the concept of economic value added into data modeling. Process of building a system using Microsoft Office, Cognos Impromptu, and Cognos PowerPlay.

4990 Problems in Economics. One to three credits. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Problems for intensive study are chosen in joint consultation between student and instructor.

5390 Employee Benefits. Three credits. (Same as FIN 5390.) Includes descriptive review and taxation, legislative, and administrative dimensions of the major components of employee benefit plans such as retirement systems, deferred compensation plans, health insurance, death benefits, disability benefits, paid and unpaid time off. Technical analysis and problem solving emphasized to develop applied skills. Social insurance and international benefits integrated.

5440 International Economics. Three credits. Differences between .domestic trade and international trade and foundations of international trade; economic effects of free trade and restricted trade; mechanisms of international payments and structure of balance of payments; history and contemporary issues of trade policies and world monetary systems.

5470 Economic Development of the Third World. Three credits. Conditions and problems of the less developed countries; causes, processes, and consequences of economic development; introduction to basic growth models, development theories, and strategies for development. Economic as well as noneconomic factors studied.

5620 Econometrics and Forecasting. Three credits. Prerequisites: Q M 2610 and MATH 1810 or equivalent. Application of mathematical and statistical techniques to economic problems. Introduces econometric model construction and estimation and related problems. Requires use of econometric computer package.

5840 Study Abroad. Three credits. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and completion of core courses in respective field as determined by graduate business studies. A short-term international business education experience designed to expose the student to the economic, political, cultural, and social environments of a foreign country(ies), with specific emphasis directed toward the international state/status of the subject matter pertinent to the discipline.

5890 Internship in Economics. Three credits. Prerequisite: Graduate status and recommendation of advisor. Supervised work experience in cooperating business firms or government agencies together with specialized academic study relating to the work experience.

5990 Problems in Economics. Three credits. Problems for intensive study are chosen in joint consultation between student and instructor.

6000 Managerial Economics. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 2410 and 2420 or 4570 or equivalent. Primarily for M.B.A. students with particular attention given to business administration and finance topics including demand analysis, production and cost decisions, quantitative market analysis, capital budgeting, and alternative theories of the firm. Special emphasis on case studies, software applications, and interpretation of economic meanings of related analyses.

6030 Survey of Economic Theory. Three credits. Overview of micro-and macroeconomic principles with an emphasis on applications to decision making in a competitive market environment. May not be used for elective credit in graduate business degree programs.

6100 Mathematical Methods for Economics. Three credits. Preparation for core courses in economics. Covers all essential mathematical methods, including matrix algebra, differential and integral calculus, constrained optimization, the use of differential and difference equations in dynamic analysis, the basics of optimal control, and stochastic calculus.

6110 Macroeconomics I. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 3510 Measurement concepts in macroeconomics, schools of macro-economic thought, traditional models of aggregate demand and supply, open economy models and issues, and new approaches to macroeconomics. Computer applications.

6120 Microeconomics I. Three credits. Prerequisite: ECON 2420. Intensive review of the structure of microeconomic theory including optimization algorithms, envelope theory, preference axioms, intertemporal choice, alternative forms of cost and production functions, behavior under uncertainty, pricing information, market strategies, game theory, general equilibrium, social choice, and externalities.

6200/ 7200 Economics of Education. Three credits. Prerequisite: ECON 6120 or permission. The role of education in creating human capital, the existence of externalities, the returns to education, the education "industry" and the issues surrounding education reform.

6400 Economics of Health Care. Three credits. Applications of microeconomics to analysis of the health care delivery system in the United States. Major issues include the private and public demand for health care, supply of health care, cost of health care, the pricing of health care, and the analysis of the various health care reform policies of the industry. Examines how economics can provide valuable insights into the above problems of social choice.

6440 Special Topics in Economics. Three credits. Independent study of a particular topic selected by the student and approved by the instructor. Provides an opportunity to study special areas of interest for which regular courses are not offered.

6450 Seminar on Monetary Policy. Three credits. (Same as FIN 6450.) Prerequisite: ECON 3210 or equivalent recommended. Objectives and limitations of monetary policy, alternative monetary theories underlying policy decisions and the controversy among theories, transmission channels of monetary policy, alternative strategies used to achieve the objectives of monetary policy, practical considerations in the execution of monetary policy, global linkages and monetary policy, and the effects and consequences of policy decisions on economic activity and business decisions.

6460/ 7460 Seminar on Financial Markets. Three credits. (Same as FIN 6460/7460.) Prerequisite: FIN 3000 or 3010 or 6000 or equivalent. Credit flows within the U.S. and the global economies, the economic and financial forces influencing the general level of interest rates and the relationship among interest rates, the characteristics of key short- and long-term financial assets, new financial instruments, derivative instruments, global financing linkages, global linkages among financial instruments and among national economies, and interest rate risk, including the measurement and means of protection.

6470/ 7470 Seminar in Economic Growth and Development. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 2410 and 2420 and permission of instructor. Satisfies the M.B.A. international course requirement. Critical analysis of causes, processes, and consequences of economic development; evaluation of various policies and strategies for economic development; introduction to advanced growth models and theories. Special emphasis on the less developed countries.

6520 Special Media Projects. Three credits. Nontraditional learning experiences. Approval includes faculty and student written mutual agreement and conformance to departmental standards for independent study. Examples of special projects include production of CDs, DVDs, cable TV programming, Internet projects, internships that clearly add nonredundant learning experiences, or highly applied projects that demonstrate the integration of information technologies into mainstream business or other organization decision making.

6530 International Trade Theory and Policy. Three credits. Prerequisite: ECON 5440 or equivalent background recommended. Advanced study of the key topics covered and introduction to other topics not covered in ECON 5440. Critical examination of major issues and evaluation of latest theories in international trade and monetary relations.

6540 Japanese Society and Business. Three credits. (Same as SOC 6710.) Japanese economy, business practices, and social and physical environment in comparison with those in other countries, particularly the United States.

6550 Studies in Economic Development: Pacific Asia. Three credits. Prerequisite: ECON 5470 or equivalent recommended. Analysis and evaluation of processes of economic development with focus on a specific area of the United States or of the world. Area covered varies.

6560 Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Restructuring. Three credits. (Same as FIN 6560.) Issues covered include the reasons firms merge, buyer and seller motivations, the assessment of merger prospect value, merger waves and their consequences, the concentration of economic power resulting from mergers, policies toward mergers, the effects of takeover defenses, and the effects of mergers on the economy.

6620 Econometrics I. Three credits. (Same as FIN 6620.) Prerequisite: ECON 4620 or equivalent. Focuses on the use of regression analysis in economics. Emphasis on using econometric soft-ware packages to investigate actual economic problems. A pre-requisite for ECON 6630.

6630 Econometrics II. Three credits. Prerequisite: ECON 6620 or per-mission of instructor. Covers more advanced topics in econometrics, including recent model adequacy tests, Box-Jenkins time series analysis, dynamic modeling, systems of equations, discrete and limited dependent variable models, pooled regression. Emphasizes practical applications in various computing environments.

6640 Thesis Research. One to six credits. Selection of a research problem, review of pertinent literature, collection and analysis of data, and composition of thesis. Once enrolled, student should register for at least one credit hour of master's research each semester until completion. S/U grading.

6660/ 7660 History of Economic Thought. Three credits. Prerequisite: Graduate status. The evolution of economic thought from Aristotle to John Maynard Keynes as shaped by economic, social, political, and intellectual forces.

6730 Seminar on Financial Institutions. Three credits. (Same as FIN 6730.) Focus on the common and distinctive aspects of the pro-vision of financial services and the management of risk associated with those services. Roles, characteristics, and operation of financial institutions, constraints that these institutions face in meeting that objective, regulatory environment within which they operate, risks that they face and the management of those risks, evolution experienced during the 1980s and 1990s, and the probable course of change in the years ahead.

6999/ 7999 Comprehensive Examination and Preparation. One credit. Open only to students who are not enrolled in any other graduate course and who will take the master's comprehensive examination during the term. The student must contact the graduate advisor during the first two weeks of the term for specifics regarding the details of this comprehensive examination preparatory course. Credit may not be applied to degree requirements.

7110 Macroeconomics II. Three credits. Prerequisite: ECON 6110. Economic growth and dynamic models; models of consumption and investment behavior. Monetary and fiscal policy issues. Alternative modeling approaches: macroeconometric models vs. calibrated simulation models.

7120 Microeconomics II. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 6120 and 6620 or approved equivalents. Selected topics in microeconomics.

7121 Seminar in Applied Microeconomic Theory. Three credits. Pre-requisite: ECON 6120/7120. Advanced methods used in practical applications of economics. Topics include index numbers and productivity analysis; indicators and allocational effects of price distortions; multimarket partial equilibrium and computable general equilibrium models; construction, simulation, and interpretation of multisectoral growth models.

7250 Methods of Outcome Assessment. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 7120 and 7630. Deals with outcomes assessment of the educational process. Covers techniques to rank educational institutions, methods to assess the effectiveness of educational programs, ways to evaluate individual courses or instructors, and methods to assess student learning. Key quantitative tools that are used in outcomes assessment, including data envelope analysis, stochastic frontier models, and hierarchical linear models. Also considers the political and incentive problems that typically arise in implementing assessment methods in practice.

7500 Economics Workshop. One credit. Students present material related to their dissertation proposals or ongoing dissertation re-search to peers and the graduate faculty in a formal workshop setting. Credit is awarded after a student completes two separate workshop presentations that are judged satisfactory by the attending graduate faculty.

7550 Quantitative Policy Analysis in International Economics. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 6530, 7120, and 7630. Applications-oriented course emphasizing quantitative tools to analyze policy issues related to international trade, exchange rates, sectoral resource allocation, and growth. Topics include an ex-tended introduction to trade policy analysis using a general equilibrium modeling framework. Practical aspects of general equilibrium modeling emphasized and applied to a particular issue of interest, such as the impact of trade liberalization on labor markets and growth or the impact of trade and exchange rate distortions on resource allocation and growth.

7600 Instructional Development and Practice in Economics. Three credits. Workshop atmosphere where students learn and practice presenting key economic concepts, using new technology in the classroom (including remote link technology), organizing and structuring courses and individual classes, using assessment tools effectively, and avoiding dealing with conflict in the class-room. Offers preparation to teach hands-on undergraduate classes in economics.

7610 Economic Internship. Three credits. Prerequisites: FOED 7520 and SPSE 7550. Supervised teaching of undergraduate economics courses.

7630 Seminar in Applied Econometrics. Three credits. Prerequisites: ECON 6620 and 6630. Third course in the econometrics sequence. Advanced econometric methods and their use in the analysis of empirical problems in macroeconomics and microeconomics. Includes applications of recent panel data estimators, qualitative and limited dependent variable models, structural time series models, and the simulation of multiple-equation models. Emphasis on case studies that allow students to integrate knowledge from economic theory and econometrics.

7640 Dissertation Research. One to six credits. Selection of a re-search problem, review of pertinent literature, collection and analysis of data, and composition of dissertation. Once enrolled, student should register for at least one credit hour of doctoral research each semester until completion. S/U grading.

7710 Topics in Advanced Financial Economics. Three credits. (Same as FIN 7710.) Prerequisites: ECON/FIN 7460, ECON 7121, and ECON 7630. Major topics in financial economics including applied interest rate analysis, choice under uncertainty, the capital asset pricing model, consumption-based asset pricing model, factor models, the efficient markets hypothesis, and models of time-varying market volatility with an emphasis on empirical applications of theoretical concepts using Microsoft Excel. Cultivation of practical programming skills is designed to complement application of economic theory to financial markets.

7900 Research Seminar. Three credits. Students practice writing academic papers, critiques, and monographs in economics and finance, with some emphasis on developing a viable dissertation proposal. Includes identifying a topic, delineating its scope, fitting it into the literature, finding data, choosing an appropriate methodology, presenting the results and conclusions, and comparing them to the existing literature; pitfalls to avoid when working on dissertations and academic papers.

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