Graduate Course Descriptions

ECON 501 - MICROECONOMIC THEORY I

Instructor: Camelia Bejan
Theory of the firm, the theory of consumer behavior, and partial equilibrium analysis.

ECON 502 - MACROECONOMICS/MONETARY THEORY I

Instructor: Ted Temzelides
Macroeconomic theory of output, consumption, investment, interest rates, inflation, and employment.

ECON 504 - ADVANCED ECONOMIC STATISTICS

Instructor: Natalia Sizova
Statistical inference and the testing of hypotheses multiple and partial correlation analysis; analysis of variance and regression. Cross-listed with STAT 604.

ECON 505 - MACROECONOMICS/MONETARY THEORY II

Instructor: Borghan Narajabad
More detailed discussion of selective macroeconomic and monetary topics.

ECON 506 - TOPICS IN MACROECONOMIC/MONETARY THEORY

Discussion of selected topics of current interest.  Repeatable for credit.

ECON 507 - MATHEMATICAL ECONOMICS I

Instructor: Anna Bogomolnaia
Theory of houshold, firm; activity analysis; set theory, matrix algebra, vector calculus, metric spaces, separation theory, and constrained optimization.

ECON 508 - MICROECONOMICS II

Instructor: Anna Bogomolnaia
Pre-requisites: ECON 501 
Set theoretic approach to general equilibrium; aggregate linear and nonlinear production models; existence, stability, and optimality.

ECON 509 - MICROECONOMICS III

Instructor: Herve Moulin
Pre-requisites: ECON 508 
Social choice and preference aggregation. Cardinal welfarism. Bargaining: axiomatic and strategic models. Cooperative games: core-stability and coalition formation, Shapley value, cost and surplus sharing. Mecanism design: dominant strategy, strategy-proof voting, fair division, and cost sharing; implementation in Nash, Strong, and Bayesian Equilibrium.

ECON 510 - ECONOMETRICS I

Instructor: Mahmoud El-Gamal
Pre-requisites: ECON 504
Estimation and inference in single equation regression models, multicollinearity, autocorrelated and heteroskedastic disturbances, distributed lags, asymptotic theory, and maximum likelihood techniques.  Emphasis is placed on the ability to analyze critically the literature. Cross-listed with STAT 610.

ECON 511 - ECONOMETRICS II

Instructor: Robin Sickles
Pre-requisites: ECON 510 
Topics in linear and nonlinear simultaneous equations estimation, including qualitative and categorical dependent variables models and duration analysis. Applied exercises use SAS and the Wharton Quarterly Econometric Model. Cross-listed with STAT 611.

ECON 512 - INTERNATIONAL TRADE THEORY

Exploration of classical, neoclassical, and modern trade theory. Includes welfare aspects of trade such as the theory of commercial policy, with emphasis on applicaions. Not offered every year.

ECON 514 - INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS AND CONTROL

Instructor: Marc Dudey
Core topics include monopoly, price discrimination, vertical control, short-run price competition, dynamic price competition and tacit collusion, price and non-price competition with differentiated products, entry barriers, information and strategic behavior (e.g. limit pricing, auctions), and research and development.

ECON 515 - LABOR ECONOMICS

Instructor: James Brown
Exploration of the economics of the labor market and the economic implications of trade unions, with emphasis on major public policy issues.

ECON 516 - EMPIRICAL MICROECONOMICS

Instructor: Richard Boylan / Vivian Ho
Overview of methods used in empirical microeconomics research with special emphasis on health and legal topics.

ECON 518 - INTERNATIONAL MACROECONOMICS

Effects of fiscal and monetary policies on exchange rates and the current account and balance of payments. Includes exchange market efficiency, exchange rates and prices, LDC debt, and policy coordination. Not offered every year.

ECON 519 - ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Analysis of theory and policy questions relating to the level and rate of economic development. Not offered every year.

ECON 521 - PUBLIC ECONOMICS: EXPENDITURE POLICY

Instructor: TBA
Theory of public goods and externalities, political mechanisms and public choice, theory of local public goods, cost-benefit analysis and project evaluation issues of income redistribution.

ECON 522 - PUBLIC ECONOMICS: TAX POLICY

Instructor: George Zodrow
Study of the effects of taxation on individual and firm behavior, general equilibrium tax incidence analysis, optimal taxation theory, optimal implementation of tax reform, analysis of comprehensive income, and consumption taxes.

ECON 523 - DYNAMIC OPTIMIZATION

Instructor: Peter Hartley
Study of dynamic optimization in discrete and continuous time, including numerical methods and applications to microeconomics, finance and resource and energy economics.

ECON 524 - BASIC FINANCIAL ENGINEERING

Instructor: Mahmoud El-Gamal
Financial engineers design and analyze products that improve the efficiency of markets and create mechanisms for reducing risk.  This course introduces the basics of financial engineering: the notions of arbitrage and risk-neutral probability measure are developed in the case of discrete models; Black-Scholes theory is introduced in continuous-time models, and interest rate derivatives and the term structure of interest rates are discussed.  Stochastic processes, to calculus and diffusion models are used as basic analytical tools.  Statistical methodologies to estimate and test the models commonly used in finance and financial engineering are also introduced.  Graduate/undergraduate version: ECON 449.

ECON 547 -ADVANCED TOPICS IN ENERGY ECONOMICS

Instructor: Kenneth Medlock
A more detailed development and analysis of topics in energy modeling.  Topics include optimal extraction of depletable resources with uncertainty, energy demand by commodity and end-use sector, and the relationship between energy commodity prices.  Graduate/Undergraduate version: ECON 477.

ECON 565 - HEALTH ECONOMICS

Instructor: Vivian Ho
Study of economic aspects of health.  Includes production, cost, demand and suply factors; methods of payment and effects of regulation.

ECON 577 - TOPICS IN ECONOMIC THEORY I

Instructor: Anna Bogomolnaia
Discussion of topics in advanced economic theory. Repeatable for credit.

ECON 578 - TOPICS IN ECONOMIC THEORY II

Discussion topics in advanced economic theory. Repeatable for credit. Not offered every year.

ECON 579 - TOPICS IN ECONOMETRICS

Instructor: Natalia Sizova
Pre-requisites: ECON 511
Discussion of selected topics in advanced econometrics.  Repeatable for credit.

ECON 592 - TOPICS IN POLICY AND APPLIED ECONOMICS

Discussion of selected topics in policy and applied economics. Repeatable for credit. Not offered every year.

ECON 593 (Fall) / ECON 594 (Spring) - WORKSHOP IN ECONOMICS I

Seminars on advanced topics in macroeconomics, microeconomics, econometrics and applied microeconomic theory, presented through guest lectures by leading researches. Must be in one of the following Classification(s): Graduate. Repeatable for credit.

Section 001
WORKSHOP IN MACROECONOMICS
Instructor: Borghan Narajabad

Section 002
WORKSHOP IN APPLIED MICROECONOMICS
Instructor:  Richard Boylan

Section 003
WORKSHOP IN MICROECONOMICS
Instructor: Herve Moulin

Section 004
WORKSHOP IN ECONOMETRICS
Instructor: Robin Sickles

ECON 595 - WORKSHOP IN ECONOMICS II

This is the second year continuation of ECON 593-594.  Repeatable for credit.

ECON 597 and ECON 598 - READINGS IN ADVANCED TOPICS

Repeatable for credit.

ECON 800 - GRADUATE RESEARCH

Repeatable for credit.