Economics Courses

ECO 1307 - Economics of Personal Finance
Hours: 3
The course is designed to help students become prepared for a financially challenging world and to introduce the concepts and methods of personal financial planning. The financial planning process, the time value of money, taxation, credit, housing insurance, employee benefits, family economics and building a personal financial plan will be explored. The course is designed to integrate subject matter into a comprehensive format enabling students to understand and demonstrate the ability to develop a personal financial plan and to increase financial literacy. Special Projects include the students reviewing their credit report, creating a debt repayment plan, monitoring their spending habits, identifying their retirement needs.

ECO 2301 - Prin Macro Economics
Hours: 3
Introduces the student to the workings and interrelationships of the U.S. and world economics. Principles of economic analysis including measurement of aggregate economic activity, national income determination, money and banking, monetary and fiscal policy, and business fluctuation. Emphasis is given to analyzing real world problems such as poverty, inflation, unemployment, and economic instability.

ECO 2302 - Principles of Micro Economics
Hours: 3
Principles of Micro Economics. Three semester hours. Introduces the student to the basic concepts and tools of analysis in microeconomics. Focuses on the operation of markets, with emphasis placed on the analysis of current problems such as health care, the environment, crime, education and regulatory reform. A major concern is how prices of individual goods and services are determined and how prices influence decision making.

ECO 302 - Business and Economic Statistics
Hours: 3
This course introduces students to descriptive statistics (measures of central tendency and variation and representing data graphically) and statistical inference. Inference will involve sampling techniques, estimation, hypothesis testing and simple regression. Applications emphasize continuous improvement of products and services.

ECO 309 - Economic Forecasting
Hours: 3
Introduces the student to a variety of econometric and forecasting techniques and their application to business and applied policy analysis. Emphasis will be on enhancing the student’s ability to combine these tools with the latest analytical software/ technology and data in order to test meaningful policy hypotheses. Prerequisites: ECO 2301, 2302; ECO 302.

ECO 331 - Intermediate Macroeconomics
Hours: 3
Intermediate Macroeconomics. Three semester hours. (1) An analysis of national income and its components. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between saving, investment, and employment. Prerequisite: ECO 2301.

ECO 332 - Intermediate Micro Economics
Hours: 3
Intermediate Micro Economics. Three semester hours. (2) Demand, cost, and supply functions of firms; sources of data for their estimation; functions of prices and markets. Application of principles to empirical problems, decisions, and situations. Prerequisite: ECO 2302.

ECO 350 - Professional Practices for Economists
Hours: 3
This course provides students with valuable technical and communication skills for career success, highlighting best practices for navigating job markets. Students will be trained in advanced techniques with leading data management software for economic and operational applications. In addition, this course emphasizes communication skills to maximize the value of the information presented through a custom communications program. Prerequisites: ECO 2301, ECO 2302.

ECO 410 - Environmental Economics
Hours: 3
This course applies the basic analytical tools of economics to explain the interaction between the marketplace and the environment, the implications of that relationship, and an examination of effective solutions. Particular emphasis given to agricultural and other renewable resources. Prerequisites: ECO 2302.

ECO 428 - International Economics/Finance
Hours: 3
An analytical approach to assessing and understanding current impacts international economies have on the United States. Emphasis is on gains from trade, economic growth, exchange rates, price formation, trade policy, and political considerations. Prerequisites: Junior standing. Crosslisted with: ECO 528.

ECO 431 - Internship
Hours: 0-3
This course provides an opportunity for selected students to earn elective credits in Economics through supervised work experience with area business firms under the supervision of a faculty member. Prerequisites: Approval of the department head.

ECO 456 - Health Economics
Hours: 3
This course examines the application of economic principles to the allocation of scarce resources in health care; the use of economic theory to understand problems of organization, delivery, and financing of health services; and the choices available to society regarding these issues.

ECO 489 - Independent Study
Hours: 3
Independent Study. One to four semester hours. Individualized instruction/research at an advanced level in a specialized content area under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated when the topic varies. Prerequisite: Consent of department head.

ECO 490 - H Honors Thesis
Hours: 3-6
Honors Thesis in Economics. Three semester hours. This course satisfies the requirements for honors thesis and oral examination on the student's chosen topic.

ECO 491 - H Honors Readings
Hours: 3
Honors Readings in Economics. Three semester hours. This course satisfies the requirements for honors readings in economics on the student's chosen topics.

ECO 497 - Special Topics
Hours: 0-4
Special Topics. One to four semester hours. Organized class. May be repeated when topics vary.