|
|
|
|
- Courses - Courses Economics of Technological Change Conference on the Economics of Corporate Social Responsibility |
Courses in Economics at RensselaerECON-1200 Introductory EconomicsEvery society faces the question of choosing how to use its natural and human resources to produce goods and services and how to distribute these resources among its people. This course studies how these choices are made in markets. It also explains the determinants of total output, employment and inflation. Attention may also be given to special topics such as the environment, trade and population.
ECON-2010 Managerial EconomicsApplies the microeconomic theory of the firm to price, cost and output decisions of business enterprises under different market structures. Regression analysis of demand and cost, linear programming of production and simulation analysis of risk and capital budgeting are also presented.
ECON-2020 Intermediate MacroeconomicsAttention is directed primarily to variations in the aggregate volume of output, income, and employment. Cyclical fluctuations and long-term economic trends are examined and the interrelations of business and government policies are analyzed. The applicability of economic theory to the problems of business forecasting is discussed.
ECON-2940 Readings in EconomicsCredit hours: 3 to 4 credit hours ECON-2960 Topics in EconomicsSelected topics in economics designed to acquaint students with selected economic problems and analysis in special areas beyond the introductory level.
ECON-4110 Economic Analysis of Technological ChangeAn examination of the economic considerations that influence the creation and assimilation of new products and process, and of the impact of technological change on the structures and evolution of the American economy and environment. Topics include productivity growth, the organization and management of industrial research and development, the interaction between technological change and industrial structure, diffusion of innovations, and technological unemployment.
ECON-4120 Quantitative AnalysisAn applied course in mathematical modeling. Provides a foundation in the mechanics and application of linear programming, as well as introduction to simulation, dynamic systems, decision analysis, multi-criteria analysis, and dynamic programming. This wide range of decision making tools are developed under situations ranging from linear structure, single criteria, and certainty to complexity, multi-criteria, and uncertainty. Topics are presented in lecture two times per week, and then applied by a weekly computer lab or discussion section. Environmental management and policy applications are emphasized to complement the economics department's degree programs in ecological economics. Students develop a research project of their own choosing and present the results. To this end, labs and homework assignments stress the use of various software packages and modeling techniques.
ECON-4130 Money and BankingFinancial institutions, especially commercial banking and the Federal Reserve System, are considered from three perspectives: (a) their monetary role, (b) trends in the economic, organizational, and technological aspects of their operations, and (c) their other economic roles--a critical view. Also the role of money in macroeconomic theory is considered along with the role of monetary policies in relation to the problems of inflation and unemployment.
ECON-4140 Structure of American IndustryAcquaints students with the structural characteristics and philosophical foundations of American enterprise. Several important industries are considered form the viewpoint of market structure, conduct, and performance. Such concepts as the corporation, technological competition, and private property, together with criteria for appropriate public policy towards business, are examined to orient the student to contemporary American industrial activity.
ECON-4150 Economics of Government RegulationCan government intervention improve the performance of private markets and if so when and how? How is regulatory policy actually made, and what effects has it had? We apply these questions to the experience in the U.S. and elsewhere with telecommunications, electricity, transportation, financial services, job safety, and environmental regulation.
ECON-4160 Public FinanceEmphasis is placed on the analysis of efficient resource use in the public sector at the federal level. Expenditure theory, tax-incidence, and income distribution are discussed. The effects of personal income, corporation, sales, payroll, and property taxes on resource allocation, equity, growth, and technological change are considered.
ECON-4180 Development of Economic ThoughtA critical examination in which comparisons are made and contrasts emphasized between different schools of economic thinking such as classicism, marginalism, socialism, institutionalism, neoclassicism, and Keynesianism. Special attention is given to historical theories and attitudes of economists toward technological change and its impact on human welfare.
ECON-4190 International EconomicsPrinciples of international specialization and exchange. Foreign trade and payment policies, as well as international institutions, are considered in relation to such issues as international investment, technology transfer, economic, development, and world economic stability.
ECON-4210 Cost-Benefit AnalysisAddresses the identification and measurement of the economic gains and losses to different sectors of the economy resulting from public projects and policies. Among the projects studied are those in the area of transportation, energy, environmental, and urban development. Also considered is the evaluation of the effects of government on business, as for example, consumer product and workplace safety regulation.
ECON-4230 Environmental EconomicsFocuses on the relationship between technology, environmental resources, and economic growth. Builds from the neoclassical model of price-driven resource allocation and competitive equilibrium. The implications for resource scarcity, environmental sustainability, and policy are developed and compared to those derived from other schools of thought.
ECON-4240 Natural Resource EconomicsA course using the tools of dynamic optimization applied to the management of renewable, nonrenewable, and environmental resources. Applied examples include the management of ocean fisheries, forestry in the Northeastern U.S., global oil and mineral depletion, water pollution, and climate change. Analysis is conducted using Microsoft Excel with Solver, and PowerSim systems simulation software. The social and policy dynamics of resource allocation decisions are further explored through a series of case studies. In addition, a number of field trips address the ecological and physical aspects of resource management. The overall intent of the course is to develop a balanced perspective and analytical tools to address difficult resource management decisions across their diverse economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
ECON-4250 Ecological EconomicsEcological economics is concerned with the relationship between economic systems and the biological and physical world. It recognizes that practical solutions to pressing social and environmental problems require new interdisciplinary approaches that focus on the links between economic, social and ecological systems. This course draws on contemporary economic thought as well as material from such fields as evolutionary biology, ecology, and non-equilibrium systems theory. Current problems of economic growth and the prospects for continued development in a finite world are examined in the light of new findings in these fields.
ECON-4570 Introduction to EconometricsA basic course in the theory and methods of quantitative economics; specification of mathematical models; single and simultaneous equations; least squares and other estimation methods; testing of hypotheses; identification, aggregation, time series analysis, lagged variables, etc. Application to economic problems in such areas as demand, costs, production functions, technological change, innovations, etc. Theory and laboratory.
ECON-4900 Seminar in EconomicsDiscussion and analysis of selected topics in economic theory and of current economic issues.
ECON-4940 Readings in EconomicsCredit hours: 3 to 4 credit hours ECON-4960 Topics in EconomicsSelected topics in economics designed to acquaint students with selected economic problems and analysis in special areas beyond the introductory level.
ECON-4962 Regional EconomicsThe focus of this class is the application of regional economic theories to the practical analysis of regional economies. The theory part of the course will acquaint students with the rich theoretical literature in regional analysis, beginning with the earliest ideas of central place theory, industrial location, and export base models of economic growth and development. A key part of the theory component will include an examination of regional sustainable development, including the concepts of economic, social, and ecological sustainability. New theories of compatible development, community leak plugging, and footloose income will also be introduced. The application portion of the class will use the latest computer-based techniques of geographic information systems and input-output modeling, to gather, present and interpret regional economic data.
ECON-6120 Advanced Quantitative AnalysisAn applied graduate-level course in mathematical modeling. Provides a foundation in the mechanics and application of linear programming, as well as introduction to simulation, dynamic systems, decision analysis, multi-criteria analysis, and dynamic programming. This wide range of decision making tools are developed under situations ranging from linear structure, single criteria, and certainty to complexity, multi-criteria, and uncertainty. Topics are presented in lecture two times per week, and then applied by a weekly computer lab or discussion section. Environmental management and policy applications are emphasized to complement the economics department's degree programs in ecological economics. Students develop a research project of their own choosing and present the results. To this end, labs and homework assignments stress the use of various software packages and modeling techniques.
ECON-6140 Current Problems of American IndustryAn advanced analysis of current problems confronting major American industries, regulated and unregulated. Recent changes in growth patterns, market structures, and pricing policies are examined. Considerable emphasis is placed on emerging trends in technology and public policy, which are likely to affect significantly the future of these industries.
ECON-6150 Economics of Regulation and DeregulationCan government intervention improve the performance of private markets and if so when and how? How is regulatory policy actually made, and what effects has it had? We apply these questions to the experience in the U.S. and elsewhere with telecommunications, electricity, transportation, financial services, job safety,health and environmental regulation.
ECON-6160 Advanced Public FinanceEmphasis is placed on the analysis of efficient resource use in the public sector at the federal level. Expenditure theory, tax-incidence, and income distribution are discussed. The effects of personal income, corporation, sales, payroll, and property taxes on resource allocation, equity, growth, and technological change are considered.
ECON-6210 Advanced Cost-Benefit AnalysisAddresses the identification and measurement of the economic gains and losses to different sectors of the economy resulting from public projects and policies. Among the projects studied are those in the area of transportation, energy, environmental, and urban development. Also considered is the evaluation of the effects of government on business, as for example, consumer product and workplace safety regulation.
ECON-6230 Advanced Environmental EconomicsThis course examines fundamentals of neoclassical microeconomics as well as other approaches to environmental economics. The main challenge in this analysis is to sort out when standard theory can be applied to environmental policy and when additional approaches are needed. The course stresses both applied microeconomic concepts of market incentives and negotiated solutions and broader policy notions such as sustainable development.
ECON-6240 Advanced Natural Resource EconomicsA graduate-level course using the tools of dynamic optimization applied to the management of renewable, nonrenewable, and environmental resources. Applied examples include the management of ocean fisheries, forestry in the Northeastern U.S., global oil and mineral depletion, water pollution, and climate change. Analysis is conducted using Microsoft Excel with Solver, and PowerSim systems simulation software. The social and policy dynamics of resource allocation decisions are further explored through a series of case studies. In addition, a number of field trips address the ecological and physical aspects of resource management. The overall intent of the course is to develop a balanced perspective and analytical tools to address difficult resource management decisions across their diverse economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
ECON-6250 Advanced Ecological EconomicsA multidisciplinary course which explores linkages between economic, social, ecological, biological and physical systems. Given its multidisciplinary approach to economic analysis, the course seeks to take a fresh look at economic theory and application. Contributing disciplines include psychology, philosophy of science, biology and ecology.
ECON-6490 Introduction to Economic TheoryThe course examines the basic concepts and techniques of economic analysis and their applications to economics problems at the level of the firm, industry, and economy as a whole. Topics include: theory of production and factor pricing, national income and employment theory, monetary and fiscal theories, economic growth and fluctuations.
ECON-6550 Advanced Microeconomic AnalysisThe central propositions of contemporary economic analysis are set forth. The topics include: interaction of firms and households; determination through the market of resource allocation, outputs, prices, and incomes; capital and interest; theories of general equilibrium; static and dynamic models.
ECON-6570 EconometricsApplication of statistical and mathematical techniques to selected economic problems. The formulation and interpretation of mathematical models that involve quantifiable economic relationships. The role of probability theory and statistical inference in the solution of model systems. The methods of multivariate analysis and time series analysis are examined and their use in economic research is evaluated.
ECON-6580 Topics in Applied EconometricsApplications of advanced econometric techniques such as two- and three-stage least squares, maximum likelihood, seemingly unrelated regression, full information likelihood, distributed lags and autocorrelation correction to a variety of business and economic problems, including the capital asset pricing model, learning curve, economies of scale, hedonic price indexes, investment, production, and limited dependent variable models.
ECON-6590 Advanced Macroeconomic AnalysisThis course examines the theory of national income determination, the role of monetary and nonmonetary factors in our economic system as described by various schools of macroeconomics. Alternative perspectives on monetary and fiscal policies are critically examined.
ECON-6600 Seminar in Ecological Economics, Values and PolicyThis seminar in the Ecological Economics Values, and Policy Professional Masters Program surveys the theories, methods, and world views of the approaches of ecological economics and science and technology studies to social scientific and humanistic environmental inquiry. Topics include: valuation, social construction, market failure, cultural studies, externalities, environmental policy and politics, Pareto optimality, and environmental ethics and philosophy.
ECON-6650 Ecological Economics, Values and Policy Professional ProjectsThis seminar focuses on the development of practical proposals for responding to environmental problems and opportunities. Research projects will include both primary data collection and the formulation of policy recommendations. Course readings will focus on case studies that involve disputes over environmental and economic issues, providing the basis for class discussion about how such disputes can be documented, analyzed, and resolved through various scientific, legal, managerial, and policy initiatives.
ECON-6940 Readings in EconomicsCredit hours: 3 to 4 credit hours ECON-6960 Topics in EconomicsSelected topics in economics designed to acquaint students with selected economic problems and analysis in special areas beyond the introductory level.
ECON-6961 Advanced Regional EconomicsThe focus of this class is the application of regional economic theories to the practical analysis of regional economies. The theory part of the course will acquaint students with the rich theoretical literature in regional analysis, beginning with the earliest ideas of central place theory, industrial location, and export base models of economic growth and development. A key part of the theory component will include an examination of regional sustainable development, including the concepts of economic, social, and ecological sustainability. New theories of compatible development, community leak plugging, and footloose income will also be introduced. The application portion of the class will use the latest computer-based techniques of geographic information systems and input-output modeling, to gather, present and interpret regional economic data.
ECON-6990 Master's ThesisCredit hours: 1 - 6 credit hours ECON-9990 Doctoral Thesis |
Copyright © 2003 Department of Economics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute