Complete Course List
FE210 Introductory Economics (3-0-3). An introductory course in elementary economic theory and its application to contemporary problems. Topics include income determination, monetary policy and institutions, fiscal policy, price theory and international trade. Variants of this course include FE210M for majors, and FE210 for non-majors. Prerequisites: none. [fall, spring, summer]
FE220 Accounting (3-0-3). An introductory course in the basic principles of accounting. Cannot be taken for humanities/social science credit. Prerequisites: none. [fall, spring]
FE301 Financial Analysis (3-0-3). A study of the theory and techniques of financial analysis applied in the federal government and industry. Prerequisites: FE210. [fall, spring]
FE310 Economic Geography (3-0-3). Provides a systematic understanding of economic growth and the issue of finite limits to improved living standards around the world. Studies population growth, the resources of the principal nations of the world, industry location, international trade, commodity cartels and the requirements for continued technological advances. Prerequisites: FE210 or permission of chair. [fall, spring]
FE311 History of Economic Thought (3-0-3). Traces the evolution of economic doctrine from the ancients to modern day with emphasis on the period since the 18th century. Reviews the contributions to economic knowledge by Smith, Malthus, Ricardo, Marx, Mill, Marshall, Keynes and others. Various schools of thought, including mercantilism, classical, neo-classical, historical, institutionalism and Keynesianism are examined. Prerequisites: FE210. [spring]
FE312 Macroeconomics (3-0-3). A course on the theories of the aggregate level of income, employment and the price level. Includes discussion of determinants of economic growth, the interaction of the domestic economy with the world economy, and the formulation and impact of monetary and fiscal policy. Prerequisites: FE210. [fall, spring]
FE314 International Trade Policy (3-0-3). Study of trade policy and the institutions that shape trade policy; among topics covered are exchange rate regimes; role of the World Bank and IMF; trade intervention in the form of tarriffs, quotas, voluntary exchange restraints and anti-dumping duties; multilateral free trade agreements and regional trade agreements such as NAFTA, APEC and the European Union. Prerequisites: FE210 or FP210. [spring]
FE315 Economics of Developing Nations (3-0-3).
Study of the economic characteristics, problems and policies
of developing nations, covering economic growth patterns in
FE320 Cost Accounting (3-0-3). A study of concepts and techniques of cost accounting. Primarily concerned with the derivation of production cost arising from materials, labor, services employed and overhead. Cannot be taken for HUM/SS credit. Not offered every year. Prerequisites: FE220.
FE321 Comparative Economic Systems and Transitional Economies (3-0-3). An introduction to the study of alternate forms of economic organization, with emphasis on comparing the ideological basis, structure and performance of capitalist, socialist and mixed economic systems. Not offered every year. Prerequisites: FE210.
FE331 Economic Statistics (2-2-3). Survey of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques involving more than one variable. Strong emphasis on regression analysis and use of computers. Prerequisites: FE210 and SM230 or SM239. [fall, spring]
FE334 Financial Markets and Institutions (3-0-3). A study of financial institutions and instruments covering their development and role within the economy and financial system. The forces creating the rapid changes of financial institutions and instruments in the 1980s and 1990s are explored, as well as the regulation of financial institutions and markets. Prerequisites: FE210 or permission of chair. [fall]
FE335 Economics of National Defense (3-0-3). The application of economic analysis to defense decision-making and the consequences of defense decisions for weapons; volunteers vs. conscription; leaders vs. resource managers; competitive vs. monopoly contractors; pay vs. non-pay factors in reenlistment. Prerequisites: FE210 or permission of chair. [fall, spring]
FE337 Economics of the Defense Industrial Base (3-0-3). Application of economic principles to issues relating to military procurement and contracting, conversion of military industrial capacity to peacetime uses, wartime mobilization of industrial capacity, strategic stockpiling and economic warfare. Prerequisites: FE210. [spring]
FE341 Microeconomics (3-0-3). Theories of the economic behavior of consumers and producers, the determination of final good and factor prices, market structures and general economic equilibrium. The application of price theory to business problems and public-policy issues. Prerequisites: FE210. [fall, spring]
FE342 Economic Methods for Engineers (3-0-3). Application of microeconomic principles and analytical tools to the costing of investment projects in both private and public/military contexts. Prerequisites: FE210. [spring]
FE345 Environmental Economics (3-0-3). Economic evaluation of policies involving conflicting public and private uses of natural resources. Topics include environmental benefit and cost measurement, causes and consequences of pollution, management of depletable and renewable resources and the economics of energy. Not offered every year. Prerequisites: FE210.
FE354 Development of the
FE361 Urban Economics (3-0-3). Study of economic growth and structure, and economic problems of cities, with attention to poverty, transportation, housing and racial discrimination. Not offered every year. Prerequisites: FE210.
FE362 The Economics of Technology (3-0-3). An analysis of productivity growth, characteristics of invention and innovation, determinants of research and development activities of government and business; the economic impact of automation and reindustrialization. Not offered every year Prerequisites: FE210.
FE400 Advanced Microeconomic Theory (3-2-4). Advanced topics in modern microeconomics with particular emphasis on dynamic analysis, the role of risk and uncertainty in economic decision making, general equilibrium analysis and welfare economics. Prerequisites: FE331, FE341 and FE412 or FE422 or FE431 or FE434 or FE460. [fall, spring]
FE401 Quantitative Economic Techniques (3-0-3). Quantitative approach to theoretical and applied economic problems. Methods taught include order quantity models, linear programming, network models, microeconomic resource allocations, macroeconomic models, life cycle cost problems and cost-benefit analysis. Not offered every year. Prereq: FE341.
FE405 Advanced Macroeconomic Theory (3-2-4). Advanced topics in modern macroeconomics, including new classical, new Keynesian and expectation formation models. Introduction to macro dynamics, business cycle and growth models. Emphasis on empirical macro models. Prerequisites: FE365, FE331, FE341 and FE412 or FE422, or FE431 or FE434 or FE460. [spring]
FE411 Economic Development and Growth (3-0-3). This course provides a rigorous study of the current issues facing developing countries on both the individual and aggregate level. Topics to include such issues as human capital investment, provision of health care resources, trade and globalization, government institutions, foreign aid and growth during times of structural change. Individual country case studies may also be presented. Prerequisites: FE365 or FE341.
FE412 International Trade and Finance (3-0-3). A rigorous examination of current international issues in a theoretical and empirical framework. Topics include motivations for trade; trade versus protectionism; the multinational enterprise; exchange rate issues and the international monetary systems, and the role of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Prerequisites: FE365 or FE341. [fall]
FE422 Labor Economics (3-0-3). A study of the distribution of income with emphasis on the demand for and supply of labor services; the choice-theoretic behavior of firms and individuals in the determination of wages and the employment level. Topics analyzed include human capital theory, occupational choice, the unemployment-inflation relationship and the wage effects of discrimination and unions. Prerequisites: FE341. [fall]
FE431 Public Finance (3-0-3). The use of government expenditures and taxation in a market economy to change the allocation of resources and to modify the distribution of income. Examination of the economic effect of government budgetary policy. Microeconomic theory and federal tax and budgetary institutions are emphasized. Prereq: FE341. [fall]
FE435 Macroeconomic Forecasting (3-0-3). As a forward-looking discipline, economists use forecasting as the basis for private sector decision making. Moreover, businesses and governments forecast future revenues and costs. Macroeconomic Forecasting examines the modern, quantitative, statistical-econometric techniques of producing and evaluating forecasts of macroeconomic variables. The course introduces the fundamental techniques to analyze trend, seasonality and cyclical fluctuations and the development of simultaneous equation models of the economy. Prereq: FE341 and SM230. [fall]
FE436 Business Cycles(3-0-3). An advanced treatment of the empirical and theoretical issues surrounding business cycles. Topics include empirical regularities of cycles. Models of inventory cycles, labor and credit markets, technology shocks, and the international transmission of cycles. Simulation-based methods of analyzing such models, the role of fiscal policy and monetary policy in economic stabilization, the international transmission of cycles. This course counts as a 400-level major elective for FEC and SQE majors. Prereq: FE363 or FE365. [Spring]
FE437 Monetary Theory and Policy (3-0-3). An advanced study of topics in monetary economics and their application to macroeconomic issues. Consideration of the role of money as a medium of exchange in commodity and fiat systems. Theories of money demand and empirical measures of the money supply. Development of macroeconomic models of money and the effect of monetary policy on inflation, unemployment and economic growth. Prereq: FE363.
FE445 Econometrics (3-0-3). Quantification of basic economic theory; multiple regression, correlation and identification techniques for the construction and testing of economic models and a study of selected alternative models of particular economic interest. Prerequisites: FE331 or SM339, FE341 and SM122 or SM162. [fall, spring]
FE450 Game Theory (3-0-3). Game theory is the study of strategic behavior in situations where decision makers are aware of the interdependence of their actions. While game theory is widely applicable in social and biological sciences, this course introduces the basic notions of game theory with emphasis on economic applications such as auctions, oligopoly pricing, and entry deterrence. In particular, the course introduces students to the fundamental problems and solution concepts of non-cooperative game theory by examining both simultaneous and sequential move games, static and dynamic games, and games with imperfect, and asymmetric information. Prerequisites: FE341.
FE461 Industrial Organization (3-0-3). Industrial organization is the study of industry and firm behavior. Using microeconomic and game theory tools, this course explores the relationships among firms in an industry or across industries by examining the nature of strategic interaction among firms. The course will utilize available computer software to study theoretical models and empirical evidence for a wide variety of market phenomena such as price wars, patent races, price-fixing conspiracies, mergers, and advertising campaigns. It will also consider public policies that affect the structure of markets and the behavior of firms, particularly antitrust laws, which try to create a balance between the benefits of coordination and consolidation and the detriments of market power. This course counts as a 400-level major elective for FEC and SQE majors. Prereq: FE341. [Spring]
FE475 Research Seminar (3-0-3). Directed research on a specific topic; capstone to economics major. Emphasis on empirical work using computers. Prerequisites: 1/C FEC major. [spring]
FE482F Personal Finance (1-0-1). A one-credit course that details the tools and concepts of effective personal finance.
FE486 Special Topics in the Economics of the Defense Industrial Base (3-0-3). [Dr. Victoria Greenfield, Crowe Chair Professor] What is the defense industrial base (DIB) and is it “healthy”? Course will discuss narrow and broad definitions of the DIB and alternative definitions of health. It will consider the health of the DIB in the context of domestic and international markets for defense-related goods and services, focusing on the roles of market structure, risk and uncertainty, and international trade and investment. Course will use microeconomic principles to understand and assess the significance and implications of recent trends and events relating to the DIB, such as defense industry consolidation, privatization and outsourcing, and globalization. Prerequisite: FE341 or permission of the Department Chair. The course counts as a restricted 400 level elective for Economics majors and for Quantitative Economics majors.
FE486B Financial Crisis (3-0-3). This course explores the causes of the current financial crisis, the contagion into other countries, and the policies being purposed to prevent further crisis. Prerequisite: FE341 or FE312, and FE331 or SM239; or permission of the department chair.
FE500 Honors Research Seminar I (2-0-2). Examination of techniques and methodology of social science research; students will choose topics for development in FE506. Prerequisites: 1/C FECH major. [fall]
FE506 Honors Research Seminar II (3-2-4). Directed independent research on topics chosen in FE500. Prerequisites: 1/C FECH major. [spring]