Course Descriptions

Lower Division

ECON 2500 Principles of Macroeconomics (3 units)
Macroeconomics: scope, method, economic resources, monetary system, income determination, economic stability–instability, public finance. Satisfies G.E. area D2. (CAN ECON 2) (Fall, Spring)

ECON 2510 Principles of Microeconomics (3 units)
Microeconomics: price system and market structures, public policy, and income distribution. Fundamentals of international economics; international trade, principles and problems of economic growth and development, analysis of economic systems. Special problem areas in American economy: urban economics, environmental economics, agricultural economics. Satisfies G.E. area D2. Prerequisite: ECON 2500 recommended. (CAN ECON 4) (Fall, Spring)

ECON 2950 Selected Topics in Economics (1-5 units)
(Topics to be specified in Class Schedule) Development of a selected topic in economics. Topics may vary each term. Different topics may be taken for credit. (Fall, Spring)

Upper Division

ECON 3100 Economic History of the United States (3 units)
Analysis of American business organizations and economic growth from colonial period to present with emphasis on evolution and changes in the American system. Satisfies G.E. area F3. (Fall, Spring)

ECON 3150 National Income Analysis (3 units)
Analysis of macroeconomic conditions and adjustments in a free enterprise system. National income accounting and employment theory. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor.

ECON 3205 Quantitative Analysis (4 units)
A study of econometric techniques for measurement of economic relationships, analysis and forecasting of business situations, and testing of economic theories. A course in basic statistics is recommended but not required. Corequisite: ECON 3202. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor. (Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours) (Fall)

ECON 3320 Money and Banking (3 units)
Money and the level of economic activity; supply and demand for money; competition among financial institutions; the Federal Reserve System and monetary policy. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor. (Spring)

ECON 3331 Financial Markets and Business Cycles (3 units)
Examination of current economic and social issues covering recession, inflation, financial market conditions, rational expectations, construction, real estate markets, long-term finance, and foreign exchange markets. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510.

ECON 4000 Intermediate Theory (Macroeconomics) (3 units)
Macroanalysis; income levels, expenditures, prices, and employment; application to depression and inflation. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor. (Fall)

ECON 4010 Economic Thought (3 units)
Survey and comparison of the ideas and doctrines of major schools of economic thought from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century, with emphasis on classical and Neoclassical economics. Marxism, Institutionalism, and Keynesian economics. (Fall)

ECON 4100 Labor Economics (3 units)
A study of theories of wage determination, income distribution, manpower imbalance, and economic problems of minority groups. History and theory of the American labor movement and theories of collective bargaining. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor.

ECON 4200 Intermediate Theory (Microeconomics) (3 units)
Theory of consumer behavior and market demand; production costs, and the theory of the firm; theories of competition and monopoly; concentration and anti-trust policies; models of oligopoly and monopolistic competition; resource pricing and income distribution; elements of welfare economics. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor. (Spring)

ECON 4300 Mathematical Economics (3 units)
Static analysis; comparative–static analysis; optimization problems, input–output analysis; linear programming and game theory. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor.

ECON 4331 Managerial Economics (3 units)
A study of application of economic theory and methodology to management and decision making in business enterprises with special reference to theory of demand, production and cost analysis, profit measurement and planning, market structure and pricing, government regulation of business and capital budgeting. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor. (Fall)

ECON 4335 Political Economy (WP) (4 units)
Analyzes competing views of government’s roll in a market economy. After reviewing a variety of exchange and intervention alternatives, such issues as inequality, law and order, political-industrial organization, and the environment are discussed. Satisfies upper-division writing proficiency requirement. Prerequisite: Completion of the Writing Proficiency Screening Test with a passing score. (Spring)

ECON 4401 Third World Economics (3 units)
Analysis of economic problems of less developed Third World countries: agriculture, industrial development, capital investment, trade, income distribution, population growth and education, economic theories, and policy tools for economic growth and development. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor.

ECON 4415 International Economics (3 units)
A study of theories and issues of international trade, commercial policies, tariff and other trade restrictions, foreign investment and multinational corporations, foreign exchanges and balance of payments adjustment, international financial institutions and systems, and regional trade organizations. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor. (Spring)

ECON 4455 The U.S. and World Trade (4 units)
Dynamic change of comparative advantages of American business enterprises in world markets and recent U.S. trade policy developments affecting industries facing intense international competition, such as automobiles, steel, textile, footwear, semiconductors, and agricultural exports. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor. (Winter)

ECON 4500 Economics of Investment (4 units)
Economic aspects of investment decisions and financial planning as faced by individuals in personal finance decisions and total investment for the economy. Satisfies G.E. area F3. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 recommended. (Winter)

ECON 4540 Public Finance and Fiscal Policy (3 units)
Principles, problems, and policies of federal taxation, expenditures, debt, budgeting, and fiscal policy. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor.

ECON 4560 Natural Resources & Environmental Economics (4 units)
Examines how people choose to allocate scarce natural and environmental resources to try to meet our unlimited wants; how these resources affect production, consumption, and well being; and how production and consumption affect the natural environment. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and ECON 2510 or consent of instructor.

ECON 4600 Urban Economics (3 units)
An analysis of the economic interdependency of markets in urban areas and possibilities for alternative resource use; land utilization patterns, urban transportation, labor markets, housing and public service markets. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor.

ECON 4640 Economics and Agriculture (3 units)
Students will learn how to examine the resource allocation and decision-making environment of agricultural markets. The course will provide students with tools to help them understand the complex issues in agriculture and related markets including market structures, international trade, resource use, and government agriculture policy. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and 2510 or consent of instructor. Note: An agricultural economics course may be substituted for ECON 2510.

ECON 4690 Agricultural Finance (3 units)
Economic principles of agricultural finance; analysis of agricultural financial statements and ratios; sources of farm credit; legal aspects of credit; capital budgeting in agriculture; risk management; insurance; farm tax, and estate planning. Prerequisites: ECON 2500 and ECON 2510, and a lower division Accounting course or consent of instructor. Note: an Agricultural Economics course may be substituted for ECON 2510.

ECON 4700 Contemporary Economic Issues (3 units)
Analysis of economic issues and problems in contemporary society for future teachers. An application of basic concepts and analysis to current economic problems and identification of trends in our global economy. Designed specifically for future teachers. (LIBS Integrative: Social Inquiry)

ECON 4750 The California Economy (3 units)
An examination of California’s economy is used to understand key economic principles. Topics such as the state’s key industries, income distribution, public finance system, and connections to the rest of the world will be studied. Designed specifically for future teachers. (LIBS Integrative: Social Inquiry)

ECON 4910 Cooperative Education (2-4 units)
This course provides an opportunity to acquire relevant, practical experience in supervised employment within the discipline. Students are placed in private or public sector positions under the supervision of the employer and departmental Co-op coordinator. May be repeated for a total of 6 units. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing; consent of departmental coordinator and Cooperative Education Office. (Fall, Winter, Spring)

ECON 4950 Selected Topics in Economics (1-5 units)
(Topics to be specified in Class Schedule) Development of a selected topic in economics. Topics may vary each term. Different topics may be taken for credit. Corequisite: ECON 4953. Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor.

ECON 4960 Senior Seminar (3 units)
Reading and discussion in significant areas of economics; analysis of major contemporary economic problems, national and international. Prerequisite: Senior standing in Economics. (Spring)

ECON 4980 Individual Study (1-4 units)
For students capable of independent work and in need of advanced and specialized study. May be repeated for a total of 6 units. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (Fall, Winter, Spring)