Economics (ECON)
Introduction to economic analysis. Topics covered include microeconomic theory and application and macroeconomic theory and policy. Also, an in-depth study of selected topics and current events. Prerequisite or Corequisite GE A2. Satisfies general education requirement Area D.
This is an introductory course focusing on choices of individual economic decision makers. Topics include scarcity, specialization and trade (including international trade), market equilibrium, elasticity, production and cost theory, market structures, factor markets, and market failure. Prerequisite or Corequisite GE A2. Satisfies general education requirement Area D.
An introductory course focusing on aggregate economic analysis. Topics include: market systems, aggregate measures of economic activity, macroeconomic equilibrium, money and financial institutions, monetary and fiscal policy, international economics, and economic growth. Prerequisite or Corequisite GE A2. Satisfies general education requirement Area D.
This course builds calculation, modeling, analysis, interpretation skills and applies them in business and economic contexts. Topics include functions and their properties; geometric series; matrices; least squares curve fitting; and derivative functions. Applications include interpreting tables, graphs, and properties of functions; using functions to model decisions and analyze problems; solving simultaneous systems and deriving input-output models; financial calculations; discrete and instantaneous rates of change; optimization; and curve fitting. This course introduces Excel and applies it to the analysis and visual representation of business and economic data. Cross-listed BA 2200/ECON 2200.
Overview of the discipline of economics, the economics major and its learning objectives, and the diverse career paths of economics graduates, including CSUB alumni. Students will develop an academic plan of study and roadmap, utilize services provided by CSUB's Center for Community Engagement and Career Education, and begin following a career planning checklist. Graded on a credit-no credit basis.
Development of topics in labor economics from the perspective of diversity of cultures, values, and belief systems. Considers both national trends and international comparisons. Topics include household production and time allocation, labor force participation, human capital accumulation, regional mobility, occupational choice, wage differentials, discrimination, and poverty. Course includes reflection on the lower division general education experience. Prerequisite: Complete at least 45 units; prerequisite or corequisite GE A2. Satisfies general education requirement Junior Year Diversity and Reflection.
Theory construction and application in the areas of consumer choice and demand, production and cost, competitive markets, general equilibrium, and welfare economics. A grade of "C" or better required for the major. Prerequisites: ECON 2018, ECON 2200, ECON 2028, or equivalent, each passed with a grade of "C" or better.
Short run fluctuations and long run fundamentals for macroeconomic variables such as GDP and its components, the unemployment rate, the price level and inflation rate, interest rates and the yield curve, exchange rates and the trade balance, the government debt-to-GDP ratio, potential output, and real growth. Case studies, data collection and analysis, and monitoring of economic indicators and Federal Open Market Committee policies are integrated. A grade of "C" or better required for the major. Prerequisites: ECON 2018, ECON 2200, ECON 2028, or equivalent, each passed with a grade of "C" or better.
This course develops intermediate-level spreadsheet skills, provides an overview of relational databases, and provides practice in linking data in spreadsheets, databases, and other sources. Applications include organizing datasets, exploratory data analysis, creating and auditing models, data visualization and advanced charting techniques, and stochastic and forecast modeling.
A study of the economic forces that have shaped the United States and California. The course begins with colonial America and continues to the present. Included are the following: early exploration, the colonial era, War of Independence, development of the Constitution and the early Republic, Civil war, rise of industrial America. With respect to California, emphasis is placed on the role of California in leading the national economy along the path of long run growth. In this exploration, we will be utilizing the tools of economic analysis.
This course examines economics blogs and assigns a best seller authored by a leading economist for the general public. Taught in hybrid mode with a "book club" discussion toward the end of the course preceded during the quarter by several online assignments. Graded on a credit, no-credit basis only. Prerequisite: junior standing.
This course examines the health care system from the perspective of several factors affecting the quality of life: health and wellness; happiness; poverty and human dignity; advancement of scientific knowledge and innovation; economic efficiency and cost effectiveness; security against catastrophic financial loss and infectious disease; freedom of choice and lifestyle/bounded rationality issues; and job creation. Topic coverage includes demand and supply of health care services; methods of financing health care expenditures; health care production; asymmetric information; demographic trends; medical insurance industry; government insurance programs; medical risk and liability; health care reform; and comparative health care systems. Significant focus on within- and between-country health care systems, how health care systems evolve over time, and how to reform health care systems as demographics and government finances change. Prerequisites: At least 45 units and completion of LD Area D. Satisfies general education upper division Area UDD and Theme Q: Quality of Life.
A study of the revolutionary strategies and policies that resulted in rapid and sustained economic growth and modernization in the Asian Pacific Rim. Analysis of development models of China, Japan, and the newly industrialized economies of East Asia. Trade in the Pacific Rim. Places economic development in its cultural/geographic context and critically examines economic institutions, strategies and policies. Prerequisites: at least 45 units and completion of LD Area D. Satisfies general education upper division Area UDD and Theme R: Revolutionary Ideas and Innovations.
An introduction to the basic principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with applications to a variety of problems using established data sources. The course includes fundamental principles of cartographic design and communication. Students are expected to become proficient users of ArcView GIS Software package. Lab sessions cover step-by-step GIS practice in the real world, including working with private or public domain data, importing data into GIS, creating a GIS database, performing spatial analysis with tools, building GIS models, and presenting results. Business and public sector applications. Prerequisites: MIS 2000, ECON 3030, or equivalent. Cross-listed as ECON 3200 or MIS 3200.
This course uses a case study approach to the study of globalization and growth. It uses an applied empirical approach to learning about macroeconomic management, economic development, international trade, and the cross border flows of goods and services and capital. Economic activities such as trade, investments in equities and debt, tourism, development of intellectual property, and financial transactions, have become internationalized. This is the current context in which businesses must operate. Students learn how to conduct an assessment of international environments and political-economic strategies deployed in major world regions. They perform a "country analysis", which allows them to draw conclusions about market growth, labor costs, inflation and exchange rate stability, direct investment opportunities, etc. Prerequisite: ECON 2028 or equivalent or permission of instructor.
This course examines energy economics and policy from the perspective of factors influencing sustainability and social responsibility (e.g., scientific, economic, cultural, ethical, political). The role of energy in economic development is considered. Topics included various energy sources and industries (e.g., coal, petroleum, natural gas, wind, solar, biomass, electricity generation, nuclear energy); the geography and geopolitics of energy markets; energy and transportation; environmental protection; climate and global warming; technology and R and D considerations; energy conservation; national security; government policies. Prerequisites: At least 45 units and completion of LD Area D. Recommended: one Economics course. Satisfies general education upper division Area UDD and Theme S: Sustainability and Justice.
The economic effects of various immigration policies, their impact on labor markets, as well as its relationship to national security are explored. The focus is on understanding and analyzing immigration policies, as well as their consequences on society and the economy. This course will also consider immigration policy development. Prerequisite: ECON 2018 or ECON 2028.
This course examines environmental policy from the perspective of factors influencing sustainability and social responsibility (e.g., scientific, economic, cultural, political, ethical). This course is an introduction to environmental economics. Throughout the course we will consider the role of markets and government in analyzing and solving environmental issues. Students are expected to apply knowledge, methods, and principles of economics to environmental and natural resource issues. Prerequisites: At least 45 units and completion of LD Area D. Recommended: one Economics course. Satisfies general education upper division Area UDD and Theme S: Sustainability and Justice.
Economic policy analysis of agriculture and natural resources with emphasis on California agriculture. Topics include the structure and organization of U.S.'s agriculture and food system, specifically the operation, financing, linkages, and functions of its components; the economic aspects of a wide range of environmental issues including air and water pollution, optimal forest and fisheries management; recycling; cost-benefit policy analysis case studies; and international issues. Prerequisite: ECON 2018.
This course involves an examination of the spatial organization of economic activities. Topics include population dynamics and migration, natural resources and location, transportation and communication networks, agriculture and rural land use, urban land use, city location and urban hierarchies, industrial location, world economic regions, and international trade and investment patterns. Course also includes an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Behavioral economics is the study of human behavior that attempts to incorporate the insights of psychology and other social sciences into the development of economic models in an attempt to explain behavior that cannot be explained by standard economic analysis. We will discuss the basic neoclassical model and then demonstrate how recent findings in behavioral economics call into question some of the assumptions underlying the neoclassical model. We will then develop an alternative model (Prospect Theory) that can account for some of these decision making anomalies. Finally, we will discuss the empirical evidence for and against the findings of behavioral economists and any practical applications of those findings. Prerequisites: ECON 2018 or consent of instructor
This course examines major contributions made to the field of economics by great thinkers from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman. Systems of economic thought and their applications to economic practice and policy will be compared and evaluated on a variety of criteria, including efficiency and equity. Particular emphasis will be place on tracing the development of specific ideas (e.g., utility, income distribution, and terms of exchange) over time, including their application to current policy issues. Prerequisites: ECON 2018 and ECON 2028 or consent of instructor.
Law and economics involves a historical survey of the application of economic principles to the law and the contemporary use of economic principles to analyze the structure and effects of property, contract and tort law. Students engage in legal research using Lexis/Nexis in order to analyze the economic content of specific cases. The implications of the economic analysis of law for important policy issues are explained. Prerequisite: ECON 2018 or 201 permission of instructor.
This course examines economics blogs and assigns a best seller authored by a leading economist for the general public. Taught in hybrid mode with a "book club" discussion toward the end of the course preceded during the semester by several online assignments. Graded on a credit, no-credit basis only. Prerequisite: Senior standing.
This course is a study of the theories and policies of international economic development. Topics covered include: defining and measuring growth and development, theories of growth and development, poverty and income distribution, population growth, human capital investment, agricultural development, urbanization, role of the international sector, stabilization policy, and foreign aid and investment. Prerequisites: At least 45 units and completion of LD Area D. Recommended: one Economics course. Satisfies general education upper division Area UDD and Theme S: Sustainability and Justice.
A study of the essentials of econometric theory with computer-based applications. This course will enable students to construct empirical models, collect data, apply appropriate estimation techniques, and interpret the estimation results for decision making. A grade of "C" or better required for the major. Prerequisites: ECON 2018 and ECON 2028, ECON 2200, MATH 2200, all passed with a grade of C or higher.
A study of economic theories of urban and regional development. Topics selected from: economic base and industry composition analysis; location of economic activity; principles of urban economic development, housing, transportation, poverty and unemployment and municipal finance; Census and other socioeconomic data; analysis of economic forces which influence spatial patterns and the relationship between regions, public services, land use planning and land use control processes. Prerequisite: ECON 2018 or ECON 2028; or permission of instructor.
A study of the banking system, the demand and supply of money, monetary policy, interest rates and their term structure, the theory of portfolio choice, bank regulation, and international finance. Prerequisite: ECON 2028.
This course develops the main arguments in financial theory from an explicitly economic perspective. Financial economics involves the examination of the roles of time, uncertainty and information in economic transactions. This course analyzes financial institutions from a perspective of information theory. We consider the theories of decision-making under uncertainty and asymmetric information. Prerequisites: ECON 2018 and ECON 2200 or MATH 2200 or equivalent.
This course covers applications of economic theory to managerial decision-making. The course illustrates how economic theory is used to analyze business conditions and solve managerial problems. The course covers such topics as the price system, cost and production functions, pricing strategies, organizational architecture, performance evaluation, corporate culture, capital allocation, business ethics, leadership, and globalization. Prerequisites: Completion of Business Administration Lower Core (BALC) or Grad Conditionally Classified or Economics Major.
An overview of the economic methods used to evaluate projects and real assets. Topics include financial math; investment criteria (present worth, annual equivalent worth, rate of return analysis); evaluating mutually exclusive alternatives; relative price movements and inflation; risk and uncertainty; cost minimization techniques such as equipment replacement analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis; after-tax analysis; project financing and capital constraints; and benefit-cost and cost-effectiveness methods. Prerequisites: ECON 2200 or equivalent; MATH 1209 or MATH 2200; or permission of instructor. Cross-listed with ENGR 4260.
This course examines labor markets from the perspective of several factors affecting the quality of life: wages/salaries and economic living standards; health/safety and other job characteristics; education; labor market discrimination; geographic opportunity and mobility; technology and productivity; distribution of unpaid housework; and time allocation between work and leisure. An effort is made to tie all results into public policies and how to create politically and economically feasible public policies that limit distortionary behavior. Focus is placed on understanding imperfectly competitive labor markets, and how workers, firms, and the government all play a role in determining how workers are hired, how they are paid, and how working conditions are determined. Topic coverage includes labor force participation, labor supply and demand, education and training, wage differentials, incentive pay, regional and occupational mobility, technological innovation, labor unions, and discrimination, poverty, and income distribution. Prerequisites: At least 45 units and completion of LD Area D. Recommended: one Economics course. Satisfies general education upper division Area UDD and Theme Q: Quality of Life.
Economic theories relating to market efficiency and failure, public expenditure, taxation, and political and bureaucratic behavior. Examination of programs and policies in areas such as health care, technology, social insurance, welfare and income redistribution, childcare and education, and transportation. Examination of the tax system, fiscal federalism, and state and local government revenue and expenditure patterns. Online information resources are used to locate and assess policy analyses and analyze expenditures and revenues for all levels of government. Prerequisite: ECON 2018 or ECON 2028.
In-depth studies of selected topic or topics not covered in regular courses are offered on a student demand basis. Topics vary each semester; prerequisites announced for each topic. Conducted on seminar basis. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 9 units.
Consent of instructor, department chair, and School Dean is required for independent study. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 6 units.
Internships may be arranged by the department with various agencies, businesses, or industries. Assignments, coordination of work projects with readings and conferences, and grading are the responsibility of the faculty liaison (or course instructor) working with the field supervisor. Graded on a credit, no-credit basis. Department will determine credits and application of credit. May not be used as a substitute for requirements.
The Cooperative Education Program provides a sponsored learning experience in a work setting, integrated with a field analysis seminar. The field experience, including the seminar and reading assignments, is supervised by the cooperative education coordinator and faculty liaison working with the field supervisor. May be repeated. May not be used as a substitute for requirements. Department to determine application and number of units. Offered on a credit, no-credit basis only.
Evaluation and assessment of learning, which has occurred as a result of prior off-campus experience relevant to the curriculum of the department. Requires complementary academic study and/or documentation. Available by petition only, on a credit, no-credit basis. Not open to postgraduate students. Interested students should contact the department office.
This capstone course provides a holistic integration of the student¿s university experience and reinforces oral communication skills in preparation of completing studies at the university. Student proposes and conducts independent research project under the supervision of a faculty member and presents the findings. The course is also designed to enhance the student's awareness and understanding of themselves as integrated physiological, social, and psychological beings that must relate to others in a physical and social environment. One-third of the course focuses on disciplined inquiry leading to self-discovery and self-knowledge. 'C' or better required for the major. Prerequisite: ECON 3010, 3020, and 4200, each completed with a grade of 'C' or higher; senior standing; completion of all GE course requirements (or concurrent enrollment in the unmet requirements). Satisfies general education requirements Senior Capstone and Student Enrichment and Lifelong Fulfillment.
This course covers topics in labor economics including dynamic theories of labor supply, employment, and unemployment; labor supply in a household framework; and labor market activity and income distribution. It explores both theoretical models and empirical tests in each area.
A study of the tools of economic analysis oriented toward analysis of managerial behavior and the managerial decision making process as related to demand analysis, cost and pricing problems, market organization, forecasting, capital budgeting, and location analysis.
Special topic courses provide each department with the opportunity to present an in-depth study of a selected subject not covered in regular courses. When offered prerequisites and course requirements will be announced for each course. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 9 units.
This is an investigation of an approved project leading to a written report. The project is selected in conference with a professor in an area of major interest; regular meetings are to be arranged with professor. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 3 units.