ECON 490

Fall 2015 All Classes

All Classes

Topics in Economics

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Credit: 3 OR 4 hours.

Treatment of special topics in economics.

3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated in the same term to a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours or 8 graduate hours. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 9 undergraduate hours or 8 graduate hours. Prerequisite: ECON 302 or consent of instructor.

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ECON 490 class schedule data for fall 2015
CRN	Type	Section	Time	Day	Location	Instructor	Section Details
61740	Lecture-Discussion	A1	9:30AM -10:50AM	MW	223 David Kinley Hall	Wang, X	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Financial Economics Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students only. This course is restricted to Economics majors only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. The aim of this course is to introduce students to several topics in finance and the connection to monetary policy. The first part will introduce basic financial products (stocks, bonds, futures, options and other derivatives) and asset pricing theory including capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and arbitrage pricing theory (APT). The second part will cover financial institutions and the organization of financial markets. The last part will cover some topics on financial crisis and monetary policy. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
62356	Lecture-Discussion	A2	9:30AM -10:50AM	MW	223 David Kinley Hall	Wang, X	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Financial Economics Section Info: This section will not open. Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
63753	Lecture-Discussion	C1	12:30PM -1:50PM	MW	317 David Kinley Hall	Das, S	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Economics of War & Terrorism Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students only. This course is restricted to Economics Majors only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. The course aims to cover three inter-related topics: inter-country war, internal conflicts (including civil war and ethnic conflicts), and terrorism. It would discuss why countries may go to or prepare for war at phenomenal economic cost when negotiated settlement is an option, choice and efficiency of alternative methods of raising an army and economic costs of war, determinants of internal conflicts such as inequality, ethnic diversity, poverty and macro economic shocks, and, their characteristics, causes and patterns of terrorism, trade off between defensive and offensive counter-terrorism strategies and economic impacts of terrorism. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
63754	Lecture-Discussion	D1	9:30AM -10:50AM	MW	70B Wohlers Hall	Thornton, R	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Evaluating Econ Development Section Info: This section is restricted to Economics Undergraduate students only (the restriction will not be lifted and overrides will not be given to students who are not economics majors). Course Description: This course is an advanced economics course that focuses on micro-economic issues in developing countries with particular attention to empirical analyses and methodologies to address policy-relevant questions. The class alternates between lectures and computer lab work. In lecture, we discuss new ideas or concepts and the assigned readings primarily on topics related to health and education. The classroom labs apply these concepts to actual data using Stata. Students are expected to produce an original empirical research paper using micro-data, applying the ideas and concepts covered in class. Outcomes: Research (Student?s Original/Empirical), Statistical Skills (Stata), Strong Analysis, Writing/Composition of Papers, and an Original Project within the student?s area of interest in the field (great if you are interested in completing an independent study/research project in the future and want a strong foundation, want to present at the econ research symposium, and to include on graduate school applications and/or your CV/Resume). The paper that comes out of the course can be used as a writing sample for future graduate school applications, is excellent to highlight on your resume/CV, and familiarity with the course software, Stata, is highly sought after by potential employers. Professor: Associate Professor Thornton conducts randomized controlled trials in developing countries including Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Nicaragua, India, and Nepal. Prerequisites: Students are expected to have a basic familiarity with intermediate microeconomics (Economics 302). Given the emphasis on statistical analysis in the course, Economics 202 and 203 (or their equivalent) are recommended. Familiarity with computer statistical packages is useful, but is not required. Restriction(s): Restricted to students in the Economics department. Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
65815	Lecture-Discussion	D2	9:30AM -10:50AM	MW	70B Wohlers Hall	Thornton, R	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Evaluating Econ Development Restriction(s): Restricted to MS:Economics:Policy Econ -UIUC.
63573	Lecture-Discussion	F1	11:00AM -12:20PM	MW	123 David Kinley Hall	Arvan, L	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Economics of Organizations Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students only. This course is restricted to Economics Majors only until Friday, May 8th, 2015.The course focuses on the dual problems of first, providing coherence to activities within the organization and second, providing suitable motivation for organization members. Different members of the organization have different pieces of information. An effective organization addresses the dual problems by managing well the information asymmetries. This economics approach to organizations is compared and contrasted to non-economic approaches. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
63574	Lecture-Discussion	F2	11:00AM -12:20PM	MW	123 David Kinley Hall	Arvan, L	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Economics of Organizations Section Info: This section is restricted to Graduate students only. This course is restricted to MSPE students until Friday, May 8th, 2015. The course focuses on the dual problems of first, providing coherence to activities within the organization and second, providing suitable motivation for organization members. Different members of the organization have different pieces of information. An effective organization addresses the dual problems by managing well the information asymmetries. This economics approach to organizations is compared and contrasted to non-economic approaches. Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
60162	Lecture-Discussion	J1	9:30AM -10:50AM	MW	113 David Kinley Hall	Shafer, R	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Auctions Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students only. This course is restricted to Economics Majors only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. Economic analysis of auctions. Topics include: an introduction to standard auction formats, the independent private values auction model and revenue equivalence, common value auctions and the winner's curse. Applications include eBay and spectrum auctions. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
60328	Lecture-Discussion	K1	3:30PM -4:50PM	MW	106 David Kinley Hall	Fung, J	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Game Theory Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students only. This course is restricted to Economics Majors only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. This course is the introduction of game theory and strategic decision making. We will cover basic concepts and topics in modern game theory, such as Nash equilibrium, dominance, voting, bargaining, auction, adverse selection, etc, which have broad applications in economics, politics, psychology, and everyday life. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
59696	Lecture-Discussion	L1	11:00AM -12:20PM	TR	206 David Kinley Hall	Baerlocher Carvalho, D	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Economic Growth Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students only. This course is restricted to Economics Majors only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. Why are some countries rich and others poor? This course will provide a theoretical and empirical examination of economic growth and income differences across countries. It will focus on both the historical experience of countries that are currently rich and the process of catch-up among poor countries. The idea is to introduce students to the latest theoretical tools, data, and insights underlying this pivotal question. Topics include facts and puzzles related to economic growth, accumulation of physical and human capital, technological change, natural resources, finance and economic efficiency. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
60116	Lecture-Discussion	O1	9:30AM -10:50AM	TR	125 David Kinley Hall	Zhao, R	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Monetary Economics Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students only. This course is restricted to Economics Majors only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. This course studies a variety of topics related to money, banking, and financial markets. In particular, it provides an introduction to money and its role in the economy, bond market and interest rates, stock market and other financial assets, exchange rate, banks and regulation on banking industry, money supply process and monetary policy. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
60117	Lecture-Discussion	O2	9:30AM -10:50AM	TR	125 David Kinley Hall	Zhao, R	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Monetary Economics Section Info: This section is restricted to Graduate students only. This course is restricted to MSPE students until Friday, May 8th, 2015. This course studies a variety of topics related to money, banking, and financial markets. In particular, it provides an introduction to money and its role in the economy, bond market and interest rates, stock market and other financial assets, exchange rate, banks and regulation on banking industry, money supply process and monetary policy. Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign. Restricted to MS:Economics:Policy Econ -UIUC.
63472	Lecture-Discussion	Q1	11:00AM -12:20PM	TR	123 David Kinley Hall	Buckley, B	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Environmental Economics Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students only. This course is restricted to Economics Majors only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. Trash, climate change, overpopulation! Is humanity doomed? This class will use economics to get to the core of these issues. We will explore the market and regulatory solutions to these problems to see when they work and backfire. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
60114	Lecture-Discussion	S1	12:30PM -1:50PM	TR	223 David Kinley Hall	Park, W	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Economic Forecasting Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students. This course is restricted to Economics Majors only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. This course provides an overview of methods for economic forecasting. Topics include linear regressions; modeling and forecasting trend and seasonality; characterizing and forecasting cycles; MA, AR, and ARMA models; forecasting with regressions; evaluating and combining forecasts. Advanced topics such as unit roots, stochastic trends, ARIMA models, and smoothing will be covered as time permits. Training in introductory statistics and econometrics is assumed. Students need to write computer program codes (MATLAB, Eviews or R) to do forecasting. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
60115	Lecture-Discussion	S2	12:30PM -1:50PM	TR	223 David Kinley Hall	Park, W	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Economic Forecasting Section Info: This section is restricted to Graduate students. This course is restricted to MSPE students only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. This course provides an overview of methods for economic forecasting. Topics include linear regressions; modeling and forecasting trend and seasonality; characterizing and forecasting cycles; MA, AR, and ARMA models; forecasting with regressions; evaluating and combining forecasts. Advanced topics such as unit roots, stochastic trends, ARIMA models, and smoothing will be covered as time permits. Training in introductory statistics and econometrics is assumed. Students need to write computer program codes (MATLAB, Eviews or R) to do forecasting. Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
58260	Lecture-Discussion	U1	12:30PM -1:50PM	TR	125 David Kinley Hall	Williams, S	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Economics of Information Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students. This course is restricted to Economics majors until May 8th, 2015. Microeconomic theory has focused during the past 40 years on information known privately by individual agents and the incentives that they may have to misrepresent that information. A standard example of private information is one?s preferences over goods that may be traded; it is common in bargaining to misrepresent one?s true preferences (e.g. denying that one wants to acquire an item) as a means of influencing the outcome of trading. Private information and the misrepresentation that it permits can cause inefficiency in economic problems and in political choices for groups. The course will cover a number of economic and political problems in which private information affects the outcome. In some problems, mechanisms have been devised to address the problems caused by private information. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
58262	Lecture-Discussion	U2	12:30PM -1:50PM	TR	125 David Kinley Hall	Williams, S	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Economics of Information Section Info: This section is restricted to Graduate students. This course is restricted to MSPE students until May 8th, 2015. Microeconomic theory has focused during the past 40 years on information known privately by individual agents and the incentives that they may have to misrepresent that information. A standard example of private information is one?s preferences over goods that may be traded; it is common in bargaining to misrepresent one?s true preferences (e.g. denying that one wants to acquire an item) as a means of influencing the outcome of trading. Private information and the misrepresentation that it permits can cause inefficiency in economic problems and in political choices for groups. The course will cover a number of economic and political problems in which private information affects the outcome. In some problems, mechanisms have been devised to address the problems caused by private information. Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
63644	Lecture-Discussion	V1	12:30PM -1:50PM	MW	209 David Kinley Hall	Kleemans, M	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Migration and Econ Development Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students. This course is restricted to Economics Majors only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. This class deals with the inter-relationships between economic development and migration. After introducing the basic concepts of poverty and inequality ? between as well as within countries ? this course focuses on the role that migration and population growth play in the process of economic development. The causes of migration and its consequences are examined at national and international levels together with their policy implications, including those related to urbanization, brain drain and labor market impacts of immigration. A range of migration forms is discussed, including international and internal migration, permanent and temporary migration, legal and illegal migration, as well as forced migration and refugees. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
65284	Lecture-Discussion	V2	12:30PM -1:50PM	MW	209 David Kinley Hall	Kleemans, M	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Migration and Econ Development Section Info: This section is restricted to Graduate students. This course is restricted to MSPE students only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. This class deals with the inter-relationships between economic development and migration. After introducing the basic concepts of poverty and inequality ? between as well as within countries ? this course focuses on the role that migration and population growth play in the process of economic development. The causes of migration and its consequences are examined at national and international levels together with their policy implications, including those related to urbanization, brain drain and labor market impacts of immigration. A range of migration forms is discussed, including international and internal migration, permanent and temporary migration, legal and illegal migration, as well as forced migration and refugees. Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
58499	Lecture-Discussion	X1	3:30PM -4:50PM	TR	108 David Kinley Hall	Li, Z	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Game Theory Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students only. This course is restricted to Economics Majors only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. This course is the introduction of game theory and strategic decision making. We will cover basic concepts and topics in modern game theory, such as Nash equilibrium, dominance, voting, bargaining, auction, adverse selection, etc, which have broad applications in economics, politics, psychology, and everyday life. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
58500	Lecture-Discussion	X2	3:30PM -4:50PM	TR	108 David Kinley Hall	Li, Z	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Game Theory Section Info: This section will not open. Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
58497	Lecture-Discussion	Z1	3:30PM -4:50PM	TR	223 David Kinley Hall	Sahakyan, Z	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Political Economy Section Info: This section is restricted to Undergraduate students only. This course is restricted to Economics Majors only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. Political Economy studies how self-interested, rational policy-makers make choices in an institutionalized environment. In this course students will utilize utility-maximization theories and tools of microeconomics to understand behavior of rational and goal driven political actors. Students will study political outcomes and the interaction between the actors within the institutional constraints of their environment. We will attempt to explain why the government behaves as it does and how its behavior influences and is in turn influenced by the behavior of private citizens. We will also investigate the effects of political institutions on political and economic outcomes and assess the relative performance of different political systems. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
58498	Lecture-Discussion	Z2	3:30PM -4:50PM	TR	223 David Kinley Hall	Sahakyan, Z	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/24/15-12/09/15 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Political Economy Section Info: This section is restricted to Graduate students only. This course is restricted to MSPE students only until Friday, May 8th, 2015. Political Economy studies how self-interested, rational policy-makers make choices in an institutionalized environment. In this course students will utilize utility-maximization theories and tools of microeconomics to understand behavior of rational and goal driven political actors. Students will study political outcomes and the interaction between the actors within the institutional constraints of their environment. We will attempt to explain why the government behaves as it does and how its behavior influences and is in turn influenced by the behavior of private citizens. We will also investigate the effects of political institutions on political and economic outcomes and assess the relative performance of different political systems. Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.