ECON 490

Spring 2016 All Classes

All Classes

Topics in Economics

SHOW FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE

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.

My Favorites

My Schedule

Section Status updates every 10 minutes.

ECON 490 class schedule data for spring 2016
CRN	Type	Section	Time	Day	Location	Instructor	Section Details
64018	Lecture-Discussion	A5	9:30AM -10:50AM	MW	209 David Kinley Hall	Chung, E	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Topics in Econometrics Section Info: The goal of this course is to develop basic tools to understand and use modern econometric methods. We focus on estimating and making inference for causal effects with a special attention to policy relevant problems. Topics include randomized experiments, natural experiments, matching methods, instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity. We discuss theoretical aspects of these methods with detailed applications. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64109	Lecture-Discussion	A6	9:30AM -10:50AM	MW	209 David Kinley Hall	Chung, E	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Topics in Econometrics Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
64019	Lecture-Discussion	B5	9:30AM -10:50AM	MW	125 David Kinley Hall	Lee, J	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Financial Econometrics Section Info: This course is an introduction to econometric modelling in empirical/computational finance. The main focus is to study econometric models and methods to understand financial market dynamics. The curriculum begins by reviewing the essential concepts in probability/statistics and time series econometrics. Then some popular financial econometric models and estimation methods will be studied. Finally, we cover selected topics in finance, and learn how to apply the econometric methods to analyze the empirical properties of financial market data. Both analytical problem sets and data/simulation exercises will be assigned as homework. The practice will enhance our theoretical understandings and practical skills. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64110	Lecture-Discussion	B6	9:30AM -10:50AM	MW	125 David Kinley Hall	Lee, J	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Financial Econometrics Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
64021	Lecture-Discussion	C5	11:00AM -12:20PM	MW	209 David Kinley Hall	Bebczuk, R	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: International Finance Section Info: This course will expose students to the main topics in International Financial Economics. In the course, we will study how exchange rates are formed, how to analyze the balance of payments, the implications/constraints of monetary policy conduction in open economies, how to evaluate and think about sovereign debt. As much as possible, I will try to discuss current topics/research in the areas related to the course. ECON 303 strongly suggested. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64022	Lecture-Discussion	D5	11:00AM -12:20PM	MW	108 David Kinley Hall	Das, S	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Economics of War & Terrorism Section Info: The course aims to cover three inter-related topics: inter-country way, 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 macroeconomic shocks, and their characteristics, causes and patterns of terrorism, trade off between defensive and offensive counter-terrorism strategies and economic impacts of terrorism. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64023	Lecture-Discussion	E5	12:30PM -1:50PM	MW	108 David Kinley Hall	Vardanyan, A	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: International Trade Section Info: This course will enable students to apply economic theory to analyze the trends and patterns of international trade and to understand the interaction between economic development, policy, and trade. Students are expected to develop: An understanding of why nations trade and the role of supply and demand factors in determining trade. A basis for evaluating international competitiveness and comparative advantage. An appreciation for how trade is related to growth and development. An ability to evaluate the welfare implications of policies affecting production, consumption, and trade. An understanding of the implications of protectionism, free trade, managed trade, regional trade blocs, and multilateral trade liberalization, and the role for international trade institutions. An understanding of the implications of global value added chains and recent developments in international trade. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64024	Lecture-Discussion	F5	12:30PM -1:50PM	MW	209 David Kinley Hall	Quigley, D	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Political Economy Section Info: 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. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64025	Lecture-Discussion	G5	2:00PM -3:20PM	MW	209 David Kinley Hall	Das, S	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Financial Economics Section Info: 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 basical 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. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64026	Lecture-Discussion	H5	2:00PM -3:20PM	MW	215B David Kinley Hall	Shafer, R	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Auctions Section Info: Economic analysis of auctions. Topics include: an introduction to standard auction formats, the independent private values action model and revenue equivalence, common value auctions, and the winner's curse. Applications include eBay and spectrum auctions. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64029	Lecture-Discussion	I5	3:30PM -4:50PM	MW	215B David Kinley Hall	Esfahani, H	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Middle Eastern Economics Section Info: This course provides students with an understanding of the business and economic conditions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The course is primarily intended to serve advanced undergraduate and master's-level students who are interested in knowing about the MENA region. The aim is to enable the students to analyze current business and economic conditions in MENA countries for academic and professional purposes. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64111	Lecture-Discussion	I6	3:30PM -4:50PM	MW	215B David Kinley Hall	Esfahani, H	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Middle Eastern Economics Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
64032	Lecture-Discussion	J5	3:30PM -4:50PM	MW	317 David Kinley Hall	Fung, J	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Game Theory Section Info: 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. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64035	Lecture-Discussion	K5	9:30AM -10:50AM	TR	215B David Kinley Hall	Shin, M	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Economic Forecasting Section Info: 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. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64112	Lecture-Discussion	K6	9:30AM -10:50AM	TR	215B David Kinley Hall	Shin, M	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Economic Forecasting Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
64036	Lecture-Discussion	L5	11:00AM -12:20PM	TR	215 David Kinley Hall	Kleemans, M	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Migration & Econ Development Section Info: 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. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64113	Lecture-Discussion	L6	11:00AM -12:20PM	TR	215 David Kinley Hall	Kleemans, M	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Migration & Econ Development Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
64037	Lecture-Discussion	M5	11:00AM -12:20PM	TR	115 David Kinley Hall	Wang, X	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Financial Economics Section Info: 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. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64038	Lecture-Discussion	N5	11:00AM -12:20PM	TR	223 David Kinley Hall	Zhao, R	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Monetary Economics Section Info: 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. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64039	Lecture-Discussion	O5	2:00PM -3:20PM	TR	215B David Kinley Hall	Baerlocher Carvalho, D	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Economic Growth Section Info: 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. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64040	Lecture-Discussion	P5	2:00PM -3:20PM	TR	137 Armory	Toossi, A	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Economics of Coordination Section Info: In any institution based on the decentralized decision making of agents who follow their own goals, a fundamental question is how to structure interactions between them so that they are free to make their own decisions while avoiding outcomes that none would have chosen. The coordination failure occurs when the individuals find the aggregate effect of the decentralized decision making to be undesirable. In this course we discuss the types and causes of coordination problems, and using core concepts of economics and game theory will develop simple models to shed light on coordination problems in different markets and how institutions are developed to overcome them. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64041	Lecture-Discussion	Q5	3:30PM -4:50PM	TR	215B David Kinley Hall	DiIanni, I	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: American Economic History Section Info: This course is a survey of the history of the American economy from the colonial era to the present. We will study the features and development of the American economy and examine the watershed events that have transformed it over its history. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64042	Lecture-Discussion	R5	3:30PM -4:50PM	TR	209 David Kinley Hall	Osman, A	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Econ of Poverty Alleviation Section Info: This class will study what works, what does not, and why, in the fight against poverty in developing countries. The course will have a strong methodological and analytical component, specifically focusing on articulating the why behind interventions and policies, and the how behind establishing evidence on the effectiveness of specific interventions and policies. The class will also discuss some fundamentals of behavioral economics, and learn how and when to apply such ideas to policy and program design. The course will focus on interventions and policies that apply to households, small firms, and farms, with particular but not exclusive focus on four sectors: microfinance, health, agriculture and education. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64114	Lecture-Discussion	R6	3:30PM -4:50PM	TR	209 David Kinley Hall	Osman, A	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Econ of Poverty Alleviation Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate - Urbana-Champaign.
64043	Lecture-Discussion	S5	3:30PM -4:50PM	TR	170 Wohlers Hall	Agiakloglou, C	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Internat'l Macro Forecasting Section Info: Pending Course Description This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.
64175	Lecture-Discussion	T5	3:30PM -4:50PM	TR	212 David Kinley Hall	Li, Z	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/19/16-05/04/16 Credit: 3 hours Section Title: Game Theory Section Info: 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. This section is restricted to Economics students until the morning of January 19th. Restriction(s): Restricted to Undergrad - Urbana-Champaign.