Economics Courses | 2024-2025 Graduate Catalog | SIU

Study the role of money within the financial system, and the role of the financial system itself in providing risk-sharing, liquidity and information services. An examination of the bond market, interest rates and the concepts of risk, liquidity, information costs, taxation and investment maturity. A detailed examination of financial markets, e.g., the markets for stocks, foreign exchange, and market for financial derivatives. Finally, a more detailed account of why and how financial institutions and instruments evolve. This course includes a research project in which students formulate a research question, review literature related to the question, gather relevant data, and provide a research conclusion using tools learned in this and other courses. The student will communicate their research findings via a written paper and, if possible, via an oral presentation. Prerequisite: ECON 315 or 341 or consent of instructor. Restrictions: College of Business and Analytics majors or minors, or see a College of Business and Analytics advisor.

Credit Hours: 3

Analysis of the pattern and volume of world trade and capital flows; effects of trade and payments on the domestic economy; problems and methods of adjusting to change in the balance of payments. This course includes a research project in which students formulate a research question, review literature related to the question, gather relevant data, and provide a research conclusion using tools learned in this and other courses. The student will communicate their research findings via a written paper and, if possible, via an oral presentation. Prerequisite: ECON 340 and 341 or consent of instructor. Restrictions: College of Business and Analytics majors or minors, or see a College of Business and Analytics advisor.

Credit Hours: 3

A systematic survey of theories of product prices, wage rates, rates of production and resource utilization under conditions of competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly markets. Emphasis is on developing analytical tools useful in the social sciences. Not open to students who have had Economics 340. Prerequisite: ECON 240 or consent of instructor. Restrictions: College of Business and Analytics majors.

Credit Hours: 3

An examination in the causes of inflation, unemployment, and fluctuations in aggregate economic activity, factors affecting consumption and investment, and the sources of economic growth. Emphasis is on understanding contemporary United States macroeconomic problems and the options for fiscal, monetary and income policies facing the United States government. Not open to students who have had 341. Prerequisite: ECON 241 or consent of instructor. Restrictions: College of Business and Analytics majors.

Credit Hours: 3

An analytical study of the development of economic ideas, with special reference to historical and societal context, central thrust, and impact. Such benchmark figures as Smith, Marx, Marshall, Veblen, and Keynes are highlighted and major schools of economic thought are identified. Prerequisite: ECON 240 and 241; or 113; or consent of instructor. Restrictions: College of Business and Analytics majors or minors, or see a College of Business and Analytics advisor.

Credit Hours: 3

Applications of statistical tools to specific economic problems. Numerous examples will be examined in order to achieve this goal. Emphasis will be given to model misspecification, non-classical estimation techniques, data analysis, and simultaneous equations. This course includes a research project in which students formulate a research question, review literature related to the question, gather relevant data, and provide a research conclusion using tools learned in this and other courses. The student will communicate their research findings via a written paper and, if possible, via an oral presentation. Prerequisite: ECON 208 or equivalent or consent of instructor. Restrictions: College of Business and Analytics majors or minors, or see a College of Business and Analytics advisor.

Credit Hours: 3

A systematic survey of the fundamental mathematical tools for economic analysis. Topics include functions and their properties, including derivatives and integrals. The focus is on calculus techniques for optimization and comparative statics analysis. Prerequisite: ECON 340 or 440, and MATH 140 or consent of instructor. Restrictions: College of Business and Analytics majors or minors, or see a College of Business and Analytics advisor.

Credit Hours: 4

This course will be concerned with broad principles of microeconomics that underlie all business decision-making. The main topics discussed may include the firm's costs, pricing and research and development decisions under different market structures, price discrimination, strategies of different business practices, information, advertising, decision-making over time, and decision-making under symmetric information. Prerequisite: ECON 240 or its equivalent or consent of instructor. Restrictions: College of Business and Analytics majors or minors, or see a College of Business and Analytics advisor.

Credit Hours: 3

Application of economic theory and tools of analysis to practical business problems. Cost and demand functions, and forecasting are analyzed from a policy standpoint. Prerequisite: ECON 208 and ECON 240 or consent of instructor. Restrictions: College of Business and Analytics majors or minors, or see a College of Business and Analytics advisor.

Credit Hours: 3

A study of a common, general topic in the field of economics with individual reports on special topics. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Readings from books and periodicals in economics. Master's degree students limited to a total of six hours. Special approval needed from the instructor and chair.

Credit Hours: 1-21

Emphasizes teaching methods, source materials, and preparation of classroom materials. All teaching assistants must enroll. One hour of credit per semester. Graded S/U only.

Credit Hours: 1

Systematic approach to economic research. Includes research planning and design, exploration of the various sources of data and most frequently used methodology. The last part of the course is concentrated on techniques for communicating the results of research. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 2

A continuation of topics in 465 with more emphasis on proofs. Topics include economic applications of integration, differential equations and real analysis. Prerequisite: ECON 465 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

A graduate-level introduction to the field of monetary economics. Students will focus on the core theoretical models to describe and explain the role of money in modern economies. The course emphasizes empirical methods in macroeconomics and reviews current empirical research and evidence on the channels through which money influences economic activity. Students will relate monetary variables to the rates of interest, inflation and unemployment, to deficits and the national debt, and to savings, investment, and output. Prerequisite: ECON 541A or B and 463 or equivalent.

Credit Hours: 3

An advanced graduate-level course in monetary economics. Students will use contemporary macroeconomic models to analyze monetary policy. The course emphasizes macroeconomic theory and the role of underlying frictions in monetary economies. Students will focus on recent developments and controversies in monetary theory and policy as well as on optimal monetary policy under discretion or commitment, monetary policy operating procedures, and the interaction of monetary and fiscal policy. Prerequisite: ECON 541B and 517.

Credit Hours: 3

The two parts deal with the macroeconomic and microeconomic aspects of development economics, respectively. 520A topics include theories of development, structural change, income inequality, natural resources, open economy shocks, and the political economy of development.

Credit Hours: 3

The two parts deal with the macroeconomic and microeconomic aspects of development economics, respectively. 520B topics include theories and case studies of famine and famine prevention, gender and development, economics of child labor, and informal credit markets and microfinance. Prerequisite: ECON 465 and ECON 540A or their equivalent or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

This course covers the determinants of the pattern of trade and possible gains from trade, under both perfect and imperfect competition. It also examines trade policy issues such as optimal tariffs and the relative merits of alternative trade policies. A number of specific topics are also covered, for example: foreign direct investment, trade and the environment, and fair trade. Prerequisite: ECON 465 and ECON 540A or their equivalent or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Application of theory to current international economic transactions. Emphasis is placed on topics at the frontier of research in international macroeconomics, with empirical studies. Prerequisite: ECON 465 and ECON 541A or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Historical development of public finance theories with analysis of their policy implications. Prerequisite: ECON 330 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

This course examines from a theoretical and applied point-of-view, various economic aspects of taxation. Other government revenue sources may also be analyzed such as inter-governmental grants and debt. Emphasis is on application of microeconomic theory to problems in taxation. Usual topics include: equity in taxation, shifting and incidence of taxes, excess burden of taxes, other economic effects of taxes, tax reform, debt. Prerequisite: ECON 330 and ECON 340, or ECON 440, or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

The course provides the basic theoretical knowledge necessary for microeconomic research in business and government. Prerequisite: ECON 340 or ECON 440 or consent of instructor AND MATH 150 or its equivalent or consent from the Director of Graduate Studies in the Economics Department.

Credit Hours: 3

A contemporary course in partial equilibrium analysis. Topics include the theory of the firm, market structure and the theory of the consumer. The course frequently takes an axiomatic approach; consequently there are many formal statements and proofs of theorems. Prerequisite: ECON 465 and ECON 540A or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

A contemporary course in game theory as applied to economics. Topics include static games of complete and incomplete information with applications to Cournot oligopoly, tragedy of the commons, and auctions; as well as dynamic games of complete and incomplete information with applications to Stackelberg oligopoly, sequential bargaining, imperfect international competition, and job market signaling. Prerequisites: ECON 540A and ECON 540B or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

The rigorous development of general equilibrium macroeconomic models to analyze the determination of national income in the context of Classical, Keynesian, Neoclassical and Monetarist economic systems. Also included is the study of key sectoral demand functions. Prerequisite: ECON 340 or ECON 440 or consent of instructor AND MATH 150 or its equivalent or consent from the Director of Graduate Studies in the Economics Department.

Credit Hours: 3

Continuation of 541A. Analyzes the ideas of New Classical and New Keynesians on the determination of national income. Focuses on the impact of rational expectations and the natural rate hypotheses on the effectiveness of macroeconomic policy. Also included are recent developments in the area of business cycles. Prerequisite: ECON 541A.

Credit Hours: 3

Recent developments and major issues in contemporary macroeconomic theory. Focuses on incorporating uncertainty, stochastic tools and dynamic analysis into macroeconomic theory. Prerequisite: ECON 541B.

Credit Hours: 3

A study of the variety of forms of competition among firms. Topics include theories of the firm, oligopoly theory, theories of entry, product differentiation and innovation. Prerequisite: ECON 440 and ECON 441.

Credit Hours: 3

A survey of government policy toward industry. Topics include antitrust: mergers, concentration and unfair trade practices, regulation of public utilities, peak load pricing, product, safety and environmental regulation. Prerequisite: ECON 440 and ECON 441.

Credit Hours: 3

A survey of theoretical and institutional aspects of energy production, distribution, consumption and regulation. Topics covered include cartel theory, history of energy use, theory of resource exhaustion, models of energy demand and supply, past and current policy issues, and environmental protection. Prerequisite: ECON 440 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Linear economic models. Linear programming. Input-output analysis and general equilibrium models Prerequisite: ECON 340 or ECON 440 or ECON 465 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

This is a course in modern mathematical statistics applied to economics and allied fields. Students will use calculus and linear algebra to apply probability and statistical models to data, via parameter estimation and hypothesis testing. Key topics include probability models, features of probability distributions, sampling distributions, estimation via maximum likelihood, inference via likelihood ratio, score and Wald tests; and asymptotic theory. Applications center on the simple linear regression model and its variants, and students will apply models to data using econometric software. Prerequisite: ECON 465 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Further topics in the theory and application of single equation econometric models including model specification, data problems, large sample results, non-spherical disturbances, heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation. Topics in time series analysis include unit root tests and ARIMA model building. Prerequisite: ECON 465 and ECON 567A or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Topics covered are systems of regression equations; models for panel data; simultaneous equations models; time series models; VAR; causality, cointegration, error correction model among others; and estimation and inference in models with discrete and limited dependent variables, i.e., Probit and Logit models, censored regression models and Tobit analysis. Prerequisite: ECON 567B or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

An investigation of recent developments and current controversies in economic theory with emphasis on microeconomic problems. Prerequisite: ECON 540B.

Credit Hours: 3

An investigation of recent developments and current controversies in economic theory with emphasis on macroeconomic problems. Prerequisite: ECON 541B or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Topics include: probability theory; asymptotic theory; linear regression; likelihood ratio, Lagrange multiplier, and Wald tests; stochastic processes; ARIMA models; unit root tests, cointegration, spurious regression, and spurious trend; ARCH models; VAR models; and other topics to be determined by the instructor. Prerequisite: ECON 567B or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Topics include: density estimation methods, nonparametric regression, stochastic frontiers, nonlinear regression models, nonlinear time series models, information matrix tests, generalized method of moments, non-nested hypothesis testing, Bayesian methods, bootstrapping, and other topics to be determined by the instructor. Prerequisite: ECON 575A or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Preparation of a research paper for a Master's degree. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 1-3

Minimum of four hours to be counted toward a Master's degree. Graded S/U only.

Credit Hours: 1-6

Hours and credit to be arranged by director of graduate studies. Graded S/U only.

Credit Hours: 1-16

For those graduate students who have not finished their degree programs and who are in the process of working on their dissertation, thesis, or research paper. The student must have completed a minimum of 24 hours of dissertation research, or the minimum thesis, or research hours before being eligible to register for this course. Concurrent enrollment in any other course is not permitted. Graded S/U or DEF only.

Credit Hours: 1

Must be a Postdoctoral Fellow. Concurrent enrollment in any other course is not permitted

Credit Hours: 1