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Economics
Faculty
Description
Major Requirements
Minor Requirements
Program Policies
Course Descriptions
Mary Reinstma, Assistant Professor of Economics (Program Chair)
Cristina Parsons, Associate Professor of Economics
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The Economics
Program at Trinity combines the traditional cornerstones of economics with the
distinct emphases of Trinity's mission. The curriculum provides all students
with the opportunity to become familiar with the macroeconomic and microeconomic
paradigm, as well as to develop facility with economic applications in various
policy areas. Consistent with the interdisciplinarity of Trinity's curriculum
and its focus on gender, race, and diversity, the courses offered by the
Economics Program invite students to study the discipline from a variety of
perspectives and to understand the historical and institutional context in which
both private and public decisions are made. In addition, the Economics Program
follows the mission of Trinity by providing both breath and depth of study and
by encouraging students to develop an ability to abstract, handle data, and
critically analyze existing work, both theoretical and applied.
The Economics
Program supports a major and a minor in the College of Arts and Sciences.
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Required Courses
(25 credits)
ALL of
the following economics courses:
ECON 101
Introduction to Microeconomics
ECON 102 Introduction to Macroeconomics
ECON 311 Microeconomic Theory
ECON 312 Macroeconomic Theory
ECON 499 Senior Seminar
ONE course in
econometrics or statistical inference:
ECON 371
Econometrics
MATH 210 Statistical Inference
BOTH of the
following courses in mathematics:
MATH 110
Introduction to Statistics
MATH 125 Calculus and Analytical Geometry I
Elective Courses
(18 credits)
SIX additional upper-level (200-300 level) courses in economics
Required Courses
(15 credits)
ALL of the following courses:
ECON 101
Introduction to Microeconomics
ECON 102 Introduction to Macroeconomics
ECON 311 Microeconomic Theory
ECON 312 Macroeconomic Theory
MATH 110 Introduction to Statistics
Elective Courses
(6 credits)
TWO
additional upper-level (200 or 300-level) courses in economics
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Advanced
Placement:
Advanced Placement scores of 4 or 5 will be accepted for credit by the Economics
Program to satisfy ECON 101 and ECON 102.
CLEP Policy:
Standard scores and above are accepted in the CLEP
examination only in consultation with program faculty.
Grades in Major
Courses:
Majors must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in their
major. Majors must receive a grade of "C" or better in required courses.
Pass/No Pass:
With
the exception of internships, courses fulfilling a major or minor requirement
may not be taken pass/no pass.
Senior Assessment:
The senior assessment for economics majors, a comprehensive project to be
completed under the direction of program faculty, is a component of ECON 499.
Students must earn a grade of "C" or better on this project.
Transfer Credits:
Transferring students who wish to minor in economics must take at least three
economics courses at Trinity. Transferring students who wish to major in
economics must take at least six economics courses at Trinity, one of which
must be ECON 499. Acceptance of transfer courses is dependent upon program
review and approval.
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ECON 101 Introduction to Microeconomics
Introduces principles of microeconomics and their applications. Topics include
supply and demand, operation of markets, consumer and enterprise behavior,
competition and monopoly, and microeconomic policy. Formerly ECO 122 Principles
of Economics I.
3 credits
Prerequisites: Either MATH 108, MATH 109, or other mathematics course of
equivalent or higher level
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area V
ECON 102
Introduction to Macroeconomics
Introduces principles of macroeconomics, emphasizing such topics as national
income, unemployment, inflation, and economic growth. The role of policy in
affecting macroeconomic outcomes is examined in detail. Formerly ECO 121
Principles of Economics II.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 and either MATH 108, MATH 109, or other mathematics
course of equivalent or higher level
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area V
ECON 103 Current
Issues in Microeconomics
Analyzes current topics in applied microeconomics as a way of introducing
students to basic economic theory and to the questions addressed by the
discipline.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area V
ECON 104 Current
Issues in Macroeconomics
Analyzes current topics in applied macroeconomics as a way of introducing
students to basic economic theory and to the questions addressed by the
discipline.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area V
ECON 221
Environmental Economics
Provides a background in environmental and resource economics. Externalities,
evaluation methods, and corrective mechanisms are covered. The course explores
optimal depletion rates of both exhaustible and renewable resources through the
use of basic economic models. It also surveys existing environmental legislation
and analyzes policies that may improve society's welfare. Formerly ECO 235
Environmental Economics.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 and ECON 102
ECON 223 Women in
the Economy
Applies the theory of the household and investment in human resources to female
labor force participation, marriage, family formation, sex discrimination,
women's education choices, and government policies affecting the economic status
of women. Formerly ECO 375 Women in the Economy.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101
FLC Area V
ECON 224 Public
Finance
Analyzes the principles of government expenditure and taxation. Topics include
public goods, externalities, cost-benefit analysis, the structure of the U.S.
tax systems, and the effects of expenditure programs and taxes on economic
behavior. Specific public policy issues are also addressed. Formerly ECO 369
Public Finance.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 and ECON 102
ECON 226 Labor
Economics
Analyzes the process of wage and employment determination, the organization and
role of labor unions, the structure of labor markets, labor market
discrimination, and macroeconomic implications of labor market behavior.
Formerly ECO 361 Labor Economics.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 and ECON 311
ECON 241 Money and
Banking
Describes and analyzes money and its functions; the financial system, including
the monetary authority, financial institutions, and financial markets; and
monetary policy, its implementation and effects on the economic system. Formerly
ECO 263 Money and Banking.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 and ECON 102
ECON 253 Issues in
Economic Development
Examines economic problems of developing countries, with an emphasis on the role
of policy. Compares economic performance across both developing and developed
countries. Formerly ECO 280 Issues in Economic Development.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 and ECON 102
FLC Area V
ECON 299 Honors
Seminar: Special Topics in Economics
Analyzes economic issues in the United States.
3 credits
Prerequisites: Admission to the Honors Program
FLC Area V
ECON 311
Microeconomic Theory
Examines the behavior of individual economic agents. Develops models of consumer
and producer behavior in the setting of perfect competition, monopoly, and other
market structures. Formerly ECO 365 Microeconomic Theory.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 and ECON 102
ECON 312
Macroeconomic Theory
Examines the economy from the aggregate point of view. Analyzes the factors that
cause fluctuations in important economic variables such as output, employment,
consumption, investment, the price level, interest rates, and exchange rates.
Formerly ECO 366 Macroeconomic Theory.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 and ECON 102
ECON 323
Managerial Economics
Develops in students the capacity to analyze the economic environment in which
firms make decisions, as well as to apply economic reasoning to organizations'
internal decision making. In doing so, this class bridges the gap between
economic theory and practice.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 and ECON 102
ECON 351
International Trade
Examines the economics of international trade. Topics include theories on why
countries engage in trade; tools of trade policy; reasons for trade
restrictions; economic effects of regional trading blocs, such as the North
American Free Trade Agreement and the European Community. Formerly ECO 270
International Economics.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101
FLC Area V
ECON 353
International Finance
Studies the principles of open economy financial macroeconomics. The course
describes and analyzes the determinants of exchange rates, trade balances, and
capital flows. The role of policy in affecting output levels, price levels, and
interest rates in different countries is examined in detail. Past and present
international monetary arrangements are examined. Formerly ECO 371 International
Finance.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101
ECON 361 Mathematical Economics
Covers mathematical principles required for students to perform advanced
economic analyses.
3 credits
Prerequisites: MATH 110 and MATH 125
ECON 371
Econometrics
Develops the tools necessary for applied economic research. After a review of
statistical inference, regression analysis is undertaken. Econometric techniques
are used to estimate, test, and deal with various problems of single-equation
and multiple-equation economic models. Formerly ECO 367 Econometrics.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101, 102, and MATH 110
ECON 399
Honors Seminar: Trading Spaces: Migration, Narrative, and Economics
Examines migration, humanity's ceaseless ebb and flow across all the spaces of
the globe, through the twin lenses of literature and economics. In literature,
we explore narratives of men and women driven to "trade spaces" through various
intersections of necessity and desire. Through economics, we examine the
socioeconomic patterns that underlie wide-scale relocations of peoples, from the
industrialization of early modern Western economies to the global trade in women
of the post-modern era.
3 credits
Prerequisites: Honors Program or permission of Instructor
FLC Seminar II
Cross-tallied with ENGL 399
ECON 491
Internship
Allows students to pursue an internship for credit. Economics majors may be
employed in meaningful work in government, business, labor, research, and
finance. Eligibility for internship requires at least second semester junior
status. Forty hours are required for each credit; no more than three credits can
be earned for a single internship. No more than two internships are eligible for
credit. Supervision includes weekly consultation with the internship advisor and
constant supervision by the onsite internship supervisor. Two evaluations are
required: one by the onsite supervisor and one by the student. Pass/no pass
grading system is used. Formerly ECO 488 Internship.
Credits arranged
Prerequisites: Permission of Chair
ECON 498
Independent Study
Allows students to pursue an independent avenue of study under the direction of
a faculty member.
3 credits
Prerequisites: Permission of Chair
ECON 499 Senior
Seminar in Economics
Develops advanced macroeconomic and microeconomic theory and applies it to
current issues. Requires a major research paper. Formerly ECO 480 Senior Seminar
in Economics.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101, ECON 102, ECON 311, and ECON 312
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