THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA GRADUATE CATALOG
Table of Contents > Manderson Graduate School of Business
7.6.2 ECONOMICS (EC)
Head: Professor Billy P. Helms, Office: 206 Alston Hall
 
Intermediate macro- and microeconomic theory (EC 309 and EC 308 or their equivalents) are considered prerequisites for all graduate coursework in economics, except for M.B.A.-designated courses.
 
EC 412 Industrial Organization: Market Power and Economic Welfare. Three hours. A study of the various types of industry structure, conduct, and performance; business strategies; and policy alternatives. Emphasizes case studies of major types of industry.

EC 413 Economic Forecasting and Analysis. Three hours.
Prerequisites: ST 260 and MATH 121 or MATH 125.
A survey of the analytical techniques used by economists to forecast the macro- and micro-levels of economic activity and the effects of public policy on the economy.

EC 416 Monetary Theory and Policy (same as FI 416). Three hours.
An analysis of the role of money in the economy and the conduct of monetary policy. Emphasis is given to the money supply process, the demand for money, and the choice of monetary policy strategies and procedures.

EC 421 Regional Economics. Three hours.
A study from the viewpoint of economics of the interrelationships among areas of a universe of unevenly distributed and imperfectly mobile resources.

EC 422 Urban Economics. Three hours.
An analysis of the economics of community growth and the application of economic principles to solving problems and exploiting opportunities generated by the process of urban development.

EC 423 Public Finance (same as FI 423). Three hours.
A study of the principles of taxation, government expenditures, borrowing, and fiscal administration.

EC 429 Seminar in Planning. Three hours.
Prerequisite: Permission of the Committee on Urban and Regional Planning and Development.
The course surveys the practice and theory of comprehensive planning, with the primary objective of integrating the various aspects of social, political, economic, and physical relationships germane to the various planning processes.

EC 430 International Economics. Three hours.
An analysis of the theoretical principles underlying international trade, with an application of these principles to recent historical developments and to current national policies.

EC 431 International Finance (same as FI 431). Three hours.
An examination of international financial economics and the international financial system, with emphasis on the theories, techniques, and practices relevant to international financial management.

EC 440 Economic Growth and Development. Three hours.
A comparative analysis of economic strategies, problems, issues, and policy outcomes in low-income and newly industrialized countries.

EC 441 International Financial Management (same as FI 441). Three hours.
Prerequisites: FI 302 and EC/FI 431.
Study of the application of principles of financial management in an international setting, primarily from the perspective of non-financial, multinational firms.

EC 442 Economic Development in Latin America. Three hours.
A comparative analysis of economic strategies, problems, issues, and policy outcomes, with special attention given to Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, and Brazil.

EC 450 History of Economic Concepts. Three hours.
A study of the development of economic theory from Adam Smith to the present day.

EC 452 Economics of Regulated Industries (same as FI 452). Three hours.
An examination of the form of regulation and its impact on American industries, encompassing both traditional public-utility regulation and newer, social regulation (e.g., environmental and health-and-safety regulation).

EC 453 Comparative Economic Systems. Three hours.
A comparative study of the various economic systems as they operate in the major nations of the modern world.

EC 461 Modern Finance Capitalism. Three hours.
A study of the development and function of financial markets and institutions as they impact the economy, both domestically and internationally.

EC 470 Introduction to Mathematical Economics (same as FI 470). Three hours.
Prerequisite: MATH 121 or MATH 125.
Application of selected mathematical methods to the analysis of economic problems.

EC 471 Econometrics. Three hours.
Prerequisites: ST 260 and MATH 121 or MATH 125.
This course emphasizes statistical methods for analyzing data used by social scientists. Topics include simple and multiple regression analyses and the various methods of detecting and correcting data problems such as autocorrelation and heterscedasticity.

EC 480 Economics of the Environment and Natural Resources. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 311.
A survey of the techniques used to estimate the benefits of environmental improvements and an analysis of public policy relating to the environment and the use of natural resources.

EC 481 Economics of the Public Sector. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 308.
A study of the provision of public goods and services introducing the theory of welfare economics, public choice, and cost-benefit analysis.

EC 482 Senior Seminar on Economic Issues. Three hours.
Group discussions of current economic issues together with analysis and policy recommendations.

EC 483 Health Care Economics. Three hours.
Prerequisites: EC 110, EC 111, and EC 308.
An investigation of the microeconomics of the American health care delivery system. The course focuses on the demand for and supply of health care services and emphasizes the efficiency and equity characteristics of the system.

EC 491 Independent Study. Variable credit.
EC 492 Internship. Three hours.
EC 497 Special Topics in Economics. Three hours.

EC 500 Managerial Economics. Three hours.
Prerequisite: Admission to the M.B.A. program.
An introduction to the foundations of both micro- and macroeconomic analysis, including consumer demand, production and cost analysis, price determination, and macroeconomic theory and policy. Emphasis is on the theory of the firm.

EC 503 Economics of the Firm. Three hours.
Prerequisite: Admission to the M.B.A. program.
An introduction to the foundations of economic analysis as it applies to consumer and firm behavior. Emphasis is on market structures and pricing decisions.

EC 508 Microeconomic Theory. Three hours.
Prerequisites: EC 308 or equivalent and MATH 125 or equivalent.
An examination of the theory of resource allocation. Topics include demand theory, production and cost functions, theory of markets, general equilibrium analysis, and welfare theory.

EC 509 Macroeconomic Theory and Policy. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 508, EC 308, or permission of the instructor.
This overview of modern macroeconomic theory and its implications for the conduct of stabilization policies is intended to provide a solid background in macroeconomics for students not seeking a terminal degree in economics or for students preparing for EC 511. The course considers the microeconomic foundations of aggregate economic analysis, but with less mathematical rigor than in EC 511.

EC 510 Advanced Microeconomic Theory. Three hours.
A thorough examination of advanced value theory and a brief survey of distribution theory.
 
EC 511 Advanced Macroeconomic Theory. Three hours.
Modern theory of aggregate income and employment, with application to analysis of stabilization policies.

EC 512 Industrial Organization and Public Policy. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 508 or equivalent.
The theoretical and empirical study of large industrial firms in a market economy. The focus is on corporate and governmental policies affecting markets.

EC 513 Macroeconomic Policy. Three hours.
Prerequisite: Admission to the M.B.A. program and ST 260, MATH 121 or MATH 125 or equivalent.
A survey of the analytical techniques used by economists to forecast the macro- and micro-levels of economic activity and the effects of public policy on the economy.

EC 516 Monetary Theory and Policy (same as FI 516). Three hours.
Prerequisites: EC 508 and EC 509 or equivalents.
Theoretical and empirical analysis of the money supply process, the demand for money, the impact of money on the economy, and the implementation of monetary policy.

EC 523 Public Finance. Three hours.
Prerequisites: EC 508 and EC 470.
Study of the principles of taxation, government expenditures, borrowing, and fiscal administration.

EC 530 International Economics. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 430 or equivalent.
Analysis and policy implications relating to the international movement of goods, resources, and financial assets.

EC 531 International Finance (same as FI 531). Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 430 or equivalent.
An examination of the foreign exchange market, exchange rate determination, international financial institutions, and the management of the risks associated with international business.

EC 540 The Theory of Economic Development. Three hours.
A comprehensive study of classical and modern theories of economic progress. Particular emphasis is given to the less developed countries and to the role of institutions.

EC 550 Survey of Development of Economic Thought. Three hours.
A study in the development of economic ideas, from the classical writers down to the present.

EC 570 Mathematical Economics (same as FI 570). Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 470 or equivalent.
An introduction to mathematical tools commonly used in advanced economic theory and econometrics.

EC 571 Econometrics. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 570 or equivalent.
Corequisite: ST 551 or equivalent.
A quantitative analysis of actual economic phenomena based on the current development of theory and observation, related by appropriate methods of inference.

EC 591 Independent Study. Variable credit.
 

 Special Topics in Economics. Variable credit.
EC 598 Introduction to Economic Research. Variable credit.
EC 599 M.A. Thesis Supervision. Variable credit.

EC 610 Seminar in Microeconomic Theory. Three hours.
Prerequisite: Graduate student status and permission of the instructor.
An advanced study of the modern theory of value and price. The seminar includes demand and supply analysis, marginal analysis, and the monopolistic and competitive structure of markets.

EC 611 Seminar in Macroeconomic Theory. Three hours.
Prerequisite: Graduate student status and permission of the instructor.
Selected topics in contemporary macroeconomic theory, with emphasis on dynamic analysis of cyclical fluctuations, stabilization policies, and growth.

EC 612 Seminar in Industrial Organization. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 512 or equivalent.
A survey of selected topics in industrial organization. Both theoretical and applied topics are examined, with special emphasis on recent developments.

EC 615 Distribution Theory. Three hours.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Analysis of welfare economics as applied to income and wealth distributions. Methods of measuring and evaluating poverty, inequality, growth, income mobility, and redistributive policies.

EC 616 Seminar in Monetary Economics (same as FI 616). Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 516 or equivalent.
Selected topics in contemporary monetary theory, with emphasis on determination of the value of money and the effectiveness of monetary policies.

EC 622 Seminar in Public Finance (same as FI 622). Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 581 or equivalent.
A seminar on recent developments in public economics, with emphasis on the theory of taxation including tax incentives and tax incidence.

EC 623 Public Expenditure and Policy Analysis. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 510 or equivalent.
A survey of the public-economics literature, with emphasis on the theory of public goods, public choice, and income distribution policies.

EC 630 International Trade Theory. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 610 or permission of the instructor.
A survey of selected topics in international trade with emphasis on the basis for trade and the welfare effects of trade policy.

EC 631 Seminar in International Finance (same as FI 631). Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 531 or equivalent.
A survey of the most important professional literature dealing with international financial management.

EC 640 Theory of Risk and Insurance (same as FI 640). Three hours.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Foundation of insurance in risk theory and its problems and practices.

EC 641 Seminar in the International Economics of Development. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 430, EC 440, or equivalent.
Consideration of advanced literature in international economics, with emphasis on those issues that relate to less developed countries: trade, multinational enterprise, and external debt problems.

EC 650 Seminar in Economic Thought. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 550 or equivalent.
An examination of the literature on economic analysis and policy. The course aims at establishing a synthesis of evolving doctrines that have become, and are formulating, the basis of accepted economic theory and policy.

EC 653 Comparative Economic Systems. Three hours.
A comparative analysis of market and non-market theoretical economic systems from the viewpoint of economic welfare.

EC 660 Game Theory. Three hours.
Prerequisites: EC 610 and EC 470.
An introduction to non-cooperative game theory. Emphasis on applications in microeconomics and macroeconomics.

EC 670 Econometrics. Three hours.
Prerequisites: EC 570, ST 551.
Introduction to methods of analyzing economic data. Topics include linear and non-linear least squares, maximum likelihood estimation, statistical inference, and methods for handling data problems.

EC 671 Seminar in Econometrics. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 571 or equivalent.
A study of selected topics and problems in econometrics emphasizing methodology for economic research measurements.

EC 672 Financial Econometric Modeling. Three hours.
Prerequisite: EC 571 or ST 570.
The application of econometric time-series methods to financial data. GARCH, nonlinear and cointegration models will be emphasized.

EC 698 Research in Economics. Three hours.
These courses consist of supervised study and investigation of specific problems in economics. They are open only to graduate students nearing completion of coursework for the degree.

EC 699 Dissertation Research. Variable credit. Three-hour minimum.

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Update: Sep. 2007