2003-2005 Catalog
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C A L I F O R N I A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y B A K E R S F I E L D
2003-2005 Catalog |
Economics
Business Development Center, A247
(661) 664-2460
(661) 664-2049 (fax)
email: dcarlon@csub.edu
www.csub.edu/Econ/
Chair: M. Malixi
Faculty: D. Berri, A. De Pinto,
M. Evans, A. Grammy,
D. Oswald, J. VanGilder
Program Description
Economics is the study of scarcity and of how societies organize the production and distribution of goods and services. Knowledge of economics can make a significant contribution to citizenship, cultural and intellectual development, and career preparation in diverse areas such as business, law, government, or teaching. Economics is an analytical discipline that reinforces skills such as decision-making under uncertainty, making logical deductions and statistical inferences, and collecting and analyzing data.
Economics majors who want to enter an applied field of business or government or apply to law school or, eventually, to graduate school, should meet with a department advisor to plan a Minor/Special Minor and determine the electives that best complement their career goals. Students intending to do graduate work in Economics should complete the calculus sequence and a Minor in Mathematics. Students planning to teach social studies at the secondary level can major in Economics and, at the same time, satisfy requirements for the Social Studies Teacher Preparation Program. Required courses for majors must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
I. Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Economics
A. Lower Division Requirements
MATH 120 and 140
ECON 201 and 202
B. Upper Division Requirements
ECON 301, 302, 306, 420, and 490
Four (4) economics electives
The following are suggested courses in various fields of interest:
Labor Economics
Econ 380, 381, 451, 465 and 480
Economic History
Econ 304, 305, and 306
Business Economics
Econ 315, 404, 451 and 465
Urban and Regional Economics
Econ 324, 325, 395 and 495
Financial Economics
Econ 353, 430, 435 and 440
International Economics
Econ 311, 312, 395, 410 and 440
Resource and Environmental Economics
Econ 370, 371, 390, 395 and 495
Social Policy
Econ 380, 381, 453, 480 and 482
C. Minor or Special Minor
II. Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Pre-Law Concentration
A. Lower Division Requirements
MATH 120 and 140
ECON 201 and 202
B. Upper Division Requirements
ECON 301, 302, 306, 404, 420, and 490
Three (3) economics electives
C. Special Minor: Four courses selected from the following. Two courses must be taken from Philosophy and two from Political Science.
PHIL 311 Marx and Marxism
PHIL 332 Ethics Theory
PHIL 333 Political Philosophy
or
PLSI 333 Political Philosophy and Thought
PHIL 334 Law and Morality
PHIL 335 Philosophy of Law
PHIL 350 Symbolic Logic
PHIL 498 Special Topics
PLSI 314 Judicial Power and the Constitution
PLSI 315 Civil Liberties
PLSI 370 Legal Reasoning
III. Social Science Teacher Preparation Program within the BA in Economics
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) has authorized CSUB to offer an approved single subject teacher preparation program in Social Science. The generic Social Science Teacher Preparation Program is listed under Teacher Preparation/Subject Matter Programs. The following course pattern satisfies all requirements for the Social Science Teacher Preparation Program within the BA in Economics.
A. Basic Core Requirements (13 courses, 65 quarter units)
1. Early US History (1 course)
HIST 231
2. Modern US History (1 course)
HIST 232
3. Foundations of Western Civilization (1 course)
HIST 202, 204, 210, 211; RS 401
4. Making of the Modern World (1 course)
HIST 102, 206
5. World Civilization: Asia and Africa (1course)
ECON 311, 312
6. Cultural Geography (1 course)
ECON 395
7. American Government/US Constitution (1 course)
PLSI 314, 315, 316, 317
8. International Relations/Comparative Government (1 course)
HIST 436; PLSI 304, 305, 306, 309, 404
9. Microeconomics (1 course)
ECON 201
10. Macroeconomics (1 course)
ECON 202
11. Cultural and Ethnic Perspectives (1 course)
HIST 464, 465, 466, 468; RS 365; SOC 327, 335, 336, 337, 338
12. Gender Perspectives (1 course)
ECON 380
13. California Perspectives (1 course)
HIST 370, 371; PLSI 319
B. Breadth and Perspectives (5 courses, 22 quarter units)
14. US History (1 course)
HIST 351, 352, 355, 356, 357, 358, 359
15. World Civilization: Europe, Latin America (1 course)
ANTH 350; HIST 306, 307, 308, 309, 325, 340, 442, 443; PLSI 309
16. International Comparative Economics (1 course)
ECON 311, 410, 440
17. Ethnic and Religious Perspectives (1 course)
RS 110, 111, 313, 338, 345, 348
18. Integrative Course (1 course)
INST 390
C. Additional Requirements for the BA in Economics (7 courses, 35 quarter units)
1. Lower Division Requirements
MATH 120 and 140
2. Upper Division Requirements
ECON 301, 302, 306, 420 and 490
3. Minor or Special Minor
Note: The Minor or Special Minor requirements can consist of (4) non-economics courses satisfying the Social Science Preparation Program requirements.
IV. Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Economics
A. Lower Division Requirements
1. MATH 120 and 140
2. ECON 201 and 202
B. Upper Division Requirements
1. ECON 301, 302, 306, 420, and 490
2. Five (5) Economics courses (see Areas of Emphasis for specifics)
C. Area of Emphasis (select one)
1. Business Economics
a. Economics courses must include at least one of the following: ECON 404, 451, 465, 480
b. Six (6) approved electives in Business Administration. Course patterns that build depth in one or two areas or that satisfy prerequisites for entrance into the MBA program are recommended. The following course pattern is recommended as preparation for careers with financial institutions: ACCT 220, 221, 303, and 345; FIN 300 and 400; and ECON 430 or FIN 460
2. Social Science
a. Economics courses must include ECON 453 and 482.
b. Six (6) approved courses in two or more of the following areas of study: Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Criminal Justice, and Geography.
Note: Economics majors should try to complete as
many requirements as possible before enrolling in the economics electives.
V. Requirements for the Minor in Economics
Required courses:
1. ECON 201 Essentials of Microeconomics
2. ECON 202 Essentials of Macroeconomics
3. Two upper division economics courses. (See fields of interest under the Requirements for Bachelor of Arts in Economics).
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Lower Division
ECON 100 Economic Way of Thinking (5)
Introduction to economic analysis and the application of economic analysis to policy problems. In-depth investigation into selected problems as determined by current events. This activity-oriented course will incorporate simulations of the Stock Market Simulation, a biannual enrichment activity sponsored by the university’s Center for Economic Education and Research.
ECON 105 Personal Economics (5)
Personal economic and financial planning problems that individuals and families encounter during the course of their lives. Topics include saving and investment decisions, insurance needs, income taxation, job opportunity analysis, current economic conditions, portfolio and credit management, and retirement planning. This activity-oriented course will incorporate simulations of the Stock Market Simulation, a biannual enrichment activity sponsored by the university’s Center for Economic Education and Research.
ECON 201 Essentials of Microeconomics (5)
Value and distribution theory, including the theory of household behavior, the theory of the firm, and the pricing of factors of production. Emphasis on tools of economic thinking and the historical development of these tools. Selected operational content also provided. Lecture/discussion. Prerequisite: passage of ELM Test.
ECON 202 Essentials of Macroeconomics (5)
Theories of income, employment, and price level. Both the income-expenditure approach and the monetarist approach are studied. Emphasis on tools of economic thinking and the historical development of these tools. Selected operational content also provided. Lecture/discussion. Prerequisite: passage of ELM Test.
ECON 220 Mathematical Tools for Economists (5)
This course is an introduction to the mathematical methods most commonly used when analyzing economic problems. The methods include: optimization with one or several variables; matrix algebra and the solution of systems of equations; comparative static’s; constrained optimization. Course emphasis is on the expression of economic ideas and reasoning in simple mathematical language. Students who successfully complete this course should possess the mathematical tools required to understand simple economic models.
ECON 277 Contemporary Economic Issues (5)
An overview of the essentials of business economics. Topics include the economic way of thinking, market mechanism, money and banking, stabilization policy, market structure, economic role of government, human resource and operations management, human capital investment, international trade, marketing and business development, and social responsibility of business enterprises.
ECON 289 Experiential Prior Learning (variable units)
Evaluation and assessment of learning, which has occurred as a result of prior off-campus experience relevant to the curriculum of the department. Requires complementary academic study and/or documentation. Available by petition only, on a credit, no-credit basis. Not open to postgraduate students. Interested students should contact the department office.
Upper Division
ECON 301 Intermediate Microeconomics (5)
Theory construction and application in the areas of consumer choice and demand, production and cost, competitive markets, general equilibrium, and welfare economics. Prerequisite: ECON 201 or permission of instructor.
ECON 302 Intermediate Macroeconomics (5)
Keynesian and classical theories of the determination of the level of economic activity. Emphasis is placed on the role of money and the price level. Analysis of monetary and fiscal policy with concentration on the tools of economic analysis. Lecture/discussion. Prerequisite: ECON 202 or permission of instructor.
ECON 304 Development of the American Economy (5)
A study of the economic forces that have shaped both the United States and California history. The course begins with Colonial America and continues through the latter half of the 20th century. Included in the exploration of United States history are the following specific topics: Early Exploration, the Colonial Era, the War for Independence, the Development of the Constitution and the Early Republic, the Civil War, the Rise of Industrial America. With respect to California, emphasis is placed on the role of California (e.g., the Gold Rush) in leading the national economy along the path of long run growth. In this exploration we will be utilizing the tools of economic analysis.
ECON 305 Political Economy of Pre-Modern West: Plato to Adam Smith (5)
This course examines the pre-modern economies of the West from the ancient Greeks up to the dawn of the industrial revolution in the eighteenth century. It highlights the ways in which these economies were or were not modern and explains the differences in the context of the cultures within which they were embedded. The course also examines the ideas that people used before Smith to understand their economic world. Finally, it explores how these ideas dramatically changed during the course of the scientific revolution and how that transformation in thought helped to give rise to the political economy of Adam Smith. Prerequisites: at least junior standing and one economics course or permission of instructor.
ECON 306 History of Economic Ideas: Adam Smith to Present (5)
This course introduces students to the major theories that have formed the growth of modern economics as well as theorists who contributed to their development. After a brief look at the intellectual background to the eighteenth century, including mercantilism and the Physiocratic School, the rise and expansion of classical political economy from Smith to Ricardo and J.S. Mill are studied. Nineteenth century critics of orthodox political economy are examined. The significance of the nineteenth century marginalist revolution and the twentieth century developments in neoclassical theory are studied together with the Keynesian revolution and postwar developments in policy and theory. In addition, the course will focus on some of the methodological theories that have guided economists in their efforts to create a science of economics.
ECON 309 Economy and Society (5)
Application of economic theory to area studies, topics from California, United States, and world history, and enduring social problems. This activity-oriented course will incorporate simulations of the Stock Market Simulation, a biannual enrichment activity sponsored by the university’s Center for Economic Education and Research. This course is not recommended for students majoring in Economics.
ECON 310 Economics of Health and Health Care (5)
Demand and supply of health care services and methods of financing health care expenditures. Topics include health care production, asymmetric information, demographic trends, medical insurance industry, government insurance programs, medical risk and liability, health care reform, and comparative health care systems. Prerequisite: one economics course or permission of instructor.
ECON 311 The Pacific Rim Economies (5)
Economic developments in China, Japan, and the newly industrialized economies of East Asia. Trade in the Pacific Rim. Places economic development in its cultural/geographic context and critically examines economic institutions and policies. Recommended: one economics course or permission of instructor.
ECON 312 Economies of the Middle East and North Africa (5)
A multi-disciplinary study of economic development in the Middle East and North Africa. Special emphasis will be placed on exploring policy measures that can lead the region toward long term interdependence, stability, and growth. Recommended: one economics course or permission of instructor.
ECON 315 Economics of Sports
The Economics of Sports applies the tools of three core microeconomic fields-industrial organization, public finance, and labor economics-to the examination of both professional and college sports. Topics to be studied include, but is not limited to, the prevalence of monopoly power in the sports industry, the financing of stadiums and teams, the growth of union power, salary determination and the incidence of racial discrimination.
ECON 320 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems in the Social Sciences (5)
An introduction to the basic principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with applications to a variety of problems using established data sources. The course includes fundamental principles of cartographic design and communication, however, students are expected to become proficient users of ArcView GIS Software package. Lab sessions cover step-by-step GIS practice in the real world, including working with public domain data, importing data into GIS, creating a GIS database, performing spatial analysis with tools, building GIS models, and presenting results.
ECON/GEOG 324 Urbanization in the United States (5)
Spatial evolution of the American urban system from the late 1700s through the present; changing spatial organization of urban and rural economic activities and the link to the physical geography, impact of developments in transportation, technology, and economic structure on urban areas, and growth and decline of American cities.
ECON/GEOG 325 Economic Geography of
California (5)
Population growth in California; physical resources and economic development of California; relationships between human settlement patterns and locations of economic activities in California; and the role of water in human and economic location patterns.
ECON 370 Economics of Environmental and Safety Regulation (5)
Topics to include: static and dynamic efficiency and market failure; economic analysis of air, water, solid waste, and toxic policies; energy and the environment; benefit-cost policy analysis and case studies; tort and insurance issues; incentive-based regulations; monitoring and enforcement issues; risk assessment, management, and communication; global issues and agreements. Prerequisite: one economics course or permission of instructor.
ECON 371 Economics of Agriculture and Natural Resources (5)
Economic policy analysis of natural resource and sustainability issues with special emphasis on California agriculture. Topics include efficiency, sustainability, and market failure; groundwater and surface water management and transfers; soil fertility and cropland resources; bio-diversity and habitat protection; fertilizer and pesticide use; forest and rangeland resources; fisheries; wildlife resources and outdoor recreation; recycling; benefit-cost policy analysis and case studies; international issues. Prerequisite: ECON 201 or permission of instructor.
ECON 377 Current Economic Issues (3-5)
A study of the current economic and social issues such as education, health, taxation, social security, welfare reform, public debt, international trade, military spending, and financial market performance. May be repeated for different course content. Prerequisite: ECON 202 or permission of instructor.
ECON 380 Gender and Diversity in Workplace (5)
Development of topics in labor economics from the perspectives of gender studies. Considerations of both national trends and international comparisons. Topics include household production and time allocation, labor force participation, human capital accumulation, regional mobility, and occupational choices, wage differentials, discrimination, and poverty. Prerequisite: any introductory course in social and behavioral sciences or permission of instructor.
ECON 381 Race, Gender and Prosperity in America (5)
Investigation of reasons for economic success and failures of minority members within our economy. This course will start with the main economic tools necessary for policy analysis, move on to economic status, causes and cures, and finish with discrimination. Social policies will be examined including but not restricted to equal employment opportunity and equality of income for Women, Hispanics, and African Americans. Prerequisite: any introductory course in social and behavioral sciences or permission of instructor.
ECON 390 Regional Economic Study (1-3)
A study performance of the local and regional economies, leading to a publication in the Kern Economic Journal. The student will work independently under the direction of a faculty sponsor in completing a project.
ECON 395 Economic Geography (5)
An examination of the spatial organization of economic activities. Topics include population dynamics and migration, natural resources and location, transportation and communication networks, agriculture and rural land use, urban land use, city location and urban hierarchies, industrial location, world economic regions, and international trade and investment patterns. Course also includes an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS). (This course is also listed as GEOG 395 under “Interdisciplinary Courses.”)
ECON 404 Law and Economics (5)
Theory construction and analysis of the economic effects of property, contract, and tort law. Integration of legal research using Lexis/Nexis. Application to significant policy issues. Prerequisite: one economics course or permission of instructor.
ECON 410 International Economic Development (5)
Analysis of major economic impediments to Third World development. Topics include: the structural changes accompanying development, theories of development, impediments to development, role of the international sector, and government policy. Prerequisite: one economics course, or permission of instructor.
ECON 420 Introduction to Econometrics (5)
A study of the essentials of econometric theory with computer-based applications. This course will enable students to construct empirical models, collect data, apply appropriate estimation techniques, and interpret the estimation results for decision making. Prerequisite: MATH 120 and 140 or their equivalent.
ECON421/ERM 421 GIS Applications (5)
This course is designed to enhance students’ existing Geographic Information System (GIS) skills and to apply those skills to real-world projects. Learning GIS usually does not really occur until one is faced with data constraints, data error, and the expectation of saying something meaningful and useful given limited resources. This course will provide such an environment. The Advanced GIS and Applications course will be mostly devoted to the analysis of real-world examples and will explore the techniques and procedures required for answering common questions in the environmental resource management field.
ECON 430 Money and Banking (5)
A study of the banking system, the demand and supply of money, monetary policy, the quantity theory of money, the interest rate, the theory of portfolio choice, and international finance. Prerequisite: ECON 202 or permission of instructor.
ECON 435 Public Finance (5)
A study of public sector economics. Project and policy appraisal. Market failure and applied welfare economics. Theory and applications relating to benefit-cost and cost-effectiveness analysis. Prerequisite: ECON 201 or permission of instructor.
ECON 440 International Economics (5)
Theory, and policy analysis pertaining to world payments systems, open economy macroeconomics, international trade, multinational enterprises and direct foreign investment, and the international migration of labor. Prerequisite: one economics course or permission of instructor.
ECON 451 Managerial and Decision Economics (5)
Application of empirical methods to managerial decisions. Topics include estimation of demand, sales forecasts, business conditions analysis, estimation of production and cost functions, pricing and advertising, and capital budgeting. Case studies and software applications. Prerequisite: ECON 201, MATH 120 and 140 or equivalents, or permission of instructor.
ECON 453 Cost Benefit Analysis (5)
The concepts and techniques for the analysis and evaluation of the worth of products, services, systems, and structures in relation to their cost, in real and normal terms. Economics and accounting cost concepts, calculating economic equivalencies, comparison of alternatives over time and over value, replacement economy, economic optimization in design and operations, and after-tax analysis. Present values, future values, and discounting are also covered. Prerequisites: MATH 120 and 140 or equivalents, and one course in economics or permission of the instructor.
ECON 465 Industrial Organization and Strategic Behavior (5)
Theoretical and empirical aspects of oligopoly theory. Price and non-price competition. The structure, conduct, and performance of selected American industries. Considerations of both antitrust policy and managerial perspectives. Prerequisite: ECON 201 or permission of instructor.
ECON 477 Selected Topics in Economics (1-5)
An in-depth study of an area of economics not included in current course offerings. May be repeated for different course content. Prerequisites as announced.
ECON 480 Labor Economics (5)
A study of labor force participation, labor demand, education and training, wage differentials, regional and occupational mobility, labor unions, and discrimination, poverty, and income distribution. Prerequisite: ECON 201 or permission of instructor.
ECON 482 Economics of Child and Family Policy (5)
Public policy regarding children and families has become a major focus of debate and activity at the federal, state, and local levels. Topics are many and diverse, including welfare reform, child care intervention programs, contraception and abortion, economic resources and poverty, teenage pregnancy, and child support enforcement. Important domains of study are the economic of family, child and adolescent development, demography, gerontology, family functioning, sociological and social services.
ECON 489 Experiential Prior Learning (variable units)
Evaluation and assessment of learning, which has occurred as a result of prior off-campus experience relevant to the curriculum of the department. Requires complementary academic study and/or documentation. Available by petition only, on a credit, no-credit basis. Not open to postgraduate students. Interested students should contact the department office.
ECON 490 Senior Seminar (6)
Student proposes and conducts an independent research project under the supervision of a faculty member. Student also compiles a portfolio of course materials for the assessment of the learning outcomes. Student should plan to take two quarters to complete the course. Prerequisite: upper class standing and completion of pertinent course work.
ECON 495 Urban and Regional Economics (5)
A study of economic theories of urban and regional development. Topics include: economic base and industry composition analysis; location of economic activity; principles of urban economic development, housing, transportation, poverty and unemployment and municipal finance; forecasting of economic activity using census and socioeconomic data; analysis of economic forces which influence spatial patterns and the relationship between spatial patterns, public services, land use planning and land use control processes. Prerequisite: ECON 201, or ECON 395, or consent of instructor.
ECON 496 Internship in Economics (1-5)
Internships may be arranged by the department with various agencies, business, or industries. The assignments and coordination of work projects with conferences and readings, as well as course credits, evaluation, and grading, and the responsibility of the faculty liaison (or course instructor) working with the field supervisor. Offered on a credit, no-credit basis only. Department will determine credits and application of credit.
ECON 497 Cooperative Education (5)
The Cooperative Education program offers a sponsored learning experience in a work setting, integrated with a field analysis seminar. The field experience is contracted by the Cooperative Education office on an individual basis, subject to approval by the department. The field experience, including the seminar and reading assignments, is supervised by the cooperative education coordinator and the faculty liaison (or course instructor), working with the field supervisor. Students are expected to enroll in the course for at least two quarters. The determination of course credits, evaluation and grading are the responsibility of the departmental faculty. Offered on a credit, no-credit basis only. Department will determine application of credit.
ECON 499 Individual Study (1-5)
Consent of department for the offering of independent studies.
Graduate Courses
ECON 500 Economic Theory (5)
Economic theory for MBA candidates. Application of theory to business analysis. Topics include supply and demand analysis, cost theory, market structure, national income and interest rate determination and economic conditions analysis. (Not open to students who have completed ECON 201 and 202.)
ECON 510 Health Economics (5)
Economics and financing of health care. Topics include an economic perspective on health industry trends, health production functions, demographic trends and the demand for health care, markets for health professionals, hospital economics, risk and medical insurance, tort law and medical malpractice, regulation of health care, international comparisons of health care systems, and reform proposals.
ECON 661 Managerial Economics (5)
A study of the tools of economic analysis oriented toward analysis of managerial behavior and the managerial decision making process as related to demand analysis, cost and pricing problems, market organization, forecasting, capital budgeting, and location analysis. Carries credit in either Business Administration or Economics (This course is also listed as INST 661 under “Interdisciplinary Courses.”)
ECON 699 Individual Graduate Study (1-5)
Investigation of an approved project leading to a written report. Project selected in conference with professor in area of major interest; regular meetings to be arranged with professor.