Courses

Courses by semester

Courses for Spring 2024

Complete Cornell University course descriptions are in the Courses of Study .

Course ID Title Offered
ECON1001 Principles of Micro-Economics Supplement
Reviews lecture material presented in ECON 1110 lectures; provides problem-solving techniques, study tips, and additional problems to prepare for exams and problem sets; provides additional time for questions and discussion of concepts. Provides additional instruction for students who need reinforcement.

Full details for ECON 1001 - Principles of Micro-Economics Supplement

Fall, Spring, Summer.
ECON1002 Principles of Macro-Economics Supplement
Reviews lecture material presented in ECON 1120 lectures; provides problem-solving techniques, study tips, and additional problems to prepare for exams and problem sets; provides additional time for questions and discussion of concepts. Provides additional instruction for students who need reinforcement.

Full details for ECON 1002 - Principles of Macro-Economics Supplement

Fall, Spring, Summer.
ECON1110 Introductory Microeconomics
Explanation and evaluation of how the price system operates in determining what goods are produced, how goods are produced, who receives income, and how the price system is modified and influenced by private organizations and government policy.

Full details for ECON 1110 - Introductory Microeconomics

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer.
ECON1120 Introductory Macroeconomics
Analysis of aggregate economic activity in relation to the level, stability, and growth of national income. Topics may include the determination and effects of unemployment, inflation, balance of payments, deficits, and economic development, and how these may be influenced by monetary, fiscal, and other policies.

Full details for ECON 1120 - Introductory Macroeconomics

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer.
ECON2300 International Trade and Finance
One-semester introduction to international economic principles and issues. Begins by surveying key topics such as the elements of comparative advantage, tariff and nontariff barriers, and multilateral institutions. The second part of the course treats selected topics in international finance, including exchange rates, balance of payments, and capital markets. Discusses current issues such as the effects of trade liberalization, trade and economic growth, and instability in international capital markets. Designed as a less technical introduction to concepts developed at a more advanced level in AEM 4300 and ECON 4510-ECON 4520.

Full details for ECON 2300 - International Trade and Finance

Spring.
ECON3030 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
The pricing processes in a private enterprise economy are analyzed under varying competitive conditions, and their role in the allocation of resources and the functional distribution of national income is considered.

Full details for ECON 3030 - Intermediate Microeconomic Theory

Fall, Spring, Summer.
ECON3040 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
Introduces the theory of national income and determination and economic growth in alternative models of the national economy. Examines the interaction and relation of these models to empirical aggregate economic data. Reviews national accounts, output and employment determination, price stability and economic growth, in the context of alternative government policy programs and the impact of globalization.

Full details for ECON 3040 - Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory

Fall, Spring, Summer.
ECON3110 Probability Models and Inference for the Social Sciences
This course provides an introduction to probability and parametric inference. Topics include: random variables, standard distributions, the law of large numbers, the central limit theorem, likelihood-based estimation, sampling distributions and hypothesis testing.

Full details for ECON 3110 - Probability Models and Inference for the Social Sciences

Fall, Spring.
ECON3120 Applied Econometrics
Introduction to the theory and application of econometric techniques. Emphasis is on both development of techniques and applications of econometrics to economic questions. Topics include estimation and inference in bivariate and multiple regression models, instrumental variables, regression with qualitative information, heteroskedasticity, and serial correlation. Students are expected to apply techniques through regular empirical exercises with economic data.

Full details for ECON 3120 - Applied Econometrics

Fall, Spring, Summer.
ECON3140 Econometrics
Introduction to the theory and application of econometric techniques. Emphasis is on foundations and development of econometric models, focusing on how a theoretical economic model can be placed into a statistical framework where data is used for the purposes of prediction/forecasting, measurement, and/or testing of economic theory. Topics include estimation and inference in bivariate and multiple regression models, instrumental variables, regression with qualitative information, heteroskedasticity, serial correlation.

Full details for ECON 3140 - Econometrics

Spring.
ECON3280 Introduction to Political Economy for Public Policy
This course will provide an overview of recent empirical research in political economy, which applies the toolbox of economic and econometric analysis to the study of politics. The focus will be on the politics of the policymaking process.  It will cover the following topics: (1) Voters' behavior; (2) Politicians' behavior; (3) Information and mass media; (4) Political distortions and capture; (5) Political institutions. The course will be based on the reading of research papers and the in-depth discussion of their implications for public policy.

Full details for ECON 3280 - Introduction to Political Economy for Public Policy

Fall or Spring.
ECON3300 Development of Economic Thought and Institutions
Examines the causes and consequences of sustained economic growth, and the development of economics as a discipline, from pre-industrial mercantilist thought through the economics of John Maynard Keynes. Stresses the relationship between the consequences of 19th-century economic growth and the evolution of economic thought.

Full details for ECON 3300 - Development of Economic Thought and Institutions

Fall or Spring.
ECON3430 Compensation, Incentives, and Productivity
Examines topics in labor economics of particular relevance to individual managers and firms. Representative topics include recruitment, screening, and hiring strategies; compensation (including retirement pensions and other benefits); training, turnover, and the theory of human capital; incentive schemes and promotions; layoffs, downsizing, and buyouts; teamwork; and internal labor markets. Focuses on labor-related business problems using the analytic tools of economic theory and should appeal to students with strong quantitative skills who are contemplating careers in general business, consulting, and human resource management as well as in economics.

Full details for ECON 3430 - Compensation, Incentives, and Productivity

Fall or Spring.
ECON3550 Economics of Developing Countries
The goal of this course is to expand students' understanding of the economics of developing countries. We will address questions like: why do some countries grow quickly and others slowly? What factors prevent countries, households, and individuals from escaping the cycle of poverty? How do policymakers balance economic growth and environmental sustainability? Why don't financial markets work well in most developing countries, and do informal institutions fill the gap? How do we analyze the challenges facing small-scale farming households, and how do decisions by those households influence migration, labor markets, and the growth of industry? How do we evaluate policies and programs in order to understand what works for development? The approach in this course will be primarily microeconomic, although a basic understanding of macroeconomics is important for some topics. Emphasis will be on theory, real-world examples, and reading and interpreting research and policy papers.

Full details for ECON 3550 - Economics of Developing Countries

Spring.
ECON3670 Behavioral Economics and Public Policy
Standard economic theory assumes that individuals are rational decision-makers; however, that is often not the case in the real world. Behavioral economics uses findings from psychology to determine ways in which individuals are systematically irrational to improve upon existing models. The first part of this course reviews these theories, while the second part of the course focuses on how these findings have been used to design better education, health, and tax policies as well as many others.

Full details for ECON 3670 - Behavioral Economics and Public Policy

Spring.
ECON3710 The Economics of Risky Health Behaviors
Risky health behaviors such as cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, risky sex, drug use, poor diet and physical inactivity (leading to obesity), and self-harm are responsible for hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths and impose billions of dollars in medical care costs each year in the United States. This course teaches the economic approach to studying risky health behaviors. The research literature on the economic causes and correlates of risky health behaviors will be studied in detail. Numerous policies to modify risky health behaviors, such as the minimum legal drinking age and recreational marijuana use laws, will be debated in class. A policy wargame is conducted, with students creating advertisements, giving oral presentations, and lobbying policymakers to advocate a specific policy position.  

Full details for ECON 3710 - The Economics of Risky Health Behaviors

Spring.
ECON3760 Economics of Education
The economics of education is about understanding how and why people make decisions to invest in education, the effect of education on long-term social and economic outcomes, the behavior of those institutions that "produce" education, and how best to design and implement public policies affecting the level and distribution of education resources. The basic tools of economics provide a framework to evaluate education policies including K-12 school finance, student financial aid, and college admissions. Throughout the course, there will be an emphasis on examining empirical tests of the economic theory and measuring the effects of policy initiatives on educational outcomes. 

Full details for ECON 3760 - Economics of Education

Spring.
ECON3770 Inequality in U.S. Higher Education
Is the U.S. college system a great equalizer or a cause of growing inequality? Improved access to higher education has brought millions of Americans into the middle class, and yet rising selectivity has meant that a disproportionate share of the economic elite come from a few top colleges. This course will explore the three big parts of the college experience --- (1) admissions and the college-going decision; (2) education while in college; and (3) college completion and labor market entry --- and ask how each part contributes to inequality in economic outcomes. Lectures and readings will focus on simple economic theories of higher education as well as the empirical methods used to test these theories.

Full details for ECON 3770 - Inequality in U.S. Higher Education

Spring.
ECON3825 Networks II: Market Design
Networks II builds on its prerequisite course and continues to examine how each of the computing, economic, sociological and natural worlds are connected and how the structure of these connections affects these worlds. In this course, we will construct mathematical models for and analyze networked settings, allowing us to both make predictions about behavior in such systems, as well as reason about how to design such systems to exhibit some desirable behavior. Throughout, we will draw on real-world examples such as social networks, peer-to-peer filesharing, Internet markets, and crowdsourcing, that illustrate these phenomena.

Full details for ECON 3825 - Networks II: Market Design

Spring.
ECON3860 Resource Economics
AEM 4500 / ECON 3860 introduces students to the economics of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources. Topics covered include the valuation and use of land; water economics, management, and conservation; the extraction and management of nonrenewable resources such as minerals, rare earth elements, and energy resources; renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy; forest management; fishery economics; groundwater; natural resource markets, demand, and supply; and sustainability. Students will learn how to use dynamic models to analyze decision-making over time, and to solve dynamic optimization problems analytically and numerically. Students will also learn how to analyze and explain the intuition and logic behind the theory and concepts. Students will apply the methods, quantitative tools, and concepts to analyze natural resource issues at global and local levels; to introspectively reflect on their own lives and future aspirations; and to draw lessons and implications for leadership, management, and policy. A solid background in calculus is required.

Full details for ECON 3860 - Resource Economics

Spring.
ECON3865 Environmental Economics
This class will focus on the role of the environment in the theory and practice of economics. It will make use of microeconomic analysis at the intermediate level and will incorporate real-world examples. It examines market failure, externalities, benefit-cost analysis, nonmarket valuation techniques, and cost-effective policy instruments.

Full details for ECON 3865 - Environmental Economics

Spring.
ECON4010 Economics of Organizations
Why do most economic activities happen within managed organizations (i.e., firms) and not in markets (i.e., purchased from others)? More fundamentally, what is a firm? This course provides an introduction to *organizational economics* that seeks to understand the nature and workings of organizations—a collection of different people with dispersed information, responsibilities and non-aligned interests. You will learn about the theories of the boundaries of the firm that help unravel the neoclassical economics' "blackbox" view of the firm and the theories on the provision of incentives that ultimately shape firms. While the class takes a predominantly theoretical approach, you will also learn how the theories are in conversation with empirical evidence.

Full details for ECON 4010 - Economics of Organizations

Fall or Spring.
ECON4020 Game Theory I
Studies mathematical models of conflict and cooperation in situations of uncertainty (about nature and about decision makers).

Full details for ECON 4020 - Game Theory I

Spring.
ECON4210 Money and Credit
A systematic treatment of the determinants of the money supply and the volume of credit. Economic analysis of credit markets and financial institutions in the United States.

Full details for ECON 4210 - Money and Credit

Spring.
ECON4270 State and Local Public Finance
This course provides an introduction to state and local public finance. The course has two goals: first, to provide institutional detail about U.S. state and local governments and their policies, and, second, to use economic theory to analyze public policy issues that arise in the state and local government setting. The course is divided into eight parts. Parts I and II provide background by reviewing key theoretical concepts in public finance and public choice: Part I covers the normative economic theory of the role of government in a market economy and Part II covers some standard positive theories of policy-making. Part III introduces the theory of fiscal federalism, which seeks to provide guidance on the appropriate role of state and local governments. Parts IV and V discuss different ways in which the provision of state and local goods and services are financed: Part IV deals with non-tax sources of finance and Part V covers commonly used taxes. Part VI explains the budget process of state and local governments. Part VII describes how three of the most important state and local government responsibilities are organized: education, transportation, and health and welfare. Finally, Part VIII discusses state and local government policies towards residential and business development.

Full details for ECON 4270 - State and Local Public Finance

Fall or Spring.
ECON4280 Applied Political Economy
This course will provide an overview of recent empirical research in political economy, which applies the toolbox of economic and econometric analysis to the study of politics. It will cover the following topics: (1) Voters' behavior; (2) Politicians' behavior; (3) Information and mass media; (4) Political distortions and capture; (5) Political institutions. The course will be based on the reading of research papers and the in-depth discussion of their theories, methods, results, and implications.

Full details for ECON 4280 - Applied Political Economy

Fall or Spring.
ECON4600 Economics of Risk and Insurance: Decision Making Under Risk and Insurance Demand
The course will cover foundations of modern theory of decision making under risk. The first part of the course will cover the functioning of financial markets with focus on asset pricing. The main part of the course will focus on how consumers perceive and evaluate risk, as well as issues arising from asymmetric information, such as adverse selection and moral hazard. The latter part of the course will discuss the functioning of various insurance markets and welfare implications of potential policy interventions.

Full details for ECON 4600 - Economics of Risk and Insurance: Decision Making Under Risk and Insurance Demand

Fall or Spring.
ECON4997 Cross-Cultural Work Experiences
This independent study course offers economics majors (i.e., undergraduates whose applications to affiliate with the economics major have been approved) an opportunity to reflect on concepts from economics as they were encountered and applied in a recent internship. Students write a short paper describing their work experience and how it connects to the educational objectives of the economics major.

Full details for ECON 4997 - Cross-Cultural Work Experiences

Spring.
ECON4999 Independent Study in Economics Fall, Spring.
ECON6100 Microeconomic Theory II
Topics in consumer and producer theory, equilibrium models and their application, externalities and public goods, intertemporal choice, simple dynamic models and resource depletion, choice under uncertainty.

Full details for ECON 6100 - Microeconomic Theory II

Spring.
ECON6110 Microeconomic Theory III
Topics in Non-Cooperative Game Theory.

Full details for ECON 6110 - Microeconomic Theory III

Spring.
ECON6115 Applied Microeconomics II: Game Theory
This course teaches the fundamentals of non-cooperative game theory and classic applications used in applied work in economics and related fields such as finance, marketing, operations, and accounting. The course begins with a brief primer on non-cooperative game theory that covers pure versus mixed strategies, Nash equilibrium, and various equilibrium refinements. Coverage then turns to basic frameworks that utilize game theory to model a wide range of settings in economics and related fields. These include agency analysis, classic asymmetric information models such as adverse selection and signaling, time inconsistency, and repeated games and reputation.

Full details for ECON 6115 - Applied Microeconomics II: Game Theory

Spring.
ECON6140 Macroeconomics II
Covers the following topics: dynamic programming; stochastic growth; search models; cash-in-advance models; real business-cycle models; labor indivisibilities and lotteries; heterogeneous agents models; optimal fiscal and monetary policy; sustainable plans; and endogenous growth.

Full details for ECON 6140 - Macroeconomics II

Spring.
ECON6200 Econometrics II
A continuation of ECON 6190 covering statistics: estimation theory, least squares methods, method of maximum likelihood, generalized method of moments, theory of hypothesis testing, asymptotic test theory, and nonnested hypothesis testing; and econometrics: the general linear model, generalized least squares, specification tests, instrumental variables, dynamic regression models, linear simultaneous equation models, nonlinear models, and applications.

Full details for ECON 6200 - Econometrics II

Spring.
ECON6410 Health Economics I
This course teaches the economic approach to studying risky health behaviors such as cigarette smoking, drug use, alcohol abuse, risky sex, and poor diet and physical inactivity (leading to obesity), and suicide. We will examine in detail the research literature on the demand for health, economic models of addiction, the economic causes and correlates of risky health behaviors (e.g. education, prices, peers), and policies for modifying risky behaviors (e.g. taxes and other financial incentives, and providing information).

Full details for ECON 6410 - Health Economics I

Spring.
ECON6591 Empirical Strategies for Policy Research II
This course is the second of a two-course sequence. Both PUBPOL 6090 and this course are, for the most part, targeted at students looking to do empirical research into the effects of some X on some Y. Both courses require students to complete problem sets that involve "hands-on" exercises – some based on real data and some using Monte Carlo simulations. The hope is that this "learning by doing" will reinforce what is taught in class. Usually, the first course covers core methods, specifically regression adjustment, matching and instrumental variables. This second course covers additional topics in matching (we will touch on machine learning methods in the process), regression discontinuity designs, panel data methods, and mediation analysis. 

Full details for ECON 6591 - Empirical Strategies for Policy Research II

Spring.
ECON6990 Readings in Economics Fall, Spring.
ECON7010 Urban and Real Estate Economics
This course explores links between urbanization and real estate markets. High downtown rents reflect the benefits of proximity to other companies and natural features like port facilities. High housing costs reflect proximity to jobs and the lure of urban amenities. At the same time, segregation and congestion are often exacerbated by urbanization, the costs of which are seen in inequality, crime, pollution, and traffic jams. Urban real estate markets are also affected by local government policy, including enforcement of property rights, zoning, tax and subsidy programs. Shrinking rust belt cities and work from home threaten to undermine urban real estate markets, while volatility and uncertainty contributes to mispricing. These and related ideas will be explored drawing on context from countries around the world.

Full details for ECON 7010 - Urban and Real Estate Economics

Fall or Spring.
ECON7245 Topics in Econometrics and Machine Learning
This course discusses recent developments in Econometrics and Machine Learning. The topics covered will vary every year.

Full details for ECON 7245 - Topics in Econometrics and Machine Learning

Fall or Spring.
ECON7325 Firm Dynamics and Aggregate Productivity
This course focuses on firm dynamics, causes of size and productivity differences as well as patterns of growth, entry, and exit over the life cycle. It also studies how firms interact through production networks, the economic forces that shape these relationships, and the consequences for aggregate outcomes.

Full details for ECON 7325 - Firm Dynamics and Aggregate Productivity

Spring.
ECON7335 Introduction to Information Economics
Many economic decisions have to be made in settings in which many interacting agents have imperfect and diverse information about pay-off relevant variables. This course gives an overview of existing research in macroeconomics and finance that deviates from settings with perfectly informed rational agents. The course will cover both methodological and substantial aspects of the existing literature.

Full details for ECON 7335 - Introduction to Information Economics

Spring.
ECON7430 Seminar in Labor Economics II
Includes reading and discussion of selected topics in labor economics. Stresses applications of economic theory and econometrics to the labor market and human resource areas.

Full details for ECON 7430 - Seminar in Labor Economics II

Fall or Spring.
ECON7580 Behavioral Economics I
This course provides an overview of the field of behavioral economics. The course reviews evidence on how human behavior systematically departs from the standard assumptions of economics, and discusses how one might formally model alternative assumptions based on this evidence. The course then examines attempts to empirically test these theories. The goal is not merely to point out problems with traditional economic assumptions, rather, it is to develop alternative assumptions and to investigate whether these alternative assumptions can be usefully incorporated into mainstream economics.

Full details for ECON 7580 - Behavioral Economics I

Fall or Spring.
ECON7650 Development Microeconomics Graduate Research Seminar
Graduate students and the instructor present draft research proposals, papers, and preliminary thesis results for group review and discussion. Students who actively participate by offering written and oral comments on others' work receive 1 credit. Students who also present their own proposal or paper receive 2 credits. Presentations last 75 minutes and thus represent a substantial investment of time. Students who present a second proposal or paper receive 3 credits.

Full details for ECON 7650 - Development Microeconomics Graduate Research Seminar

Fall, Spring.
ECON7661 Microeconomics of International Development II
This course is an extension of AEM 7620/ECON 7660 and will cover current microeconomic issues of developing countries including but not limited to factors influencing human capital accumulation (e.g. health, education), contracting and firm structure, credit and saving, and behavioral economics and development. Most lectures will begin with applied theory and then discuss leading papers on that topic. The course is also designed with a focus on empirical methods and testing theories with data. Finally, the course contains classes on how to prepare for field work in order to provide a foundation for many of the practical skills needed to move a project forward.

Full details for ECON 7661 - Microeconomics of International Development II

Spring.
ECON7841 Econometrics Workshop
Research workshop featuring guest lecturers.

Full details for ECON 7841 - Econometrics Workshop

Fall, Spring.
ECON7842 Microeconomic Theory Workshop
Research workshop featuring guest lecturers.

Full details for ECON 7842 - Microeconomic Theory Workshop

Fall, Spring.
ECON7843 Industrial Organization Workshop
Research workshop featuring guest lecturers.

Full details for ECON 7843 - Industrial Organization Workshop

Fall, Spring.
ECON7845 Workshop in Labor Economics
Research workshop featuring guests lecturers. Presentations of completed papers and work in progress by faculty members, advanced graduate students, and speakers from other universities. Focuses on the formulation, design, and execution of dissertations.

Full details for ECON 7845 - Workshop in Labor Economics

Fall, Spring.
ECON7846 S.C. Tsiang Macroeconomics Workshop
Research workshop featuring guest lecturers.

Full details for ECON 7846 - S.C. Tsiang Macroeconomics Workshop

Fall, Spring.
ECON7848 Public Economics Workshop
Research workshop featuring guest lecturers.

Full details for ECON 7848 - Public Economics Workshop

Fall, Spring.
ECON7849 Behavioral Economics Workshop
Research workshop featuring guest lecturers.

Full details for ECON 7849 - Behavioral Economics Workshop

Fall, Spring.
ECON7851 Third Year Research Seminar II
Ph.D. students in the Field of Economics are required to take this year-long research seminar, and receive a grade of Satisfactory, in order to remain in good standing in the Ph.D. program. Students present and discuss each second-year paper, which must be completed before the semester opens and Economics 7850 meets for the first time. Students also present at least two additional papers or paper plans. These are intended to be part of the core of the student's thesis proposal, which must be given as part of the student's A Exam prior to the start of the fourth year of graduate study in the economics Ph.D. program. Economics 7851 ends with a mini-conference, attended by faculty and other Ph.D. students, in which each student makes a formal presentation in standard economics conference format, and each student discusses one of these presentations. Professional writing and presentation coaching is also provided.

Full details for ECON 7851 - Third Year Research Seminar II

Spring.
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