Every society
must in some way determine what goods and services its members will produce, and to what extent
each person can claim a portion of this flow of
output. Our Canadian society
relies primarily, although not completely, upon a system of variable money prices, a market
economy, to resolve the questions of production and distribution.
Much of the study of
economics consists of examining the operation of market economies to discover regularities
of behaviour, ultimately in the expectation that through better understanding society will
be able to remedy undesirable results and achieve better ones. Such a study logically
includes looking at the historical evolution of modern economies (economic history), the
evolution of thinking about economic systems (economic thought), the operation of
markets (microeconomics), the aggregate flows of output (macroeconomics), the operation of
the money system (money and banking), economic relationships with other societies
(international economics) and so on. Instruction on such topics emphasizes understanding.
To achieve understanding means moving into the seemingly abstract realm of theory, analysis
and technical terms. Little attention is paid to description or factual memorization.
Students
planning to concentrate on economics will find mathematics a valuable complementary study.
Those who dislike mathematics or who do poorly in it usually encounter difficulties in
economics.
Note: The listing of a course in the Calendar is not a guarantee that the
course is offered every year.
Note: Students must obtain a grade of at least C- in all courses used to
fulfill prerequisite requirements. Otherwise, written permission of the
appropriate Department Head or Program Co-ordinator must be obtained.
ECON 1001 (3CR)
PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, tutorial 1 hour
Prereq: Students should normally have completed a university preparatory level course in
Mathematics
Exclusion: ECON 1000
A general introduction to the study of Economics and the nature of economic
problems. Of primary concern is the behaviour of consumers and firms in different
markets, and the results of their actions as manifested in production, costs, and prices.
Market efficiency and market failure are also examined.
ECON 1011 (3CR)
PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, tutorial 1 hour
Exclusion: ECON 1000
A general introduction to the study of Economics and the nature of economic
problems. Of primary concern is the determinants of the level of national income,
employment, and the accompanying stabilization problems and policies. Topics also include
money and banking. international trade, exchange rates, and the problems of
inflation.
ECON 2001 (3CR)
INTERMEDIATE MICROECONOMICS I
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 1001; or permission of the Department
A course in microeconomic theory and its applications. Topics include: scope and
method of microeconomics; market interactions; supply and demand; consumer behaviour;
choices under uncertainty; theory of production and cost; profit maximization and
competitive supply; and the analysis of competitive markets and effects of government
policies.
ECON 2011 (3CR)
INTERMEDIATE MICROECONOMICS II
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 2001; or permission of the Department
Microeconomic theory and its applications continued. Topics include: market power;
monopoly and monopsony; pricing with market power; monopolistic competition and
oligopoly; game theory and competitive strategy; markets for inputs and income
distribution; investment, time and capital markets; general equilibrium and economic
efficiency; markets and asymmetric information; and externalities and public
goods.
ECON 2101 (3CR)
INTERMEDIATE MACROECONOMICS 1
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 1011; or permission of the Department
Theories of national income, employment, inflation, balance of payments, and
stabilization policy within the framework of macroeconomic models of a open economy. The
focus of the course will be on short-run macroeconomic analysis and policy.
ECON 2111 (3CR)
INTERMEDIATE MACROECONOMICS II
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 2101; or permission of the Department
A continuation of macroeconomic analysis in the context of the long-run. Topics
include long-run consumption functions, investment and real business cycles, economic
growth and productivity, and the monetary theories of the classical economists, Keynes,
and Friedman.
ECON 2301 (3CR)
ISSUES IN CANADIAN PUBLIC POLICY
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: Six credits from Social Sciences; or permission of the Department
This course is designed to introduce students to analytical methods used by social
scientists examining Canadian social and economic policy. Students will be exposed to
these analytical methods while studying issues which perennially arise in discussions of
Canadian social and economic policy. Specific topics covered will vary from year to year
and might include the following: unemployment and government policy; Canada and the
global economy; social security reform; regionalism; education policy; health policy; and
inflation and public policy.
ECON 2311 (3CR)
CURRENT DEBATES IN CANADIAN PUBLIC POLICY
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: Six credits from Social Sciences; or permission of the Department
This course is a critical study of current debates on economic and social policy in
Canada. Specific debates covered will vary from year to year, and will be chosen to
ensure no overlap with Economics 2301.
ECON 2701 (3CR)
STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 1001 and 1011, MATH 2311; or permission of the Department
Note: Students may take MATH 3311 and 3321 instead of this course. Honours students are
strongly encouraged to do so.
Exclusion: MATH 2321
The application of statistical methods to economic data. Topics include:
descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, simple regression,
multiple regression, non-parametric statistics chi-square tests, index numbers, sampling
designs, and time series.
ECON 3101 (3CR)
LAW AND ECONOMICS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 1001 and 1011; or permission of the Department
An introduction to the economic analysis of law, the role of economics
in legal debates, and the role of law in economic exchange. The course
examines economic aspects of social and legal issues and policies in regional,
national and international contexts. Topics may include: property, contracts,
torts, environmental law, and the economics of crime and punishment.
ECON 3111 (3CR)
HEALTH ECONOMICS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 1001 and 1011; or permission of the Department
An introduction to economic issues in the health care system. The
course examines applications of economic principles and empirical analysis
to the study of health and health policies in Canadian and International
contexts. Topics may include: the demand for health care, the supply of
health services through health practitioners and hospitals, the economic
effects of health insurance, pharmaceutical markets, economic evaluation
techniques for health, health technology assessment and public policy formulation.
ECON 3201 (3CR)
MONEY, BANKING, AND THE CANADIAN FINANCIAL SYSTEM: MICROECONOMIC
PERSPECTIVES
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 1001 and 1011; or permission of the Department
Note: Counts as a Commerce elective for students taking a Bachelor of Commerce or a Major
or Minor in Commerce.
This course covers microeconomic aspects of the Canadian financial system. One main
focus of the course is on financial instruments, the markets in which they are traded,
and the economic role that these markets play. The other main focus is on Canadian
financial institutions, the activities in which they engage, and the economic roles they
play.
ECON 3211 (3CR)
MONEY, BANKING, AND THE CANADIAN FINANCIAL SYSTEM: MACROECONOMIC
PERSPECTIVES
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 1001 and 1011; or permission of the Department
Note: Counts as a Commerce elective for students taking a Bachelor of Commerce or a Major
or Minor in Commerce.
This course covers macroeconomic aspects of the Canadian financial system. These
include central banking, and the conduct and mechanics of monetary policy. The
international financial system is also covered.
ECON/MATH 3301 (3CR)
INTRODUCTION TO GAME THEORY
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 1 hour
Prereq: ECON 1001 and ECON 1011; or MATH 1111; or permission of the Department
Note: This course is cross-listed as MATH 3301 and therefore may count as 3 credits in either discipline
This course introduces the basic tools and methods of Game Theory. Game Theory is a
mathematically oriented approach to understanding the strategic interaction of self-interested
agents. Emphasis is on non-cooperative games. Topics include backwards induction, iterative
deletion of dominated strategies, Nash equilibrium, repeated games, some equilibrium refinements,
evolutionary game theory, and Bayesian Nash equilibria.
ECON 3401 (3CR)
SURVEY RESEARCH METHODS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: Six credits from Social Sciences; three credits from MATH 2311, PSYC 2011,
GENS 2431, BIOL 3701; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: ECON 4981 Data Analysis I, II, Data and Research
The purpose of this course is to introduce students in social science disciplines
to survey research methods. To achieve this goal, students will be taken through the
complete survey development process. This will involve not only the development and
administration of a survey questionnaire, sample selection, and statistical analysis
but also collaboration with survey developers and parties interested in the survey
administration. Presentation techniques will also be covered.
ECON 3501 (3CR)
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 1001 and 1011; or permission of the Department
This course covers economic theories of economic growth and technological
change and their application in the study of the historical evolution of
the world economy. Historical sections of the course will selectively
cover materials on Canada, the US, Europe, Asia, and the developing world.
ECON 3531 (3CR)
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT: JAPAN AND EAST ASIA
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 3501; or permission of the Department
This course focuses on the economic performance of the economies
of Japan, China, and other areas of eastern Asia. Economic history and
major current events will be covered.
ECON 3551 (3CR)
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 3501; or permission of the Department
This course focuses on differences in the patterns of economic development
in the world economy. The primary focus is the developing world and
on national and international policies designed to improve the global
distribution of income. The economic development policies of the World
Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the United Nations will be
critically examined.
ECON 3601 (3CR)
PRINCIPLES OF COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 2001; or permission of the Department
Note: Counts as a Commerce elective for students taking a Bachelor of Commerce or a Major
or Minor in Commerce.
This course examines the use of economic theory in the assessment of public sector
regulations and projects. Topics include the measurement of social costs and social
benefits, shadow pricing, and the choice of discount rate. The course will rely heavily
on concrete examples such as transportation infrastructure, medical services,
environmental protection and hydro development.
ECON 3611 (3CR)
INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION: THEORY
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 2001 and ECON 2011; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: ECON 3611 (Industrial Organization and Policy in Canada)
An overview of central theories of industrial organization,
examining market power, the theory of the firm, and strategic behaviour,
within classic and dynamic oligopoly theoretical frameworks. The course
makes explicit use of game theoretic techniques where appropriate.
Topics may include: collusive and competitive behaviour, non-linear
pricing, commitment and repeated games, and entry deterrence.
ECON 3621 (3CR)
INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION: POLICY
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 2001 and ECON 2011; or permission of the Department
The economics of vertical and horizontal restraints. The course
provides an introduction to regulatory economics and Canadian and
International competition policy. Topics may include policy issues
concerning the control of mergers, monopoly, predatory pricing, collusion,
resale price maintenance, exclusive dealing, tying, and other contractual
agreements including restrictions on contracting agents.
ECON 3711 (3CR)
LABOUR MANAGEMENT RELATIONS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 1001 and 1011; or permission of the Department
Note: Counts as a Commerce elective for students taking a Bachelor of Commerce or a Major
or Minor in Commerce.
An introduction to the history and institutions of the North American industrial
relations system. Topics include: labour management techniques used by firms; unions and
union strategies; government regulation of pay and working conditions; and the structure
of collective bargaining.
ECON 3721 (3CR)
LABOUR ECONOMICS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 2001 and 2011; or permission of the Department
An introduction to labour economics. Topics covered include: the demand and supply
of labour, the Canadian labour market and income distribution, unemployment, poverty, and
discrimination in Canada.
ECON 3801 (3CR)
ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 1001 and 1011; or permission of the Department
The application of economic analysis in the study of environmental problems.
Students will examine when and why markets often fail to allocate sufficient resources to
environmental conservation, and will critically assess different policy instruments
available to correct for the fundamental "market failure". Using the analytical methods
developed in this course, the following type of policies will be examined: measures to
control air and water pollution, the disposal of hazardous wastes, the protection of
endangered species, and the control of cross border pollution, including the Canadian
"Green Plan".
ECON 3821 (3CR)
NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 2001 and 2011, MATH 1111; or permission of the Department
The application of economic analysis to questions of management, use, and/or
conservation of natural resources. Students will be exposed to economic theories used in
the study of renewable and non renewable resource industries. Particular attention will
be given to resource industries important to the Atlantic Canadian economy (the fishery,
forestry, agriculture, mining, and energy).
ECON 3901 (3CR)
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 1001 and 1011; or permission of the Department
Issues examined will include the pure economic theory of international trade and
important institutions (the FTA, NAFTA, the EC, GATT, etc.), plus problems and policies
associated with trade in goods and services. Students will examine issues such as free
trade and protectionism and the gains and losses resulting from globalization.
ECON 3921 (3CR)
INTERNATIONAL FINANCE
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 1001 and 1011; or permission of the Department
Note: Counts as a Commerce elective for students taking a Bachelor of Commerce or a Major
or Minor in Commerce.
This course examines the financial side of international trade. The focus is on
exchange rates, the balance of international payments, alternative means of adjustment to
shocks in the international economy, and international monetary arrangements.
ECON 4001 (3CR)
MODES OF CLASSICAL ECONOMIC THOUGHT
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: 6 credits from ECON 2001, 2011, 2101 and 2111; or permission of the
Department
This course focuses on the work of classical economists (especially Adam Smith,
David Ricardo, Thomas Malthus) and the economic theories of Karl Marx.
ECON 4011 (3CR)
MODES OF ECONOMIC THOUGHT
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 2001, 2011, 2101 and 2111; or permission of the Department
This course examines the historical origins of neo-classical, Austrian and
Keynesian economics thought.
ECON 4501 (3CR)
PUBLIC FINANCE: TAXATION AND FISCAL FEDERALISM
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 2001 and 2011; or permission of the Department
Note: Counts as a Commerce elective for students taking a Bachelor of Commerce or a Major
or Minor in Commerce.
This course examines positive and normative approaches to taxation and fiscal
federalism with special emphasis on issues in Canadian Public Finance.
ECON 4511 (3CR)
PUBLIC FINANCE: EXPENDITURES AND DEBT MANAGEMENT
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 2001, 2011 and 2101; or permission of the Department
Note: Counts as a Commerce elective for students taking a Bachelor of Commerce or a Major
or Minor in Commerce.
This course examines positive and normative approaches to public expenditures and
debt management with special emphasis on issues in Canadian Public Finance.
ECON 4700 (6CR)
ECONOMETRICS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: MATH 2221, ECON 2701 or MATH 3311 and 3321; or permission of the Department
Note: Counts as a Commerce elective for students taking a Bachelor of Commerce or a Major
or Minor in Commerce.
An introduction to the measurement of economic relationships.
ECON 4801 (3CR)
ADVANCED ECONOMIC THEORY I
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 2001, 2011, 2101, 2111, MATH 1121; or permission of the Department
Note: Counts as a Commerce elective for students taking a Bachelor of Commerce or a Major
or Minor in Commerce.
The course is primarily concerned with developing tools and techniques for
analyzing problems in microeconomics. These include modern theories of the consumer and
of the firm, general equilibrium, and the welfare theorems. Honours students who wish to
pursue graduate studies in economics are strongly advised to take this course.
ECON 4811 (3CR)
ADVANCED ECONOMIC THEORY II
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 4801; or permission of the Department
Note: Counts as a Commerce elective for students taking a Bachelor of Commerce or a Major
or Minor in Commerce.
The course is primarily concerned with developing tools and techniques for
analyzing dynamic macroeconomic problems. Topics include growth models, overlapping
generation models, and real business cycle models. Honours students who wish to pursue
graduate studies in economics are strongly advised to take this course.
ECON 4821 (3CR)
UNCERTAINTY AND STRATEGY IN ECONOMICS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: ECON 2001, 2011, 2101, 2111; or permission of the Department
Note: Counts as a Commerce elective for students taking a Bachelor of Commerce or a Major
or Minor in Commerce.
The course examines the roles played by uncertainty and asymmetric information in
the allocation of resources. It also uses tools of probability theory to examine strategic interaction. Honours students
who wish to pursue graduate studies in economics are strongly advised to take this
course.
ECON 4950/4951 (6/3CR)
INDEPENDENT STUDY IN ECONOMICS
Format: Independent Study
Prereq: Permission of the Department/Program Advisor. Students must obtain
consent of an instructor who is willing to be a supervisor and must register
for the course prior to the last day for change of registration in the term
during which the course is being taken.
Note: A program on Independent Study cannot duplicate subject matter covered through
regular course offerings.
Note: Students may register for ECON 4950/51 more than once, provided the subject
matter differs.
This course permits senior students, under the direction faculty members,
to pursue their interest in areas not covered, or not covered in depth, by other
courses through a program of independent study.
ECON 4990 (6CR)
HONOURS THESIS
Format: independent study/thesis
Prereq: Written permission of the Department
Note: Counts as a Commerce elective for students taking a Bachelor of Commerce or a Major
or Minor in Commerce.
A student fulfilling requirements for an Honours degree may elect to undertake a
research and writing project of acceptable scope and quality under the supervision of
faculty members in Economics. The student must submit a formal proposal to the Department
prior to registration.
ECON 1991/2991/3991/4991 (3CR)
SPECIAL TOPIC IN ECONOMICS
Format: Variable
Prereq: Set by the Department/Program when the topic and level are announced
Note: When a Department or Program intends to offer a course under this designation,
it must submit course information, normally at least three months in advance, to the Dean.
Note: Students may register for ECON 1991/2991/3991/4991 more than once, provided the
subject matter differs.
This course either focuses on topics not covered by the current course offerings
in a department or program or offers the opportunity to pilot a course that is being
considered for inclusion in the regular program.