Trinity University

Read about our concentrations below, or click here for a complete list of course descriptions.

THEORECTICAL ECONOMICS

The concentration in theoretical economics provides the recommended preparation for pursuing a Ph.D. in economics. Trinity Economics majors have been admitted to well ranked graduate schools in economics such as the Univ. of Chicago, Yale, Duke, Michigan State, Michigan, Maryland, Rice, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin.

Requirements

1. 30 semester hours in Economics, including:
a) ECON 1311, 1312, 3325, 3326, 4365, 4367, and 4370;

b) ECON 3351 or 4365

2. MATH 1311, 1312, 2321, 3316, 3334, and 3335. (This combination satisfies the requirements for the minor in mathematics.) In addition, MATH 3338 and CSCI 1320 are strongly recommended.

ECONOMICS AND LAW

Supreme Court decisions are increasingly based on economic analysis. In addition, our alumni in law school report that many of their courses employ economic tools to analyze the law. Trinity Economics majors have been admitted to some of the nation's top law schools including Berkeley, Chicago, Duke, Harvard, Michigan, Northwestern, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, Virginia and Yale.

Requirements:

1. 30 semester hours in Economics, including ECON 1311, 1312, 2320, 3325, 3326, 3336, 3338, and 3339. (MATH 1320 or 3335* may be substituted for ECON 2320.)

2. Three courses, approved by the advisor, from departments other than Economics:
a) a course stressing the case method of legal instruction (e.g., BUSN 3302);
b) an appropriate course in logic, writing, or speech communication (e.g., HCOM 1333);
c) a course that views the law from a perspective other than that of economics (e.g., PHIL 3353).
Recommended: MATH 1307 or 1311.

CONCENTRATION IN ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS

The fields of economics and business are strong complements to each other. A knowledge of one will improve your understanding of the other. This concentration combines a solid grounding in economics with an introduction to many of the basic business subjects. The Economics majors have found a wide range of jobs in business. After getting some job experience, our graduates have been admitted to some of the nations better business schools including Duke, Harvard, North Carolina, Stanford, and Wharton

Requirements:

1. 30 semester hours in Economics, including:
a) ECON 1311, 1312, 2320, 3325, and 3326 (MATH 1320 or 3335* may be substituted for ECON 2320);
b) ECON 3329 or 3362;
c) ECON 3336 or 3338 or 3356;
d) ECON 3347 or 3348 or 3361.

2. 18 semester hours outside Economics, including:
ACCT 1301, BUSN 3302, MIS 2301, MKTG 2301, FNCE 3301, and MGMT 2301.
Recommended: MATH 1307 or 1311 and MATH 1312.

CONCENTRATION IN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS

Economics is a powerful tool for understanding international trade and the importance of inter-national economic institutions. This concentration provides an ideal framework for those students interested in any area of international or comparative studies.

Requirements:
1. 33 semester hours in Economics, including:
a) ECON 1311, 1312, 2320, 3325, 3326, 3347, and 3348. (MATH 1320 or 3335* may be substituted for ECON 2320.)
b) ECON 3340 or 3341 or 3342 or 3343 or 3361.

2. Three upper division semester hours in a modern foreign language.

3. Two courses, approved by the advisor, that emphasize current sociopolitical aspects of: 1) a foreign country; 2) a group of foreign countries; and/or 3) the relations between several countries or areas of the world.
Recommended: MATH 1307 or 1311.

CONCENTRATION IN ECONOMICS AND PUBLIC POLICY

This concentration emphasizes the application of economic analysis to the design and implementation of public policy. Trinity Economics majors have gone on to public policy graduate school at Duke, Harvard (JFK), Minnesota (Humphrey), and Texas (LBJ). Others have gone on to work for city, state or federal government agencies.

Requirements:

1. 33 semester hours of Economics, including:
a) ECON 1311, 1312, 2320, 3323, 3325, 3326, and 3330 (MATH 1320 or 3335* may be substituted for ECON 2320);
b) Two of ECON 3334, 3336, and 3338 (with approval of the advisor, ECON 3340 or 3347 may be substituted for one of these).

2. A course taught by the case method of instruction (e.g., BUSN 3302, PLSI 3351).

3. Two courses that examine the analysis or implementation of public policy from a perspective other than that of economics (e.g., HCAD 3350, PLSI 3313, SOCI 3339, URBS 3336/PLSI 3316).

Recommended (strongly recommended for students planning an advanced degree in public policy/public administration):   MATH 1307 or 1311, and MATH 1312.

NOTE:  ECON 3336 may be used to satisfy only one of the requirements for this concentration.

Prospective majors should note that the Department has requirements for admission to the major.  Full acceptance will be granted when the student has completed both Principles courses (ECON 1311 and 1312) with an average grade of C or better.  Successful completion of the major also requires at least a C average across the four Principles and Intermediate Theory courses (ECON 1311, 1312, 3325, and 3326.)

*Students intending to use MATH 3335 to fulfill this requirement should note that MATH 1311, 1312, 2321, and 3334 are prerequisites for that course.

Electives sufficient to total 124 hours.

GENERAL ECONOMICS

Would you like to design your own major? The economic way of thinking provides a good background for a wide variety of careers. Amongst our alumni we have physicians, dentists, an airline pilot, teachers, social workers, an environmental activist, the owner of a chain of fast food franchises, a Presbyterian pastor, and executives in many different types of businesses including banks, other financial institutions, a construction firm, a chain of grocery stores, etc.

Requirements:

Complete 30 semester hours in Economics, including ECON 1311, 1312, 2320, 3325, and 3326. (MATH 1320 or 3335* may be substituted for ECON 2320.)
Recommended: MATH 1307 or 1311.

FULL LIST OF COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

ECON 1311 Principles of Microeconomics
An introduction to the economic organization of society, with emphasis on how markets, prices, profits and losses guide and direct economic activity.

ECON 1312 Principles of Macroeconomics
The theory and measurement of changes in the levels of prices, employment, national income, and other aggregates.

ECON 2320 Statistics for Management and Economics
Applications of statistical techniques to business and economics.

ECON 3115 Economists in the Elementary School
The application and communication of economic ideas in an elementary shool educational context.

ECON 3116 Economists in the Middle School
The application and communication of economic ideas in a middle school educational context.

ECON 3117 Economists in the High School
The application and communication of economic ideas in a high school educational context.

ECON 3141 La economía mexicana (The Mexican Economy)
Examination of significant contemporary issues affecting the economic life of Mexico.

ECON 3318 The Global Economy
An introductory survey of international economics aimed at students interested in political science, diplomacy, world affairs, history, or business.

ECON 3323 The Economics of Government
Microeconomic analysis of governmental decision-making and the democratic process.

ECON 3325 Intermediate Microeconomics
An analytical study of decentralized economic decision-making, with primary emphasis on markets and prices.

ECON 3326 Intermediate Macroeconomics
Theoretical analysis of changes in national income, price level, employment, and the international value of the dollar.

ECON 3329 Labor Economics and Labor Relations
Theories of the demand for and the supply of labor.

ECON 3330 Economics and the Environment
The economic problem of coping with a finite environment with emphasis on the analysis of environmental and natural resource policy.

ECON 3333 Health Economics
An introduction to the application of the tools of microeconomics to issues in the organization, delivery, and financing of health care.

ECON 3334 Urban Economics
Analytical study of the reasons for cities to exist, the location of economic activity, the economic base of urban areas, the functioning of urban land markets and the intensive analysis of urban policy issues.

ECON 3335 Industrial Organization
The determinants of market structure and the effects of market structure on firm and industry behavior.

ECON 3336 Antitrust Economics
The role of antitrust policy in the American economy. Examines the major antitrust statutes and court opinions of the United States as they relate to market structures and business practices.

ECON 3338 Government Regulation of Business
Economic analysis of direct government regulatory activity.

ECON 3339 Economic Analysis of Law
Economic analysis of such basic legal concepts as property, contracts, torts, and crime.

ECON 3340 Economic Growth and Development
An inquiry into the desirability, the methods of measurement, alternative strategies for, and the impact of individuals and groups within society on economic development.

ECON 3341 Economic Development of Mexico
Economic aspects of Spanish colonialism; the transition to national independence; difficulties associated with the period through 1876; industrialization and development through the Revolution; the takeoff of the modern economy after 1940; contemporary issues.

ECON 3342 Latin American Economic History
A selective survey of the principal currents of economic growth and change in Latin America since the sixteenth century.

ECON 3343 Slavery and the Atlantic Economy
Interdisciplinary analysis of the Atlantic market joining Europe, Africa, and the Americas from the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries, with particular emphasis upon slavery, the slave trade, and the development of the "plantation complex."

ECON 3344 Economic and Business History of the United States to 1865
A study of the development of American business and the economy through the U.S. Civil War.

ECON 3345 Economic and Business History of the United States Since 1865
A study of the development of American business and the economy from the U.S. Civil War to the present.

ECON 3346 La economía española y la Unión Europea (The Spanish Economy and the European Union)
An examination of Spain's economic development and its position within the European Union.

ECON 3347 International Trade
A study of the economic theory of international trade and the development of the practices of commercial policy.

ECON 3348 International Monetary Systems
A study of the principles and practices of foreign exchange, international money markets, the balance of payments, payments adjustment mechanism and the national policies for achieving both domestic and international objectives.

ECON 3351 Development of Economic Thought
A survey of the "Great Books" of Economics from Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations to John Maynard Keynes's General Theory.

ECON 3356 Financial Institutions and Markets
Analytical investigation of the structure, efficiency, and regulation of financial markets and institutions.

ECON 3361 International Finance
This course emphasizes the study of the global exchange rate and associated derivatives markets.

ECON 3362 The American Corporation
This course acquaints the student with organization theory, corporate decision-making, and the role of the corporation in society.

ECON 3365 Behavioral and Experimental Economics
Uses experimental findings to test existing theories and motivate the development of new ones. Students participate in both the design and running of experiments.

ECON 3-71 Internship
Internships may be arranged with businesses, non-profit institutions, and government agencies.

ECON 3372 Práctica profesional en España (Internship in Spain)
A supervised summer internship in Spain. Students will serve as interns with various firms, trade groups, governmental agencies, or public interest groups where they will work and gain experience related to the Spanish economy and business world.

ECON 3-90 Research Topics
Supervised independent study on selected topics in economics.

ECON 3-98 Honors Readings
Independent study in selected areas in preparation for Honors Thesis. May be taken for up to three hours of credit.

ECON 4001 Senior Experience
Enrollment in this course is required in conjunction with ECON 4349 (Seminar in Economic Issues) for students seeking credit for the senior experience.

ECON 4349 Seminar in Economic Issues
Use of economic analysis and reasoning to better understand current economic issues. Topics vary.

ECON 4365 Game Theory
The science of strategic thinking. A study of the strategic aspects of situations in which a person's choices depend critically on what other people may choose.

ECON 4367 Advanced Microeconomic Theory
This course acquaints the student with classical microeconomic theory and enables him or her to construct mathematical economic models.

ECON 4370 Econometrics
The development of statistical techniques of measurement and inference especially suited to empirical economics.

ECON 4397 Seminar in Economics
Study of theoretical and empirical work in economics from scholarly books and periodicals. Independent research and group discussion. May be repeated when topics differ.

ECON 4-98 Honors Thesis
Individual research and scholarly investigation under faculty supervision leading to the preparation of an Honors Thesis. To be taken only by Senior Honors students in both semesters of their Senior year.