|
Economics OverviewAdam Smith (1776) defined “political economy” as the science of “the nature and causes of the wealth of nations.” The basic methodological approach of economics is to analyze the ubiquitous problem of human choice among alternative uses of limited resources. Economics examines how decisions are influenced by incentives, opportunities, and resource constraints, and explores the interacting consequences of those choices in our private and public lives. Issues of public policy invariably have an economic dimension, and the Bard Economics Program emphasizes the policy applications of economic theory at the local, national, and global levels. The focus on public policy as well as courses in political economy and economic philosophy and methodology aim to support the pedagogical goals of Bard College as a liberal arts institution. At the same time, a full complement of rigorous standard courses for students planning to pursue graduate study in economics is offered. And for students who wish to pursue a career in the financial world, Bard offers a five-year program leading to a B.S. degree in economics and finance and a B.A. degree in any other program. For more information on this program, see page 46. Areas of StudyEconomics students may select from among four suggested areas of concentration: (1) International Trade and Finance, Development, and National Economic Policy, a broad area covering national and global issues of growth and development, monetary and fiscal policy, trade and finance, and economic history; (2) Public Economics, which applies microeconomic and other methods to the analysis of collective decisions and public choice, and includes such topics as public finance, economic regulation and antitrust, political economy, and the economics of property rights; (3) Economics of Labor, the Household, and the Firm, in which themes that bear directly on the economic circumstances of families and households in their roles as workers, savers, and consumers are addressed, such as labor market discrimination, income distribution, government social programs, and population and demography; (4) History of Economic Thought and the Methodology of Economics, a two-course sequence in the history of economic analysis, supplemented by courses that explore particular methodological approaches and schools of thought that challenge or complement the neoclassical view, e.g., ecological economics, geoclassical economics, neo-Marxian economics, and feminist economics, among others. RequirementsThree courses, including Economics 101, 102, or (preferably) both, are required for Moderation. At Moderation students identify a concentration area and discuss their preliminary ideas for the Senior Project. It is recommended that students take several 200-level applied courses during the sophomore and junior years. Graduation requirements include: (1) The theory sequence (Introduction to Microeconomics, Introduction to Macroeconomics, Intermediate Microeconomics, and Intermediate Macroeconomics); (2) Statistics (students with a prior background in mathematics may take Mathematics 319, Probability and Statistics, to satisfy this requirement); (3) a course in economic history; (4) a course in the history of economic thought; (5) students must satisfy either the economics or interdisciplinary concentration of electives (for details, see Economics Program website); (6) Calculus I (Mathematics 141) or the equivalent is a prerequisite for Economics 201 and 202 (Calculus II, Mathematics 142, is recommended); (7) Senior Project and Economics Senior Conference (Economics 401–402). Recent Senior Projects in Economics:
CoursesThe Economics Program offers several courses of general interest at the 100 level that introduce simple economic principles and show how they may be applied to questions of public policy, political philosophy, or household decision making. The program also offers many courses of special interest to students in political studies, environmental studies, historical studies, sociology, gender and sexuality studies, philosophy, American studies, and other fields. These courses usually have a prerequisite of Economics 101, 102, or 120. Sample curricula for the four areas of concentration within the Economics Program are available on the Economics Program website.
|
