Economics

3 semester credits. While traditional courses on comparative economics focus on capitalist, socialist, and developing economies, this course will focus on three models: the Anglo-Saxon (Britain and the United States), European (continental) and Asian (China, India and Japan) markets. While all of these models are market economies, they differ greatly due to diverse economic, historical, cultural, and political factors. Topics will also focus on the shifting roles of world players as older economies face the tiger economies of Asia. A strong knowledge of currently international affairs is highly recommended. Prerequisites: Micro and Macroeconomics.

3 semester credits. This course is designed as an introduction to the study of economics. Students develop an understanding of economic institutions, history, and principles. Topics include basic tools of microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics deals with consumers, firms, markets, and income distribution. Macroeconomics deals with national income, employment, inflation, and money. Models that determine long-term growth and short-term fluctuations in national economies will be explored. Additional discussion will focus on the role of government regulation, monetary policy, and fiscal policy. Also, students will analyze major economic institutions, such as property rights, markets, business organizations, labor unions, money and banking, trade, and taxation.

3 semester credits. The course on the history of global economy is divided into two sections. The first will provide an overview of the evolution of global economy over the last five centuries. Topics will discuss the emergence of the New World Economy and will examine the integration of product, labor, and capital markets. The second part of the course will employ micro and macroeconomic analysis tools to examine the catalysts and obstacles of market integration, and the impact of globalization on the economy and welfare of nations. Other topics include the role of international institutions such as the IMF and the WTO, the impact of changing economic environments on competitive strategy, the emerging trade blocs (European Union, NAFTA), the fluctuation of exchange rates, and the emergence of new markets. Prerequisites: Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, or equivalent.

3 credits. This course investigates gender as a primary economic institution that structures the distribution of power, labor, and resources. Moving beyond traditional market analysis, this course deconstructs the tension between the invisible heart of unpaid reproductive labor and the invisible hand of the global market. Students will analyze the systemic separation between the domestic and public spheres, evaluating how state architectures, including tax codes, welfare models, and austerity measures, reinforce or dismantle gendered hierarchies. The course ranges from the Micro (household bargaining and time-use) to the Macro (global care chains and trade liberalization), utilizing both classical feminist economics and contemporary data-driven frameworks. Students will gain the foundational analytical tools and fiscal vocabulary required to design gender-responsive interventions that drive global stability and macroeconomic growth.

3 semester credits. The course dives into the world of maritime commerce. Students explore how harbors have served as catalysts for cultural exchange and economic prosperity throughout history, from the rise of ancient port cities to the hubs of today’s globalized world. The course examines the impact of the spice trade, the Industrial Revolution, and containerization on global trade patterns. Students will analyze the challenges and opportunities presented by free trade agreements, environmental sustainability, international law, and emerging technologies like automation and e-commerce. Through lectures, discussions, case studies, and in-class activities, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the complex forces shaping international trade and the vital role of harbors in our interconnected world.

3 semester credits. This course offers a comprehensive exploration of international trade, examining its theoretical foundations, practical applications, and the ongoing debates that shape global commerce. Students will assess how factors like market size, production capabilities, and geographical distance influence trade flows, to they will focus on the evolving composition of traded goods and services. Students will also examine trade policy instruments, such as tariffs and quotas, and their impact on economies. The course critically analyzes the political economy of trade, understanding the competing interests that influence policy decisions. Classes going beyond traditional trade, as they seek to evaluate contemporary issues like the rise of intra-industry trade, the increasing role of multinational enterprises (MNEs), and the ongoing debates surrounding free trade and protectionism.

3 semester credits. This course investigates the city as a primary economic engine and a site of structural inequality. This course deconstructs the spatial dimension of value, exploring how the concentration of capital into fixed infrastructure dictates the distribution of wealth and the survival of the urban working class. Moving beyond traditional urban planning, students analyze Agglomeration Economies and Bid-Rent Curves to understand why humanity continues to pay a density premium to live closer together. Students will evaluate the mechanics of the Rent Gap, Exclusionary Zoning, and Green Gentrification to decode how modern metropolises produce both immense productivity and systemic exclusion. By the end of the term, students will possess the economic and spatial tools necessary to design interventions that ensure a more resilient and equitable urban future.

3 semester credits. This course deconstructs the functional relationship between global economic structures and the rise of clandestine systems. It investigates the shadow economy not as a peripheral outlier, but as a primary economic institution that thrives specifically where formal state architectures fracture or fail. Moving beyond simple moral narratives of crime, we analyze the illicit market as a rational response to institutional fragility, examining how capitalism’s shadows distribute power, labor, and resources in parallel to the formal world. Students will evaluate the mechanics of illicit value, tracing the transformation of contraband from raw blood resources to laundered global assets. We will scale our analysis from the Micro, namely household survival and the invisible heart of informal labor, to the Macro, including narcotics supply chain and the political economy of state capture. By the end of the term, students will possess the economic tools necessary to understand how high taxation, regulatory exclusion, and systemic poverty act as accelerators for world-historic criminal outcomes.