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Economics and Political Science 1 Economics and Political Science 1 • Political Science - BA (http://catalog.stkate.edu/undergraduate/ ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL humanities-arts-sciences/econ-poli-sci/political-science-ba/) • Public Policy - BA, BS (http://catalog.stkate.edu/undergraduate/ SCIENCE humanities-arts-sciences/econ-poli-sci/publicpolicy-ba-bs/) • Public Policy Dual Degree - BA, BS (http://catalog.stkate.edu/ Studying economics and political science at St. Catherine University undergraduate/humanities-arts-sciences/econ-poli-sci/public-policy- stimulates thinking about the United States' economy, government and dual-degree/) politics, and also its relationship to the other countries of the world, the • Women and International Development - BA, BS (http:// global economy, and the international community. catalog.stkate.edu/undergraduate/humanities-arts-sciences/econ- The economics and political science department emphasizes the poli-sci/women-international-development-ba-bs/) development of analytical abilities and a global perspective. Students will look at issues through a social justice lens, learning about current Minors problems and controversies, all the while thinking about potential • Economics - Minor (http://catalog.stkate.edu/undergraduate/ solutions to persistent problems. In doing so, they take their first steps to humanities-arts-sciences/econ-poli-sci/economics-minor/) becoming leaders in their fields. • Financial Economics - Minor (http://catalog.stkate.edu/ St. Catherine University's economics and political science faculty areas undergraduate/humanities-arts-sciences/econ-poli-sci/financial- of expertise include economic development, comparative politics, economics-minor/) social movements, urban politics, labor economics, program evaluation, • Nonprofit Strategies and Operations - Minor (http:// environmental economics, monetary economics, discrimination, and catalog.stkate.edu/undergraduate/humanities-arts-sciences/econ- health economics. The majority of our professors are women — excellent poli-sci/non-profit-strat-oper-minor/) role models as students develop their career plans. • Political Science - Minor (http://catalog.stkate.edu/undergraduate/ humanities-arts-sciences/econ-poli-sci/political-science-minor/) Department Mission Statement The department of economics and political science at St. Catherine ECON 1080 Statistical Analysis for the Social Sciences — 4 credits University mission is threefold: to excel in teaching, advising, and This course provides an introduction to entry level statistical reasoning. research in economics and political science. In all three, we strive to Focus is placed on logical underpinnings of statistics to help students model the commitment to social justice and ethical leadership that we understand and evaluate research in popular and academic sources, hope to instill in our students. with less focus on the use of software and mathematical formulas. This course fulfills the liberal arts core math and logic requirement and is We teach courses that focus on the theory, methods, and practice of appropriate for students who require a statistics course for their program, economics. Our political science courses address the most pressing but do not intend to go further in statistics or economics. There is no political issues confronting the world today. Our curriculum helps math prerequisite for this course, but students should have a solid students hone their quantitative skills and their ability to think critically understanding of basic mathematical concepts. This course does not and proactively about the world around them. Our majors are rigorous meet the statistics requirement for all majors and minors. Consult the programs of study that provide a solid foundation for a wide range academic catalog. Offered in the College for Adults. Credit is given for of careers in business, finance, healthcare, government, NGOs and only one of the following courses: ECON 1080, ECON 1090, HLTH 1090, advocacy, and public policy. Students who major in economics and PSYC 1090, STAT 1089, or STAT 1090. political science leave St. Catherine University career-ready and well ECON 1090 Statistical Analysis for Decision Making — 4 credits prepared for graduate school. This course covers the basic theory and practice of using statistics to Our faculty members produce original research which applies the guide decision making. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability, theories and methods of economics and political science to a diverse sampling, hypothesis testing, and regression. Focus is on real world set of problems and settings. Their research informs their teaching and public policy and business examples. The course also develops students' students benefit from working closely with faculty who are engaged Excel skills to prepare them to conduct statistical analysis in government, leaders in their field. advocacy, business, and industry settings. This course fulfills the liberal arts core mathematics/statistics requirement and is appropriate for students majoring in business, economics, political science, sociology, Majors or any major that requires statistics. Offered in the College for Women • Economics - BA, BS (http://catalog.stkate.edu/undergraduate/ and the College for Adults. Credit is given for only one of the following humanities-arts-sciences/econ-poli-sci/economics-ba-bs/) courses: ECON 1080, ECON 1090, HLTH 1090, PSYC 1090, STAT 1089, or • Economics Dual Degree - BA, BS (http://catalog.stkate.edu/ STAT 1090. undergraduate/humanities-arts-sciences/econ-poli-sci/economics- ECON 1120 Economics of Social Issues — 4 credits dual-degree/) This course involves the study of important relationships between • Financial Economics - BA, BS (http://catalog.stkate.edu/ economic growth, equity and public policies. It offers an economic undergraduate/humanities-arts-sciences/econ-poli-sci/financial- perspective on current domestic and global social problems. Topics economics-ba-bs/) include crime, discrimination, inequality, the welfare system, social • International Business and Economics - BA, BS (http:// security, education, poverty, unemployment, health care, international catalog.stkate.edu/undergraduate/humanities-arts-sciences/econ- trade and globalization. Also offered as WOST 1121, CRST 1120. Offered poli-sci/intl-business-economics-ba-bs/) in the College for Women. 2 Economics and Political Science ECON 2610 Principles of Microeconomics — 4 credits ECON 3050 Quantitative Impact Evaluation: Applied Research Skills — 4 Economics is a social science that constructs and analyzes models credits of human behavior, particularly as it pertains to the consumption and Stakeholders need to know whether projects, policies or programs production of goods and services in a world of scarce resources. This are producing the intended effect. Quantitative program evaluation is course will focus on the foundational concepts in microeconomics, such the collection, analysis and use of data to assess effectiveness and as market structures, prices, consumer and firm behavior, spillovers, efficiency. In this course students will design, execute and present and trade. Students learn how to apply economic reasoning to business data-based analyses. We will use statistics to isolate causal impacts and public policy decisions making this course an excellent foundation using both experimental and quasi-experimental methods. We will study for upper-level study in economics, business and policy. This course is projects, policies and programs in the United States and abroad and required for all economics-related majors and for most business-related draw examples from many disciplines including education, public health, majors. It is also an excellent social science elective for students from economics, business, sociology and political science. The quantitative any major. Offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults. skills developed in this course are highly sought after by employers in ECON 2620 Principles of Macroeconomics — 4 credits both non-profit and for-profit settings. This course is open to students Economics is the only field in which two people can share a Nobel Prize from any major and is good preparation for upper-level undergraduate for saying opposing things. This course will teach students basic of and graduate courses that have research components. Offered in the macroeconomic vocabulary and theories and provide a foundation for College for Women and the College for Adults. understanding conflicting views on important policies. Students will Prerequisite: One of the following - ECON 1080, ECON 1090, PSYC 1090, learn about rising prices, interest rates, unemployment, the size of the STAT 1089, STAT 1090. Also offered as WOST 3051. economy, why recessions occur and what central banks do. This course ECON 3070 Public Policy — 4 credits is required for all economics-related majors and for many business and This course deepens students’ understanding of the theory and tools political science majors as well. It is also an excellent social science of public policy analysis. Fundamentally, we ask "Why do we need elective for students from any major. Offered in the College for Women government?" If people acting in their own self-interest promote the and the College for Adults. common good, we shouldn’t need government involvement. This course ECON 2994 Topics — 4 credits explores when and why markets fail to provide the optimal outcome – The subject matter of the course is announced in the annual schedule of requiring outside
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