May 2023 Undergraduate Newsletter

Happy Summer, from the Department of Economics! And congratulations to the Class of 2023! It's an honor to mark this achievement with you as you take your next steps. We would also like to take a moment celebrate recent accomplishments within the Department and to share some updates.

In this newsletter, we highlight student accomplishments. Information about other Department happenings, recent academic updates, and undergraduate research is also included.

As we all settle into our summer activities, we wish safe travels to the Dialogue of Civilizations bound for Rwanda!

Have questions or looking for more detailed information? Our undergraduate handbook can serve as a helpful guide for everything from Department contacts and resources to academic planning. We also encourage you to visit the Department website and refer to this CSSH Resource Chart.

Please note that the Department staff is always available during business hours, Monday through Friday. Come visit us in our 301 Lake Hall office and check out the student lounge in 310 Lake Hall.

Have a safe summer, Huskies!

Well-wishes,

The Department of Economics Administrative Team

Click Here for the Undergraduate Handbook

Summer 2023 Electives and Selected Topics Courses

Looking for another econ course to add to your summer schedule? Here is a list of our electives and selected topics courses.

Summer 1

ECON 1230: Healthcare and Medical Economics (CRN 41690)

Instructor: Thomas Barnay

Schedule: MTWR 1:30 pm – 3:10 pm

Enables students to recognize the relevance of economics to health and medical care and apply economic reasoning to understand health-related issues better; to understand the mechanism of healthcare delivery in the United States within broad social, political, and economic contexts; to explore the changing nature of health and medical care and its implications for medical practice, medical education and research, and health policy; and to analyze public policy in health and medical care from an economic perspective.

ECON 1240: Economics of Crime (CRN 41691)

Instructor: Madhavi Venkatesan

Schedule: MTWR 11:40 am – 1:20 pm

Covers economic analysis of crime and the criminal justice system. Topics include theoretical and empirical analysis of the economic causes of criminal behavior, the social costs of crime and its prevention, and the design of enforcement policies.

ECON 3440: Public Finance (CRN 41692)

Instructor: Thomas Barnay

Schedule: MTWR 9:50 am - 11:30 am

Presents an overview of the economics of government and the role of public policy. Develops guidelines to determine which economic activities are best performed by government and which are not. Also examines the impact of tax policies on efficiency, economic growth, and equity. Topics include market failures, public choice, the personal income tax, the corporate tax, sales tax, and taxation of capital and wealth, and options for reform of the tax structure. Major spending programs such as social security and education and healthcare are analyzed.

ECON 3442: Money and Banking (CRN 41063)

Instructor: Gerald Porter

Schedule: MTWR 1:30 pm – 3:10 pm

Covers the nature and functions of money, credit, and financial markets in the modern international economy. Analyzes financial markets and institutions, central banking, and the effects of interest and foreign exchange rates on the real economy.

Summer 2

ECON 1711: Economics of Sustainability (CRN 61353)

Instructor: Madhavi Venkatesan

Schedule: MTWR 3:20 pm – 5:00 pm

Studies the significance of behavioral assumptions on economic outcomes and social norms, specifically as these relate to the perceived value of resources and the broader ecosystem. Explores the importance of economic concepts such as externalities and elasticity in relation to a market-driven economy, price, and consumption behavior. Through the use of elementary life cycle analysis, introduces both the definition and responsibilities of the rational agent as these relate to the establishment of sustainable outcomes. Offers students an opportunity to articulate the relationship between economic growth and climate change and reconcile the historical relationship between social values and sustainable outcomes.

ECON 3481: Economics of Sports (CRN 61354)

Instructor: Gerald Porter

Schedule: MTWR 1:30 pm – 3:10 pm

Investigates what economics has to say about sports as an economic activity: what tools of economic analysis apply to sports, whether sports require different economic tools, what the evidence has to say about key questions. Focuses on professional team sports, although some attention is paid to college sports and to individual professional sports.

ECON 3520: History of Economic Thought (CRN 61355)

Instructor: Ilter Bakkal

Schedule: MTWR 11:40 am – 1:20 pm

Traces the evolution of Western economic thought. Covers several important periods and schools of economic thought including mercantilism, physiocracy, classical, Marxist, neoclassical, and Keynesian. Emphasizes the relationship between historical changes in society and economic thought, focusing on changes in the types of questions economists ask and the analytical tools they use.

Thank you to our Spring 2023 Peer Mentors!

The Department is grateful for the contributions of our spring 2023 Peer Mentors:

Ava Atanacio

Lucy Davis-Hup

Madeleine (Maddy) King

Damian Lee

Honor Seares

Learn more about the Peer Mentor program here.

Academic Curriculum Highlights & Updates

Remember that undergraduates can take 5000-level Econ electives!
When registering for Principles of Micro or Principles of Macro, please check to see if a recitation is required for that section. Please be sure to register if required.
International Economics has been re-leveled. The course will run as ECON 3635 starting in Fall 2023.
The Economics Department has new combined majors with Journalism and International Business.
The Minor is an option that various students can consider. It's not too many extra classes; please spread the word!
Considering a Master's in Economics? Learn about our PlusOne program.
Stats (ECON 2350) and Econometrics (ECON 2560) now fulfill the Experiential Liberal Arts requirement.
Calc 1 (MATH 1231) is being revamped to better meet the needs of Economics students. MATH 1241 or higher is recommended for the calc requirement.
Please note that CS 1100, which is a software requirement for most of our undergraduate programs, has a 1-credit, non-billable lab as a co-requisite (CS 1101).
There are a variety of undergraduate research opportunities available through the Department, as well as the College and University. These opportunities include the PEAK program. Please do not hesitate to reach out.
Econ 4997 (Senior Thesis) is fully approved as an option fulfill the capstone requirement. Scheduling for this course is TBD. The course description is as follows: "Offers students an opportunity to write and present a research project on a topic within the discipline of economics. Students identify a question derived from economic theory and conduct a review of relevant literature in economics and related fields, analyzing the question through a well-defined research methodology."

Congratulations, Class of 2023!

Meet Adam Smith, the new canine addition to 301 Lake! And, yes, he's named for the economist.

The Department of Economics celebrated the Class of 2023, alongside their friends and family, during a celebration on May 4.

Well done, Huntington 100 Inductees!

Congratulations to the Huntington 100 inductees from our Department, including:

Kristine Aleksandrovica

Cory Gill

Angelica Jorio

Abisola Olaogun

Stacey Pablo Hernandez

Audrey Shing

As stated on the Alumni Relations website, "Sponsored by the Office of Student Life, the Huntington 100 honors outstanding students for achievements which are commensurate with the university’s mission, ideals, values, and Academic Plan. These students represent what Northeastern is today – a selective institution with rigorous academic programs and a sharp focus on the global experience."

Fiscal Challenge Team Excels at National Competition

The Northeastern Fiscal Challenge team made the national competition, and then came in 3rd place nationally at the competition in Washington DC in April. Last year, this self-directed team won the whole thing. The team leaders are Aleksei Shilov, Sawyer Dixon, Christopher Flynn, Oona Fousler, Ivan Blinov, and Bobby Squires. Congratulations!

New Issue of ECONPress Published

Congratulations to the Northeastern University undergraduate team of Owen Graham-O’Regan, Vanessa Baquerizo, Madeleine (Maddy) King. Anna Daraselia. Michael Enriquez, Jane Gullason, Lilly Hover, Umutemre Kaplan, PengSyuan Lin, Emre Muftu, Tamara Schexnider, Shivam Singhal, and Shreya Trivedi for reviving the ECONPress journal.

The journal provides a forum for the undergraduate economics community to engage in active discussion and debate about the topics, theories, and applications they have learned inside and outside the classroom.

The Spring 2023 issue is available online here at: https://web.northeastern.edu/econpress/test-3/ .

Printed issues are also available in the front office of the Economics Department in 301 Lake.

Get involved in our student organizations

Students in the Economics department are part of a learning community that extends beyond the classroom. There are a number of existing student organizations to become involved in that offer an opportunity to connect with peers and mentors while exploring the field. These organizations include the Economics Society, ECONPress, Women in Economics, and the peer mentor program.

A detailed list of organizations is available on the Department website.

Interested in being part a discussion about revitalizing our Omicron Delta Epsilon honor society chapter? Email k.thorp@northeastern.edu

Looking for a job?

A jobs board is maintained on the Department of Economics website. Check back periodically to see if there's a fit for your or to get ideas as you consider your next steps!

One current opportunity here at Northeastern is with The Sustainability and Social Change (SSC) Lab. Learn more here.

Library Resources for Econ students

Check out these library resources for economics students! These include links to subscribe to Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Financial for free.