2013-2014 University Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2013-2014 University Catalog archived

Course Descriptions


 

Computer Science

  
  • CSCI 313 - Theory of Computation


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Winter

    Prerequisites: MATH 121 or MATH 301 or instructor consent. A study of the principles of computer science embodied in formal languages, automata, computability, and computational complexity. Topics include context-free grammars, Turing machines, and the halting problem. Levy.



  
  • CSCI 315 - Artificial Intelligence


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisite: CSCI 209. Basic concepts of heuristic search, game playing, natural language processing, and intelligent systems, with a focus on writing programs in these areas. Course combines a discussion of philosophical issues with hands-on problem solving. Levy.



  
  • CSCI 317 - Database Management


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisite: CSCI 209. Database design with the entity-relationship model, the relational database model including normal forms and functional dependencies, SQL database query language, server-side scripting for Web access to databases. A major project to design and implement a database using a commercial package. Whaley.



  
  • CSCI 320 - Parallel Computing


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisites: CSCI 209 and 210. A survey of parallel computing including hardware, parallel algorithms, and parallel programming. The programming projects emphasize the message-passing paradigm. Staff.



  
  • CSCI 321 - Computer Networks


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisite: CSCI 209. Intended as a first course in communication networks for upper-level students. Covers concepts and protocols underlying modern computer networks. Topics include network architecture and layering, routing and switching, the TCP/IP protocol and network applications. Theory and programming. Staff.



  
  • CSCI 325 - Distributed Systems


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring 2013 and alternate years.

    Prerequisite: CSCI 209 or instructor consent. In this course, students learn to design and develop distributed systems, i.e., collections of independent networked computers that function as single coherent systems. The concepts of communication, synchronization, consistency, replication, fault tolerance, and security are covered. In addition, case studies of real-world distributed systems (e.g., the Internet, distributed file systems, grid computing) are analyzed. Sprenkle.



  
  • CSCI 330 - Operating Systems


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisites: CSCI 209 and 210. Procedure initiation, environment construction, reentrancy, kernel functions, resource management, input/output, file structures, security, process control, semaphores and deadlock, and recovery procedures. The laboratory includes the opportunity to examine and modify the internals of an operating system. Staff.



  
  • CSCI 332 - Compiler Construction


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisites: CSCI 210, 211, 312, and 313. Lexical analysis, parsing, context dependence, translation techniques, optimization. Students are expected to produce a compiler for a suitably restricted language. Staff.



  
  • CSCI 335 - Software Engineering through Web Applications


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisite: CSCI 209 or permission of instructor. In this course, students learn to develop high-performance software for Web applications using advanced software engineering techniques. The concepts of client-server computing, theories of usable graphical user interfaces, models for Web-based information retrieval and processing, and iterative development are covered. Sprenkle.



  
  • CSCI 340 - Interactive Computer Graphics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisite: CSCI 209. In this course we develop, step by step, a reasonably complete 3D computer-graphics system with the ability to generate a photo-realistic image given a specification of shapes, poses, lighting, textures, and material properties, and camera parameters and perspective. Final projects consist of using your system to produce your own computer-animated short. The necessary mathematical background is developed during the course. Stough.



  
  • CSCI 341 - Digital Image Processing


    FDR: SC
    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisite: CSCI 209. A survey of topics in the acquisition, processing and analysis of digital images, with much of the necessary mathematical background developed in the course. Topics in image processing include image enhancement and restoration, compression, and registration/alignment. Topics in image analysis include classification, segmentation, and more generally statistical pattern recognition. Throughout the course, human vision and perception motivate the techniques discussed. Stough.



  
  • CSCI 395 - Seminar


    Credits: 1
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Readings and conferences for a student or students on topics agreed upon with the directing staff. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. A maximum of six credits may be used toward the major requirements. Staff.



  
  • CSCI 396 - Seminar


    Credits: 2
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Readings and conferences for a student or students on topics agreed upon with the directing staff. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. A maximum of six credits may be used toward the major requirements. Staff.



  
  • CSCI 397 - Seminar


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Readings and conferences for a student or students on topics agreed upon with the directing staff. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. A maximum of six credits may be used toward the major requirements. Staff.



  
  • CSCI 401 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 1
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisite: Permission of the department. Individual conferences. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.



  
  • CSCI 402 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 2
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisite: Permission of the department. Individual conferences. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.



  
  • CSCI 403 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisite: Permission of the department. Individual conferences. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.



  
  • CSCI 493 - Honors Thesis


    Credits: 3-3
    Planned Offering: Fall-Winter

    Honors Thesis. Staff.




Dance

  
  • DANC 110 - University Dance


    Credits: 1
    Planned Offering: Fall, Winter

    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Participation in a university dance production for a minimum of 24 hours of rehearsal and performance. A journal recording the rehearsal/performance process is required. May be repeated for up to eight degree credits. Davies.



  
  • DANC 111 - University Dance Production


    Credits: 1
    Planned Offering: Fall, Winter

    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Participation in any production aspect of a university dance production for a minimum of 24 hours. A journal recording the production process is required. May be repeated for up to four degree credits. Evans.



  
  • DANC 120 - Introduction to Contemporary Modern Dance


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall

    This course combines the exploration of individual and ensemble artistic expression in contemporary modern dance with the study of the history of modern dance. The course culminates in a performance presentation. Staff.



  
  • DANC 215 - World Dance Technique


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 2
    Planned Offering: Winter

    This dance class reflects the world dance form that is the specialty of the dance artist-in-residence. The basic dance techniques of that specific form are taught and movement is tied to the historical narrative of the country. Staff.



  
  • DANC 220 - Dance Composition


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall, Winter

    Prerequisite: DANC 120 and instructor consent A studio course exploring the craft and art of creating dance performances in a variety of styles and contexts. Images, text, music, improvisation and the elements of time, space and energy are examined as sources for dance material leading to group choreography. This course focuses on creating a finished performance piece for presentation. Staff.



  
  • DANC 225 - Intermediate Contemporary Modern Dance Technique


    Credits: 2
    Planned Offering: Fall

    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. A studio course devoted to refining effort/shape values and pursuing performance quality phrasing and style in “Horton” modern dance technique. Students investigate self-directed reverse combinations, deconstruct movement phrases into sequential elements, and learn methods for written and oral analysis of dance. Students practice listening to the body by connecting movement phrases with kinesthetic experiences. May be repeated for up to six credits. Davies.



  
  • DANC 230 - Musical-Theater Dance Technique


    Credits: 2
    Planned Offering: Winter 2012 and alternate years

    A studio exploration of choreography in musical theater from the 1940s to the present. Composition, theme, and form are discussed in concert with practical work in restaging historically significant musical dance numbers. Of particular interest are the choreographers’ styles and the many dance techniques prevalent in musical theater. These issues are experienced through dance practica as original choreography is taught. May be repeated for up to six degree credits. Davies.



  
  • DANC 235 - Head to Toe


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring

    The theory and practice of creating a lecture/demonstration-style performance based on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) for elementary students. This class spends time researching recent scholarly writings on the brain, neural wiring and how pairing movement with traditional educational concepts can help young children to learn better. Students then use these principles to create a lecture/demonstration for local 4th- and 5th-grade students, including meeting and discussing ideas with local principals, setting up performances, creating a concert that ties to Virginia SOLs in English, science or mathematics, making costumes, sets or other production elements, choreographing and performing the material. Students also prepare an evaluation of the production and create literature to leave with the teachers so that the basic principles used to create the performance can be continued if desired. Davies.



  
  • DANC 240 - Contemporary Modern Dance History


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Winter 2012 and alternate years

    This course is a study of the manifestations of American modern dance from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Students explore the relationship between dance and developments in U.S. culture and study the innovators of the art form and their techniques, writings, and art works through readings, video and lectures. Davies.



  
  • DANC 292 - Ballet Technique


    Credits: 2
    Planned Offering: Winter

    This studio course is devoted to the practice of classical ballet technique and to the exploration of classical and contemporary ballet in performance. The course culminates in a performance presentation. This course may be repeated for degree credit for up to six degree credits. Staff.



  
  • DANC 330 - Experiential Anatomy


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall 2011 and alternate years

    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. A study of human motion as it relates to the locomotor and physical activities of the dancer. The course covers the planes of the body; vocabulary of the skeleton; and specific muscles, their actions, and how they relate to the dancer’s body. Injury prevention through alignment and proper movement is considered, as well as the reversal of body alienation. Attention is given to the application of course information to technique class and performance. Davies.



  
  • DANC 340 - Contemporary Dance Observation and Analysis


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall 2011 and alternate years

    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. The observation and analysis of live and recorded contemporary dance focusing on the work of emerging and established choreographers. Exploration of methods for describing the moving body in space. Emphasis is placed on the written and verbal critique of contemporary dance in performance. Davies.



  
  • DANC 390 - Special Topics


    Credits: 3 in fall or winter, 4 in spring
    Planned Offering: Offered in fall or winter when interest is expressed and departmental resource permit.



    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. An advanced studio course for experienced dancers exploring various choreographic styles and methods and the intersections between technique, aesthetics and creative collaboration. This course permits the student to follow a program of specialized applied research in order to widen the scope of experience and to build upon concepts covered in other courses. The course culminates in a performance piece for presentation. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

    Spring 2014 Topic:

    DANC 390: Arts Management (4). Open to all classes and majors with instructor consent. This course is a synthesis of a supervised arts practicum with the history, theory and practices of facility and company management This class offers significant participation in and responsibility for managing a large arts event while working directly with a non-profit arts organization. Studies include the innovative challenges and solutions facing arts administrators, practical experience engaging in arts leadership, financial practices, creating organizational structures, production coordination, house and backstage management, strategic planning, marketing. public relations and volunteerism. No performing experience is necessary. (HA) Davies. Spring 2014



  
  • DANC 403 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered in fall and winter when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Students enrich their academic experience by undertaking a performance project. Students must demonstrate ability to work with little supervision and must develop a written proposal defining the issue to be addresses, an outline of the proposed methodology, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completion. The project must include written, historical, and practical components, and permission must be secured in advance of registration. Staff.




East Asian Languages and Literatures

  
  • EALL 180 - FS: Multiple Perspective of Japan: Literature, Film, Culture and Language


    FDR: HU
    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring 2013 and alternate years

    First-Year Seminar. Prerequisite: First-Year standing. Today Japan is known for its vibrant visual culture of anime and manga, exportation of commodities such as J-Horror and J-Pop, exquisite slow-food culture, and reverence for traditional values of beauty and honor. This course is an introductory seminar to understanding Japan from a multiple of perspectives, which include examination of literature, film, culture, and language. Ikeda.



  
  • EALL 215 - East Asian Cinema


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring 2013 and alternate years

    This course provides an introduction to and overview of contemporary East Asian cinema, including the Chinese-language cinemas of the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and those of Japan and Korea. It focuses on the flourishing cinema of East Asia since the 1980s and provides a solid foundation in the successes and dominant tendencies of contemporary East Asian cinema and culture. Among the aims of the course are examining ways in which the contemporary East Asian cinemas and cultures are in dialogue with one another and looking at specific conditions and cultural forces at work in each unique case. The course also explores how the cinemas of East Asia reflect the changing cultural, economic, historical, political and social conditions of each country and how these cinemas and cultures are part of a larger redefinition of the idea of a national culture. Screenings and readings consist of exemplary works from each East Asian culture, organized around specific motifs, such as history, memory, identity, communication, love, and death. Zhu.



  
  • EALL 399 - Capstone Project


    Credits: 1
    Planned Offering: Fall, Winter

    Prerequisite or corequisite: CHIN 312 or JAPN 312. A translation project required of all EALL majors typically done during their senior year, preferably while taking Chinese 312/Japanese 312. The appropriate faculty member assigns a literary piece to be translated (not poetry), written in the modern language. The project results in a final translation of at least 2,500 words. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Staff.



  
  • EALL 493 - Honors Thesis


    Credits: 3-3
    Planned Offering: Fall-Winter

    Prerequisites: Senior standing, honors candidacy, major in East Asian Languages and Literatures, and instructor consent. Honors Thesis. Staff.




East Asian Studies

  
  • EAS 391 - Senior Capstone in East Asian Studies


    Credits: 1
    Planned Offering: Fall

    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Weekly seminar in East Asian studies that focuses on research tools and methodology. Students develop and present to the group their capstone proposals. Additional presentations by East Asian Studies faculty and guest speakers. Staff.



  
  • EAS 393 - Senior Capstone in East Asian Studies


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Winter

    Prerequisite: EAS 391 and instructor consent. Capstone project. Weekly seminar, focusing on the completion of the capstone project, including a formal presentation of the finished project to East Asian Studies faculty and students. Staff.



  
  • EAS 401 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 1
    Directed Individual Study.



  
  • EAS 402 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 2
    Directed Individual Study.



  
  • EAS 403 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 3
    Directed Individual Study.



  
  • EAS 406 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 6
    Directed Individual Study.




Economics

  
  • ECON 101 - Principles of Microeconomics


    FDR: SS1
    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall, Winter

    Survey of economic principles and problems with emphasis on analysis of consumer behavior, firm behavior, market outcomes, market structure, and microeconomic policy. The first half of a two-term survey of economics. Should be followed by ECON 102. Staff.



  
  • ECON 102 - Principles of Macroeconomics


    FDR: SS1
    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall, Winter

    Prerequisite: ECON 101. Continuation of survey begun in ECON 101, with emphasis on performance of the aggregate economy. Analysis of unemployment, inflation, growth, and monetary and fiscal policies. Staff.



  
  • ECON 195 - Special Topics in Economics for Non- Majors


    FDR: SS1
    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    This course is offered, without prerequisite, and typically for first-year students on various topics in economics. The course emphasis changes from term to term and is announced prior to registration. Staff.



  
  • ECON 203 - Econometrics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall, Winter

    Prerequisite or corequisite: INTR 201. Prerequisite: INTR 202 or permission of the department head. Explorations of regression models that relate a response variable to one or more predictor variables. The course begins with a review of the simple bivariate model used in INTR 202, and moves on to multivariate models. Underlying model assumptions and consequences are discussed. Advanced topics include non-linear regression and forecasting. Examples in each class are drawn from a number of disciplines. The course emphasizes the use of data and student-directed research. Anderson, Blunch.



  
  • ECON 210 - Microeconomic Theory


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall, Winter

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102; MATH 101. Contemporary theory relating to consumer behavior, the firm’s optimizing behavior, the nature of competition in various types of markets and market equilibrium over time. Recommended for economics majors not later than their junior year. Guse.



  
  • ECON 211 - Macroeconomic Theory


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall, Winter

    Prerequisites: Economics major, ECON 101 and 102, or instructor consent. This course develops the classical macroeconomic framework and uses this to explore the causes and consequences of economic growth, inflation, output, and employment. This same exercise is conducted using alternative theoretical frameworks, including those associated with Keynes, Monetarists, and New Classical thinkers. Emphasis is placed on investigating the impact and effectiveness of monetary and fiscal policy under each of the theoretical paradigms or schools of thought developed. Davies, Goldsmith, Hooks.



  
  • ECON 215 - Money and Banking


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall, Winter

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102 and junior or senior standing, or instructor consent. A study of the fundamental principles of money, credit, and banking in the United States. Emphasis is on modern conditions and problems, with particular attention to the validity of monetary and banking theory in the present domestic and international situation. Hooks.



  
  • ECON 220 - Mathematical Economics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall or Winter

    Prerequisites: ECON 101, 102, and MATH 221. An introduction to fundamental mathematical methods of economic analysis with a variety of applications from both microeconomics and macroeconomics. Topics covered include theory and applications of linear algebra, multivariable calculus, static optimization, and comparative statics. The course is highly recommended for anyone planning to undertake graduate studies in economics or a closely related field. Grajzl.



  
  • ECON 221 - Experimental Economics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. This course explores the use of laboratory methods to study economic behavior. Topics include the design of experiments, laboratory techniques to test theories, financial incentives, and analysis of experimental data. Experimental economics emphasizes applications in a variety of topics: games, bargaining, auctions, market price competition, market failures, voting, contributions to public goods, lottery choice decisions, and the design of electronic markets for financial assets. Guse.



  
  • ECON 224 - American Economic History


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. This course applies economic analysis to topics in American history and aspects of the development of the American economy. Typically, two or three aspects are chosen for intensive study; coverage varies from year to year. Possible topics include the economics of slavery; the coming of the railroads; the rise of the industrial corporation, boom and bust in the 19th century; innovation and technology; and the triumph of central banking. Shester.



  
  • ECON 225 - Industrial Revolutions


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Winter 2012 and alternate years.

    Prerequisite: ECON 101. In the 18th century, the pace of long-run economic growth accelerated; in the end, for the first time in human history, social and economic change became visible within an individual’s lifetime. What are the roles of technical change and population growth in this transformation? Why did England industrialize first, and not China, which had a clear lead in technology in 1600? What is the impact of modern economic growth on society? Insights gleaned from Smith, Malthus, and Marx are applied to country and sectoral case studies; 19th-century novels trace the contemporary perception of social change; and class participation in iron smelting makes concrete the magnitude of technical change. Students are expected to present a major research project to the class. Smitka.



  
  • ECON 226 - Socioeconomic Themes in Literature and Film


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Winter

    Prerequisite: ECON 101. The causes and consequences of socioeconomic developments are explored using literature and film as texts. Insights are gained by applying fundamental economic concepts to the situations depicted in the literature and film. Viewing socioeconomic issues through the prism of literature and film offers a rich understanding of the human experience, the essence of a liberal arts education. The course is writing intensive, with essays assigned for each film and each novel. Discussion is centered on development and analysis of the socioeconomic themes portrayed in the films and literature. Goldsmith.



  
  • ECON 230 - Labor Economics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall or Winter

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. The mechanisms and institutions which govern the allocation of labor in the American economy. The composition, quantity, and quality of the labor force; the functioning of labor markets and labor market policy; and wage determination and the distribution of income. Kaiser.



  
  • ECON 231 - Economics of Race and Ethnicity


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisite: ECON 101. The purpose of this writing-intensive and interdisciplinary seminar is to enhance understanding of the link between race and ethnicity and economic outcomes. Participants explore a number of topics through assigned reading and classroom discussion, including: What are race and ethnicity, economic theories of discrimination, social-psychological insight about stereotyping, legacy impacts on social-economic status, affirmative action, wealth disparities between racial/ethnic groups, the role of communities in shaping economic and social well-being, concepts of identity, the connection between skin shade and economic outcomes, the contribution of assimilation and English language proficiency to the economic outcomes of immigrant Latino workers, the racial/ethnic composition of schools and academic achievement. The course fosters the development and use of critical thinking, effective writing, and oral presentation skills. Goldsmith.



  
  • ECON 232 - African-American Human Capital Development: Challenges and Opportunities


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring 2012 and alternate years

    Prerequisite: ECON 101. The course analyzes policies and institutions in the U.S. that influence African-Americans in their development of human capital. Examples of topics explored include early child development, K-12 education, postsecondary education, wealth, job training programs, housing segregation, and access to quality health care. Diette.



  
  • ECON 233 - Colorism


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring

    Prerequisite: ECON 101. Colorism is the allocation of privilege and disadvantage according to the lightness or darkness of one’s skin. The practices of colorism tend to favor lighter skin over darker skin, although in rare cases the opposite practice also occurs. Colorism is present both within and among racial groups, a testament to its role as something related to but different than race. Colorism is enacted among racial groups in various contexts, from preferences in classroom settings and hiring decisions to patterns in sentencing. This course draws on analytical structures and insights from the social sciences – especially economics, sociology, anthropology, and psychology – as well as material from the humanities to explore the socio-economic consequences. The investigation is global in perspective and makes use of film and music in to enrich insights gained from course readings and classroom discussion. The course fosters the development and use of critical thinking, effective writing, and oral presentation skills while exploring the colorism. Goldsmith.



  
  • ECON 234 - Urban Education: Poverty, Ethnicity and Policy


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring 2012 and alternate years.

    Prerequisite: ECON 101 and instructor consent. Not open to students with credit for EDUC 369. Students explore the determinants of education achievement and attainment in urban education through three weeks of fieldwork in schools in the Richmond area (Monday through Thursday each week) and seminar meetings in Lexington. Students observe and work to understand critical components of teaching and learning in the urban classroom. The readings and experience challenge students to consider factors including early childhood development, the role of the family, school finance, teachers, and curriculum. The students then evaluate the current policy proposals for school reform in the United States such as teacher merit pay, charter schools, and student accountability. In addition, students develop and present their own policy proposal for improving public schools. Housing is provided through alumni in Richmond. Diette.



  
  • ECON 235 - The Economics of Social Issues


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Winter

    Prerequisite: ECON 101, and POV 101 or 103 during initial registration. This seminar is based on readings that set out hypotheses developed by economists and other social scientists regarding the causes and consequences of a wide range of social problems. Evidence examining the validity of these hypotheses is scrutinized and evaluated. The course is writing intensive and interdisciplinary since readings are drawn from a wide variety of fields. Topics discussed include, but are not limited to, poverty, education, health, crime, race, ethnicity, immigration, and fiscal matters. Goldsmith.



  
  • ECON 236 - Economics of Education


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall or Winter

    Prerequisite: ECON 101 and POV 101 or EDUC 200 during initial registration; then only ECON 101. Investigation of the role of education on outcomes for both nations and individuals. Understanding of the factors in the education production function. Emphasis on the challenges of pre-K-12 education in the United States; secondary coverage of postsecondary education. Analysis of the effect of existing policies and potential reforms on the achievement and opportunities available to poor and minority students. Diette.



  
  • ECON 237 - Health Economics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Winter

    Prerequisite: ECON 101. An overview of the determinants of health using standard microeconomic models to analyze individual behavior, markets, institutions, and policies that influence health and health care. The primary focus of the course is the United States but also includes comparisons to health systems in other developed countries and very limited coverage of developing countries. Particular emphasis is given to challenges faced by disadvantaged groups. The course includes an optional service-learning component with placements involving health issues and/or health care services in Rockbridge County. Diette.



  
  • ECON 238 - Poverty and Inequality in the United States


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. This course takes an economic approach toward investigating recent trends in poverty and inequality in the U.S., focusing on evaluating alternative explanations for who becomes (or remains) poor in this country. Factors considered in this investigation include labor-market trends, educational opportunities, family background, racial discrimination, and neighborhood effects. Aspects of public policy designed to alleviate poverty are discussed, as well as its failures and successes. As part of the required service-learning requirement, students serve in local organizations in order to gain personal experiences that can inform their understanding of course material. Staff.



  
  • ECON 239 - The Economics of Crime and Punishment


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisite: ECON 101. This course explores topics of crime and criminal justice in the United States from an economic perspective. Using both theoretical and empirical methodologies, the decisions of criminals (and would-be criminals) are examined, along with markets for criminal behavior and the goods and services produced within them, and public policies aimed at dealing with crime. Sample topics include: Does crime pay? Does the government regulate crime too much or too little? Does prison “harden” criminals or rehabilitate them? Why does the U.S. imprison more people per capita than any other country? An emphasis of the course is to explore myths and realities regarding the relationships between poverty and crime. Staff.



  
  • ECON 243 - Industrial Organization


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall or Winter

    Prerequisite: ECON 101. A survey of the structure and performance of industry, from entry and exit of new technologies and products, to economies of scale and scope in mature industries, to how firms are organized and what they “make” versus “buy.” As metrics, we focus on what such behavior implies consumers and for corporate strategy. Students develop an industry case study as a term project.  Smitka.



  
  • ECON 244 - The Auto Industry: Economics, Society, Culture


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring 2014 and alternate years

    Prerequisite: ECON 101 and instructor consent. This course investigates the automobile industry from an interdisciplinary perspective, including a visit to factories and R&D facilities in Detroit. Why did GM file bankruptcy? Why do we have 600-plus new passenger vehicles available in the US – isn’t such diversity wasteful? How and why has the automobile shifted the rhythm of daily life, including the growth of suburbs and decline of cities? What of safety and the environment – electric vehicles? The course also considers cars themselves, the subject of two Tom Wolfe stories in The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby. Smitka.



  
  • ECON 248 - Economic Analysis of Law


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall or Winter

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. Analysis of substantive and procedural legal rules through the application of neoclassical economic theory. Emphasis is on the Chicago school of Posner, Coase, et al. and their critics, stressing efficient allocation rather than income distribution. Topics include property rights and their use to attempt to internalize externalities, the efficiency of contracts and their role in allocating risk, optimal liability rules and sanctions in torts, and the efficient amount of crime. Marco.



  
  • ECON 250 - Public Finance


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. Public choices and the public economy. An inquiry into how the references of individuals and groups are translated into public sector economic activity. The nature of public activity and public choice institutions. The question of social balance. The effects of government expenditures and taxes on the economic behavior of individuals and firms. Guse.



  
  • ECON 255 - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Winter

    Prerequisite: ECON 101. Economics and environmental studies majors/minors will have priority during the initial registration. The course serves as an introduction to environmental and natural resource economics. Economic principles are used to evaluate public and private decision making involving the management and use of environmental and natural resources. Aspects pertaining to fisheries, forests, species diversity, agriculture, and various policies to reduce air, water and toxic pollution will be discussed. Lectures, reading assignments, discussions and exams will emphasize the use of microeconomic analysis for managing and dealing with environmental and natural resource problems and issues. Casey, Kahn.



  
  • ECON 259 - Supervised Study Abroad: The Environment and Economic Development in Amazonas


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring 2012 and alternate years

    Prerequisite: ECON 101 or ENV 110. Spring Term Abroad course. Amazonas is a huge Brazilian state of 1.5 million sq. kilometers which retains 94 percent of its original forest cover. This course examines the importance of the forest for economic development in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy, and how policies can be develop to promote both environmental protection and an increase in the quality life in both the urban and rural areas of Amazonas. The learning objectives of this course integrate those of the economics and environmental studies majors. Students are asked to use economic tools in an interdisciplinary context to understand the relationships among economic behavior, ecosystems and policy choices. Writing assignments focus on these relationships and look towards the development of executive summary writing skills. Kahn.



  
  • ECON 270 - International Trade


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall or Winter

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. Specialization of production, the gains from trade, and their distribution, nationally and internationally. Theory of tariffs. Commercial policy from the mercantilist era to the present. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Transnational economic integration: the European Community and other regional blocs. Anderson, Davies.



  
  • ECON 271 - International Finance


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall or Winter

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. International monetary arrangements, balance-of-payments adjustment processes, and the mutual dependence of macroeconomic variables and policies in trading nations. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), international investment, and the World Bank. International cooperation for economic stability. Anderson, Davies.



  
  • ECON 272 - Japan’s Modern Economy


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall or Winter

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. Analysis of the contemporary Japanese economy, including the comparative structure of its economy; the macroeconomics of the late 1980s “bubble economy” and subsequent growth; the changing role of women and its impact on fertility; and the future of an economy facing population decline and the fiscal burden of a rapidly aging population. Texts include works by sociologists and political scientists to emphasize the need to integrate the impact of policy and social structures on economic behavior. Smitka.



  
  • ECON 274 - China’s Modern Economy


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall or Winter

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. Economic analysis of the Chinese economy in the 20th century. Comparisons of pre- and post-revolutionary periods. Performance and policies of Taiwan and mainland China. Issues include the population problem, industrialization, provision of public health and education, alleviation of poverty and inequality. Microeconomic emphasis. Smitka.



  
  • ECON 275 - Comparative Labor Markets


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Winter

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. A comparative examination of labor markets and institutions in a set of advanced capitalist countries. Study and analysis address the roles played by institutions in explaining cross-national differences in labor-market outcomes, including employment, unemployment, labor force participation, mobility, and income distribution. The course also considers the likelihood of convergence of institutional arrangements across countries. Kaiser.



  
  • ECON 280 - Development Economics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall or Winter

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. A survey of the major issues of development economics. Economic structure of low-income countries and primary causes for their limited economic growth. Economic goals and policy alternatives. Role of developed countries in the development of poor countries. Selected case studies. Casey, Blunch.



  
  • ECON 281 - Institutions and Economic Performance


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall or Winter

    Prerequisite: ECON 101. Institutions such as laws, the political system, and cultural norms embed all social activity. They structure economic, political, and social interaction and as such play a central role in facilitating (or hindering) economic development. This course’s objective is to explore from a broad perspective how institutions affect economic performance, what the determinants of institutions are, and how institutions evolve. We will study examples from the existing capitalist economies, the developing and transition countries, as well as the more distant history. Because the study of institutions is necessarily an interdisciplinary endeavor, the course combines the approach of economics with the insights from law, political science, history, and sociology. Grajzl.



  
  • ECON 282 - Economic Governance & Institutional Design


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring 2013 and alternate years

    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Spurred by developmental disasters in the third world, turbulent post-socialist transition, and challenges of globalization, the structure and functioning of economic, political, legal, and social institutions supporting a market economy has become a central topic for economists and policy-makers across the globe. What are appropriate market-oriented institutions and how can societies acquire them? Can good economic governance be engineered top down, through foreign aid? What institutional solutions ensure sound economic governance in a globally interdependent world? This course adopts an economic approach and embraces interdisciplinary analysis to provide an in-depth inquiry into fundamental issues of institutional design, and its impact on economic governance and behavior. Grajzl.



  
  • ECON 288 - Supervised Study Abroad


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102, instructor consent, and other prerequisites as specified by the instructor(s). For advanced students, the course covers a topic of current interest for which foreign travel provides a unique opportunity for significantly greater understanding. Emphasis and location changes from year to year and is announced each year, well in advance of registration. Likely destinations are Europe, Latin America, Africa, or Asia. This course may not be repeated.



  
  • ECON 295 - Special Topics in Economics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.



    Prerequisites: Normally ECON 101 and 102 but may vary with topic. Course emphasis and prerequisites change from term to term and are announced prior to preregistration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. A maximum of nine credits chosen from all special topics in economics courses may be used, with permission of the department head, toward requirements for the economics major.

    Fall 2013 Topic:

    ECON 295:Health Economics in Developing Countries (3). Prerequisite: ECON 101. A survey of the major issues of health economics, with a focus on developing countries. Economic modeling of health related issues, supply and demand of health, cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis. Health goals and policy alternatives. The relationship between health and education, including for example the links between maternal education and child health, and child health and child schooling. Health and the labor market, including for example the relationship between adult health and adult labor market outcomes, and child labor and child health. Epidemiology: HIV/AIDS and worms in Sub-Saharan Africa. Selected case studies. Blunch. Staff.



  
  • ECON 301 - Strategy and Equilibrium


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisites: ECON 210 and MATH 101. Microeconomics without the assumptions of perfectly competitive markets: small number of agents, asymmetric information, uncertainty, externalities, etc. Applications include auctions, bargaining, oligopoly, labor market signaling, public finance and insurance. Class time combines lectures, discussion and classroom experiments. Heavy emphasis on problem solving using game theory. Guse.



  
  • ECON 302 - Game Theory


    Planned Offering: Spring 2013 and alternate years

    Prerequisites: MATH 101 or equivalent and ECON 210. This course abandons the assumptions of perfect competition. Buyers and sellers may be few; information may be privately held; property rights may poorly enforced; externalities abound and uncertainty is the rule. Game theory is a general framework for analyzing the messy world of strategic interactions. Standard solution concepts such as Nash Equilibrium, subgame perfection, and Bayesian equilibrium are introduced in the context of a broad array of microeconomic topics. These include auctions, bargaining, oligopoly, labor market signaling, public finance and insurance. Class time combines lectures, problem-solving workshops, and classroom experiments. Guse.



  
  • ECON 303 - Topics in Econometrics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisites: ECON 101, 102, and 203. Further explorations of regression models, building on the material from ECON 203. The course begins with a review of the OLS model and continues to alternative models, answering questions such as: How do we proceed if the dependent variable is categorical, rather than continuous (as in the OLS model)? How might we proceed if one or more of the Classical Assumptions are violated? Underlying model assumptions and consequences are discussed. Possible topics include models for categorical outcomes, 2SLS/IV, matching methods, quantile regression, time-series analysis, and panel data models. The course emphasizes the use of data and student-directed research. Anderson, Blunch.



  
  • ECON 304 - Health: A Social Science Exploration


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and faculty resources permit.

    Prerequisite: ECON 203. Much of the work done by consulting companies, banks, insurance companies, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, etc., is based on applied statistical and econometric analysis. This course helps prepare students for careers in these environments using a hands-on approach and emphasizing the use of data and student-directed research in the specific context of health-related issues. Examples of these issues include obesity, vaccinations, pre- and post natal care, contraceptive use, or child mortality; possible determinants include poverty, education, or distance to the nearest health clinic or hospital. An interdisciplinary perspective is highlighted, as is the use and importance of quantitative analysis for public policy. Blunch.



  
  • ECON 316 - Central Banking


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisites: ECON 215 and instructor consent. This seminar explores the theory, institutions, and history of central banks. It is a reading- and research-intensive course designed to give the student a deep knowledge of theoretical and current issues facing central banks. Readings include classic theoretical studies of central banks by economists such as Bagehot, Friedman, and Schwartz, as well as modern studies such as Leijonhufvud, Goodhart, and Eichengreen. Each student chooses additional readings from the area of theory, history, institutions, or people related to central banking. Hooks.



  
  • ECON 317 - The European Monetary Union


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisite: ECON 215. This course explores monetary union within the European Union. Topics considered include: economic theories about monetary union; policy choices for the new European Central Bank; labor market adjustments to a common monetary policy; fiscal Economics policy coordination among participating countries; and possible expansion of the euro area. Students research topics by country and share their findings through oral and written presentations. Consideration is given to how this information helps to explain current events and how it influences actions taken by policymakers. In addition, the course explores the broader issues related to the impact of economic integration on politics and culture. Hooks.



  
  • ECON 318 - Gold, Silver, and Oil: Monetary Policy in the 1970s


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring, 2011

    Prerequisite: ECON 215. An examination of monetary theory and monetary policy in the U.S. in the 1970s, with a focus on selected events, including the closing of the gold window, the oil crisis, and the appointment of Volker to the Federal Reserve. Includes economic, historical, cultural, and journalistic views. Seminar class requires daily reading and written reviews, as well as active participation. Hooks.



  
  • ECON 319 - The Great Recession: An Oxford Tutorial


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring 2013 and alternate years

    This course provides fundamental insight into the causes and consequences of the Great Recession through the lens of the theory and application of international finance. Students gain an understanding of international interactions through trade in goods and assets, government policy, and the transmission of shocks: specifically of the fundamental determinants of the balance of payments and exchange rates; the theory and evidence relating to exchange rate behavior and to alternative exchange rate arrangements; the international context within which domestic macroeconomic policy is designed and conducted; international macroeconomic linkages; and the importance of international macroeconomic policy coordination.
    Davies.



  
  • ECON 340 - Innovation and Patents


    Credits: 4
    Planned Offering: Spring 2012 and alternate years

    Prerequisite: INTR 202. Studying innovation and technological change is extremely important in economics. This course examines the innovation process paying special attention to the role played by patents and patent law. After a brief introduction to patent law and the justification for patent rights, we study issues such as the financial return to patenting, the strategic use of patents in business, knowledge spillovers, and ways in which patents may deter innovation (patent trolls, patent thickets, and the tragedy of the “anti-commons”). A significant part of the course involves hands-on work with patent and financial data using Stata. Marco.



  
  • ECON 356 - Economics of the Environment in Developing Countries


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Winter

    Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102, and either ECON 255 or 280. This course focuses on the unique characteristics of the relationship between the environment and the economy in developing nations. Differences in economic structure, political structure, culture, social organization and ecosystem dynamics are emphasized as alternative policies for environmental and resource management are analyzed. Kahn, Casey.



  
  • ECON 382 - Health Economics in Developing Countries


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit

    Prerequisites: ECON 101, 102, and 203. A survey of the major issues of health economics, with a focus on the experiences of developing countries. Health structure of low-income countries and primary causes for their limited health performance. Health goals and policy alternatives. An examination of the role of econometrics in the evaluation of health programs is a major part of the course, including review of instrumental variables and matching methods. Blunch.



  
  • ECON 395 - Special Topics in Economics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.

    Prerequisite: At least one course from among ECON 203, 210, or 211. Course emphasis and prerequisites change from term to term and will be announced prior to preregistration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. A maximum of nine credits chosen from all special topics in economics courses may be used, with permission of the department head, toward requirements for the economics major. Staff.



  
  • ECON 398 - Topical Research Seminar in Economics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall, Winter



    Prerequisites: ECON 203, 210, and 211 and major standing. Students work through the original literature in a given field within the discipline of economics. Emphasis is on critical understanding of that literature. Required written work and class discussion focus on summarizing and reviewing articles, gaining insight into the current economic knowledge documented in that literature, and identifying research questions implied by that literature. Based upon this review, students write a detailed proposal of an independent research project after which they carry out the project and write a paper documenting their research. Those students who choose to continue in ECON 399 have the opportunity to develop their proposals into complete research papers.

    Fall 2013 topics:

    ECON 398-01:Seminar in Monetary Policy (3). Prerequisites: ECON 203, 210, and 211 and major standing. This seminar provides a historical overview of economic thought related to monetary policy, develops modern theories of money and central banks, and examines evidence on the effectiveness of the monetary policy. Readings come from the primary academic literature as well as occasional popular media. Each student develops critical thinking and communication skills by presenting some of the course material, and by pursuing an individual research proposal and by presenting the plans for the research to the class. Hooks.

    ECON 398-02:Health and Education in Economic Development (3). Prerequisites: ECON 203, 210, and 211 and major standing. A survey of the major issues of health and education economics in developing countries. Economic modeling of health-and education-related issues, from the theoretical/conceptual and empirically. Review of recent literature of the area. Students gain a firm grounding in how economic research is conducted in practice, and then in recent research on health and education in developing countries, before developing their own research proposal. Specific topics may include: supply and demand of health and education; wages and education; health and the labor market, for example the relationship between child labor and child health; maternal education and child health; epidemiology: HIV/AIDS in Africa. Blunch.

    ECON 398-03:Micro Topics in Econ History (3). Prerequisites: ECON 203, 210, and 211 and major standing. This seminar examines the empirical literature in several areas of the field including urbanization, segregation, public policy, health, and female labor force participation. Emphasis is on the mid- to late-20th century. Besides serving as an introduction to the literature in microeconomic history, we study the research process employed by applied economists more generally. Students finish the course with an original research proposal in some area of economics. This course depends heavily on student participation and students are expected to lead classroom discussions and to give feedback on each other’s research proposals. Schester.



  
  • ECON 399 - Advanced Research Seminar in Economics


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Winter

    Required for Honors in Economics. Prerequisite: ECON 398 and major standing. This capstone course builds upon the foundations developed in ECON 398. The central element is a major independent research project. This project is carried out with continual mentoring by a faculty member. Students document their research in a formal paper and offer an oral presentation summarizing their research results. Staff.



  
  • ECON 401 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 1
    Prerequisites: Six credits in economics courses numbered 200 or above, either a cumulative grade-point average of 3.000 or 3.000 in all economics courses, and instructor consent. The objective is to permit students to follow a course of directed study in some field of economics not presented in other courses, or to emphasize a particular field of interest. May be repeated for degree credit with permission for different topics. Staff.



  
  • ECON 402 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 2
    Prerequisites: Six credits in economics courses numbered 200 or above, either a cumulative grade-point average of 3.000 or 3.000 in all economics courses, and instructor consent. The objective is to permit students to follow a course of directed study in some field of economics not presented in other courses, or to emphasize a particular field of interest. May be repeated for degree credit with permission for different topics. Staff.



  
  • ECON 403 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: Six credits in economics courses numbered 200 or above, either a cumulative grade-point average of 3.000 or 3.000 in all economics courses, and instructor consent. The objective is to permit students to follow a course of directed study in some field of economics not presented in other courses, or to emphasize a particular field of interest. May be repeated for degree credit with permission for different topics. Staff.



  
  • ECON 406 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 6
    Prerequisites: Six credits in economics courses numbered 200 or above, either a cumulative grade-point average of 3.000 or of 3.000 in all economics courses, and permission of the instructor. The objective is to permit students to follow a course of directed study in some field of economics not presented in other courses, or to emphasize a particular field of interest. May be repeated for degree credit with permission for different topics. Staff.



  
  • ECON 493 - Honors Thesis


    Credits: 3-3
    Planned Offering: Fall-Winter

    This course is required of Honors candidates in addition to the 21 credits in economics (courses numbered 200 and above) required of all economics majors.




Education

  
  • EDUC 200 - Foundations of Education


    Credits: 3
    Planned Offering: Fall

    Prerequisite: At least sophomore standing. An introduction to the issues relating to American public education in the 21st century. Students are introduced to information about teaching strategies and school policy upon which future courses can build. Emphasis is given to school efforts to create environments which promote equity and excellence within a multicultural system. Required for teacher licensure in Virginia. Staff.



 

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