Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Economics


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Faculty

Chair

David Mitch

Professor

Robert Carpenter
A.B., University of Michigan-Flint, 1986; M.A., Washington University, 1988; Ph.D., 1992

Dennis Coates
B.A., State University of New York at Albany, 1979; M.A., University of Arizona, 1982; M.A., 1983; Ph.D., University of Maryland, 1988

Thomas Gindling
B.A., Denison University, 1981; M.A., Cornell University, 1986; Ph.D., 1987

Douglas Lamdin
B.A., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1983; M.A., University of Maryland, College Park, 1985; Ph.D., 1991

David Mitch
B.A., The University of Chicago, 1973; M.A., 1974; Ph.D., 1982

Associate Professor

Salem Abo-Zaid
B.A., Ben-Gurion University, 2001; M.A., 2003; M.A., University of Maryland, College Park, 2008; Ph.D., 2011

Lisa Dickson
B.A., College of William & Mary, 2000; M.S., University of Texas at Austin, 2002; Ph.D., 2005

Morgan Rose
B.A., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1994; M.A., 1996; M.A., Washington University, 2000; Ph.D., 2005

Christelle Viauroux
B.S., University of Toulouse (France), 1993; M.S., 1995; M.A., 1996; D.E.E.Q.A., 1997; Ph.D., 2001

Chunming Yuan
B.A., Central University of Finance and Economics (China), 1998; M.A., 2001, M.A., University of California, Los Angeles 2005, C.Phil., 2005, Ph.D., 2008

Assistant Professor

Michael Andrews
B.A., University of Maryland, 2011; B.S., University of Maryland, 2011;  M.A., University of Iowa, 2014; Ph.D., University of Iowa, 2017

Maria Bernedo
B.S., Universidad Del Pacifico (Peru), 2003; M.S., Toulouse School of Economics (France), 2008; Ph.D., Georgia State University, 2016

Nicolas Castro Cienfuegos
B.S., M.A., Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile (Chile), 2009; M.A., The University of Chicago, 2013; Ph.D., 2019

Oleg Firsin
B.A., Saint Anselm College, 2009; M.P.P., College of William & Mary, 2011; Ph.D., Cornell University, 2018

Se Mi Park
B.S., Ewha Womans University, 2007; M.A., Sogang University, 2011; M.A., University of Colorado Boulder, 2013; Ph.D., 2017

Lecturer and Accounting Program Coordinator

Suzann Medicus
B.S., University of Baltimore, 1977; M.B.A., Loyola University, 1981

Lecturer

MaryAnn Davenport
B.A., Notre Dame of Maryland University, 2004; M.S., Stevenson University, 2016

Audra Hennigan
B.S., University of Florida, 2002; M.A., 2002

Bing Ma
B.A., Central University of Finance and Economics (China), 1998; M.A., 2001; M.A., Brown University, 2002; Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 2007

Mark Thomas
B.A., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1976; M.A., Michigan State University, 1983; Ph.D.,1996

Academic Advisor

Robert Pawloski
B.A., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1992

Emeritus Professor

Michael Bradley
A.B., Albion College, 1961; M.S., Cornell University, 1963; Ph.D., 1967

Scott Farrow
B.A., Whitman College, 1974; M.A., Washington State University, 1981; Ph.D., 1983

Marsha Goldfarb
B.A., Pembroke College, 1964; M.A., Northwestern University, 1966; Ph.D., 1968

David Greenberg
B.A., Southern Methodist University, 1962; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1966

Virginia McConnell
B.A., Smith College, 1969; Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, 1978

Alan L. Sorkin
B.A., The Johns Hopkins University, 1963; M.A., 1964; Ph.D., 1966

Wendy Takacs
B.A., Rutgers University, 1969; M.A., The Johns Hopkins University, 1971; Ph.D., 19763

Emeritus Associate Professor

Kathleen Carroll
B.A., Cleveland State University, 1972; Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University, 1976

Charles Peake
B.S., East Tennessee State University, 1956; M.S., University of Tennessee, 1957; Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, 1968

Emeritus Faculty

Hyman K. Cohen
B.A., University of North Carolina, 1948; J.D., University of Baltimore, 1954

 

Courses in this program are listed under ECON.

Economics is the study of the way decisions are made. Consumers, managers of firms, organizations and societies make the types of decisions that economists study. Financial economics is at the intersection of economics and financial institutions and markets.

Microeconomics is concerned primarily with the decisions and choices of individuals in markets for goods and resources, the determination of prices of goods and services in a market economy, and the way decision-makers respond to these prices and various economic incentives.

Macroeconomics focuses on the economy as a whole and focuses on the determination of aggregate output and employment, unemployment, inflation, and interest rates.

The core theories of microeconomics and macroeconomics can be applied to specialized fields such as international trade, finance, regulation and tax and monetary policies.

Economics is a broad and challenging way of thinking. Theoretical reasoning and empirical testing of hypotheses are primary focuses of economics. Students of economics must understand abstract and logical thinking, as well as the necessary tools of mathematical and statistical analysis. The degree programs in economics and financial economics are designed to provide students with these skills.

Career and Academic Paths

A major in economics or financial economics is excellent preparation for graduate study in economics, public policy and finance; professional study in law, business and public administration; and employment in business or government. Graduates of the UMBC economics programs have earned M.B.A., M.A., Ph.D., and J.D. degrees at distinguished universities. They have pursued successful careers in business, law, finance, banking, government, and college teaching.

Academic Advising

Students who are interested in majors or minors offered by the economics department should contact the department for assistance in selecting an advisor. The advising process is designed to help students determine their field(s) of interest within economics and select courses relevant to their career path.

Major Programs

The Economics Department offers two degree programs, Economics, B.A.  and Financial Economics, B.S.  Students may choose only one of these majors.

Minor Programs

The Economics Department offers five minor programs: Economics Minor , Economic Policy Minor , Finance Minor , Global Economics Minor , and Mathematical and Quantitative Economics Minor . Each minor is available only to students who are not majors in the Economics, B.A. or Financial Economics, B.S. Students may not receive more than one minor from the Economics Department.

Certificates in Pre-Professional Studies

These certificates offer UMBC students the opportunity to prepare for careers in the public and private sectors. The program provides students with marketable analytical skills needed for such careers. Each certificate requires students to pursue a major in any field at UMBC while completing the courses for one of the certificates. The Accounting Certificate  provides the students the specific coursework requirements to sit for the CPA exam in Maryland. Any one of the certificates is roughly equivalent to a concentration or a second major.

Accelerated Pathway Program - 5-year B.A./M.A. and B.S./M.A.

UMBC undergraduates are eligible to apply for a program combining an Economics, B.A. or Financial Economics, B.S. with an M.A. in Economic Policy Analysis (offered jointly by the departments of economics and public policy). Students in the accelerated pathway can obtain both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in as few as five years. Students should apply for admission to the accelerated pathway during their junior year. Students interested in pursuing the accelerated program should plan to complete ECON 490  and ECON 421  before the beginning of their senior year. Students admitted into the accelerated pathway receive undergraduate credit for graduate-level courses required in the M.A. program; these courses count toward both the M.A. and the 21 upper-level credits required for the Economics, B.A.  or toward both the M.A. and the upper-level economics elective credits required for the Financial Economics, B.S.  The accelerated program is substantially less expensive than a traditional master’s program because students pay undergraduate tuition for graduate-level courses taken as undergraduates. More information on the M.A. in Economic Policy Analysis is available in the the Graduate Catalog and on the Economics department website. The application form is available from the economics department graduate program director, by e-mailing econmasters@umbc.edu or visiting the website.

Special Opportunities

The department awards several scholarships to qualified undergraduates. More information about these opportunities is available from the Economics department website.

Student Organizations

The Economics Council of Majors brings economics majors together for job seminars, visits to local businesses, social events and an annual awards event. Omicron Delta Epsilon The campus also has a chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international honor society for economics students. Accounting Club Students interested in accounting or who are pursuing the Accounting Certificate  gather for social events, seminars and an annual awards event.

Departmental Honors

The departmental honors program provides opportunities for qualified students to enrich their undergraduate studies and to receive recognition for academic excellence in economics.

Requirements for Departmental Honors in Economics 

Programs

    MajorMinorCertificate

    Courses

      Administrative Sciences AccountingEconomicsFinance

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