Required Reading:  Reserve Materials, Handouts, Course Web Page

Course Objective: After completing this course the student will be able to 1) write an effective resume and be skilled at job search/graduate school applications 2) become familiar with the Economics Department Subject Compentencies 3) provide an assessment of how well they have learned those competencies 4) produce a culminating project in the form of a portfolio 5) become familiar with research methods, tools, and literature of professional economists 6) demonstrate service to the department/profession.

Course Grade: The grade for this course is based on three parts: Portfolio (40%), learning outcomes assessment (20%), a legacy service project (40%).

Calendar: We will only meet about half the class periods this semester.  I will try to keep you informed of meeting dates in advance, but feel free to email me if you are unsure.  I also expect to have a few special speakers this semester, such as someone from the career center, library, and maybe another faculty researcher.  You are expected to attend class on the days when we have special speakers.

Class meeting dates (we may need to change some of these):

January 20: Introduction

January 27: Work on Legacy Service Project

February 3, 10, or 24: Schedule at least one meeting with Prof. Eschker to discuss Legacy Service Project

February 17: State Department Visit Presentation

March 3: Career Center Visit by Rebecca Anderson

Complete online HSU Research Roadmap tutorial at http://library.humboldt.edu/researchroadmap/index.html

Quiz due on Topics, Searching, Finding, Evaluating and have results emailed to Prof. Eschker at ee3@humboldt.edu

This will take approximately 1 hour per section, so you should plan to take about 4 hours for the tutorial

March 10: Career Goals, Resume and Cover letters due

March 24: Career Goals, Resume and Cover letters returned

April 7, 14: If needed, set up appointment with Prof. Eschker to discuss portfolio

April 21: Portfolio Due/Exit exam

April 28: Economics written exam

May 5: Legacy Service Project Due

Remember that I am available to help you with the class. If you have any concerns, it is always best to see me earlier rather than later. Don’t hesitate to contact me.

•           Table of Contents

•           I. Career goals: A description of your career goals (may include graduate school).

•           II. Resume and Cover Letter: Provide your job application cover letter and your resume.

•           III. Competencies: List the intended competencies for the HSU Economics major (provided by the instructor), and 1) briefly relate how the portfolio of your work demonstrates your acquisition of these competencies (for example, cite specific term papers, courses, or exams in the portfolio that demonstrate or produced a particular competency).  See below for an example.

•           IV. Courses taken: Provide a list of all the college/university courses that you took to fulfill the BA in Economics, including core, elective, and pathway courses. (do not include GE)

•           V. Research abstracts: Provide abstracts for two of the research projects you have pursued (e.g., for term paper projects, service-learning projects, paid internships, etc) that include the research question, the methods you used to acquire the information you needed to answer the research question, and the key findings from your research (approx. 200 words per abstract).

•           VI. Written work: Your favorite five written works, including term papers, book reviews, and essays.  Please clearly separate your work into two categories:  

1. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH (researched a topic, using reputable sources, and wrote about it.  Usually includes a bibliography or sources cited in the paper) 

OR 

2. SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS (summarizing and analyzing a single article and making connections to class material.  May be a journal article, but it also could be a newspaper article)

•           VII. Presentations: One of your presentations, such as printed Powerpoint slides, outlines, and notes. These may be revised versions if you believe you can improve the quality of the work.

•           VIII. Analytical work: One of your analytical works, including regression or statistical analysis, mathematical modeling, exams, quizzes, and tables and diagrams (with accompanying descriptive material).  These may be revised versions if you believe you can improve the quality of the work.

•           IX. Special projects: If you were involved with any special research projects (e.g., Humboldt Economic Index, Oysterfest income injection study, North Coast gasoline market study, etc), include a copy of any survey questionnaires (or a description of your research methods), a description of your role in the project, and a copy of the research paper.

•           X. Other: Include here any other significant work not listed above.

Below are “Intended Competencies for the Economics Major.” This document was created by the faculty of the Department of Economics at Humboldt State University. The purpose of the document is to establish clear goals for the knowledge, skills, and abilities of our graduates.

A central task for you in Econ 490 is to carefully review the intended competencies, to engage in a period of introspection and thought about what you have learned, and then to write a brief response to each of the bullet-point competency statements. If you are not sure what some of these bullet-point competency statements mean, or whether you have achieved a particular competency, you should see your course instructor or academic advisor. You might be surprised to find out what you know! The self-assessment of your competencies is done in conjunction with the development of your portfolio. Your portfolio demonstrates your academic growth and development, and provides evidence to back up what you say in the self-assessment of your competencies.

Your grade will be based on how thoroughly you respond to each of the twelve numbered competencies, not on the level of competency you report. Thus it is ok to say that you a competency in certain areas. In fact, our list of intended competencies includes knowledge, skills, and tools that are provided in some elective courses or pathways, but not others, so it really isn’t possible for a student to gain all of these competencies.  You should address the concept under each of the twelve numbered competencies within your overall response to those competencies.

The general approach to writing your response is as follows (about 1/2 page or 1 paragraph for each):

•           First part: Overall summary statement regarding your view of the extent to which you have gained the competency described.

•           Second part: evidence to support your overall summary statement, drawing upon courses taken, as well as specific exams, papers, reports, presentations, and projects that are in your portfolio.

•           Last part: Any specific shortcomings you are aware of.

Here is an example, from “Mastery of the Discipline,” part 1: Economic Concepts

Competency #A1: Mastering Economic concepts

Example of a Response: Overall I believe I have mastered this area of competency. As shown in section IV of my portfolio, I have had principles-level microeconomics and macroeconomics in Econ 210, as well as Intermediate Microtheory (Econ 310) and Intermediate Macroeconomics (Econ 311) and we also covered a lot of applied microeconomic theory in Environmental and Natural Resources Economics (Econ 423) and covered banking institutions in Money and Banking (Econ 435). My paper on the international coffee market in section VI of my portfolio demonstrates my ability to evaluate conditions in both factor and goods markets. My midterm exam from Econ 210, and my final exam from Econ 310 ( in section VIII), both reveal a thorough understanding of consumer theory, a solid understanding of firms’ production and cost relationships, and a basic understanding of the competitive model and monopoly.  The homeworks for Econ 311 reveal a good understanding of the IA-AD short run model of the economy and inflation.  I have only a rudimentary understanding of public policy interventions beyond environmental regulation.

Your portfolio grade will be based on the quality of the portfolio content and the portfolio presentation (I need to be able to easily search through the binder to find sections

Intended Competencies for the Economics Major

A.        Mastery of the Discipline

1. Economic Concepts – Mastery of core microeconomic, macroeconomic, field and pathway concepts.

Mastering core microeconomic concepts (factor and goods markets, firms, consumers, production and cost, public policy interventions)

Mastering core macroeconomic concepts (business cycle, unemployment, inflation, economic growth, monetary and fiscal policy, the banking system)

Mastering economic concepts in several economic fields (development, sustainability, money and banking, economic history, international trade and globalization, environment and natural resources, etc.)

Mastering the concepts in the student’s pathway curriculum

2. Understanding Economic Environments – Understanding the social, political, ecological, and international environments in which economic decisions are made.

Analyzing spatial relationships (e.g., development patterns, regional and international trade)

Analyzing social and political trends using economic models (e.g., fertility rates, educational attainment, criminal behavior, the relationship between campaign contributions and voting patterns, etc.)

Analyzing economic interfaces with ecological, cultural, demographic, and/or legal systems, such as in public planning contexts

Understanding economics within a broad social, cultural, and environmental context

3. Applying Economics to Real-World Decisions – Using economic models to understand decisions made by firms, NGOs, individuals, and governments.

Using economic models to explain decisions made by firms and other organizations

Using economic models of the economy to understand monetary and fiscal policy decisions as they relate to the business cycle, unemployment, and inflation

Using analytical approaches such as market failure, benefit-cost analysis, and/or public choice theory to evaluate public policy decisions

Understanding the assumptions and limitations of the above analytical approaches

Using economic concepts to understand how organizational and public policy decisions are influenced by property rights systems, legal and social institutions, and various forms of incentives

(Elective) Using economic concepts to critically evaluate national and international economic development policies

(Elective) Using economic concepts in applied research projects relating to the North Coast economy and its economic development

4. Critical Evaluation and Context – Using the tools of the discipline to reflect on and critically evaluate positive and normative issues/problems.

Designing statistical or econometric models to test hypotheses

Distinguishing between positive and normative economic models and arguments

Understanding the relationship between assumptions, models, and the economic outcomes of these models

Weighing the preponderance of evidence for competing theories, models, or arguments

Critically evaluating strengths and limitations of capitalism, socialism, and other socioeconomic systems, and interpreting them within their intellectual contexts

 B.         Mastery of Essential Skills

1. Mathematical Competencies - Using mathematics to model, analyze and convey economic information.

Mastering the content of mathematics and statistics courses taken to satisfy the major

Inferring economic properties from mathematical expressions (e.g., linearity, diminishing returns, equilibrium, simultaneity, statistics and dynamics, elasticity, marginal relationships, compound growth rates, gradual adjustment, optimality, risk, etc.)

Translating economic properties into mathematical expressions using algebra, geometry, matrix methods, basic calculus, and/or probability/statistics.

Interpreting graphs, tables, and index numbers and constructing them to convey information

Distinguishing between identities and causal relationships

Using statistical and econometric methods (e.g., constructing point estimates and confidence intervals, testing hypotheses, interpreting and reporting statistical results) 

2. Information Competencies – Ability to fashion a research question, and identify and retrieve appropriate information resources.

Using library resources to retrieve published information

Ability to effectively use the Internet to retrieve information

Ability to acquire secondary data (e.g., National Income Accounts, Economic Censuses, Census of Population and Housing, county data sources in California, etc.)

(Elective) Ability to produce primary data (questionnaire design, sample construction, conducting interviews, data coding, tabulating results)

3. Computer Competencies – Competent use of word processing, presentation, spreadsheet and statistical software.

Competent use of word processing in the development of papers, technical reports, and other documents

Competent use of presentation software to present technical economic information

Competent use of spreadsheet software to organize and chart numerical data

Competent use of statistical software packages and databases to analyze data

(Elective) Ability to produce web-based materials

4. Communication Competencies – Ability to effectively communicate in both oral and written modes.

Effective oral multimedia presentations (three-to-30 minute presentations)

Effective written communication

Other (e.g., posters for poster session)

5. Teamwork Competencies – Ability to work effectively in groups.

Team-based research

Team-based projects

Team-based presentations

C.         Growth and Development of the Whole Person

1. Personal Growth – Ability to extend beyond your comfort zone, accept constructive criticism, reflect, and experience personal and professional growth.

Willingness to accept constructive criticism

Ability to reflect on what you have learned, and to conduct an inventory of skills and competencies gained

Ability to extend yourself, take appropriate risks, and experience personal and professional growth

Ability to adapt and learn new skills necessary to being productive

2. Independence – Ability to produce quality work on your own.

Ability to independently formulate research or term paper topics

Ability to gather information through independent research

Ability to engage in independent analysis and communication of results

3. Reflection on Civic Engagement – Reflect on your role in the community and how you can engage in the betterment of your community.

Ability to understand and respect values other than your own

Willingness and ability to be a volunteer in service to your community