Economics courses
These listings only include courses offered in the 2026-27 academic year.
Economics courses
The following courses are offered for the 2026-27 terms.
Summer 2026
| Course number and section | Summer term | Delivery |
| ECON 201/1 EC | All-summer (12 wk) | Online (Moodle) |
| ECON 203/1 EC | All-summer (12 wk) | Online (Moodle) |
| ECON 301/1 AA | Summer 1 (6wk1) | In-person |
| ECON 302/1 CA | Summer 2 (6wk2) | In-person |
| ECON 303/1 AA | Summer 1 (6wk1) | In-person |
| ECON 304/1 CA | Summer 2 (6wk2) | In-person |
| ECON 432(532)/1 AA | Summer 1 (6wk1) | In-person |
| ECON 437(537)/1 CA | Summer 2 (6wk2) | In-person |
| ECON 696/1 BL | All-summer (12 wk) | Blended |
Fall 2026
| Course number and section | Delivery |
| ECON 201/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 201/2 B | In-person |
| ECON 201/2 CC | In-person |
| ECON 201/2 D | In-person |
| ECON 201/2 EC1 | Online (Moodle) |
| ECON 203/2 AA | In-person |
| ECON 203/2 B | In-person |
| ECON 203/2 C | In-person |
| ECON 203/2 EC1 | Online (Moodle) |
| ECON 221/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 221/2 B | In-person |
| ECON 221/2 C | In-person |
| ECON 221/2 D | In-person |
| ECON 221/2 EE | In-person |
| ECON 222/2 AA | In-person |
| ECON 222/2 B | In-person |
| Course number and section | Delivery |
| ECON 301/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 301/2 B |
In-person |
| ECON 301/2 C | In-person |
| ECON 301/2 XX (Optional tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 302/2 D |
In-person |
| ECON 302/2 E | In-person |
| ECON 302/2 XX (Optional tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 303/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 303/2 BB |
In-person |
| ECON 303/2 C | In-person |
| ECON 303/2 XX (Optional tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 304/2 D |
In-person |
| ECON 304/2 E | In-person |
| ECON 304/2 XX (Optional tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 311/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 318/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 318/2 BL1 | Blended |
| ECON 319/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 319/2 BL1 |
Blended |
| ECON 319/2 CC | In-person |
| ECON 324/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 325/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 325/2 XA (Optional tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 361/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 381/2 A | In-person |
| Course number and section | Delivery |
| ECON 401/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 401/2 XA (Optional tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 403/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 403/2 XA (Optional tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 414/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 421/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 421/2 XA (Optional tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 436/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 442/2 BL1 | Blended |
| ECON 443/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 461/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 464/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 481/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 496/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 498/2 A: Economics of Education | In-person |
| ECON 498/2 B: Applied Machine Learning | In-person |
| Course number and section | Delivery |
| ECON 501/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 501/2 XA (Recommended tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 503/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 503/2 XA (Recommended tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 514/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 521/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 521/2 XA (Recommended tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 536/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 542/2 BL1 | Blended |
| ECON 543/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 561/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 564/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 581/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 596/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 598/2 A: Economics of Education | In-person |
| ECON 598/2 B: Applied Machine Learning | In-person |
| Course number and section | Delivery |
| ECON 612/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 612/2 XA (Mandatory tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 615/2 A |
In-person |
| ECON 615/2 XA (Mandatory tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 624/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 680/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 680/2 XA (Mandatory tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 683/2 A | In-person |
| ECON 695/2 A: Health Economics | In-person |
Winter 2027
| Course number and section | Delivery |
| ECON 201/4 EC2 | Online (Moodle) |
| ECON 201/4 F | In-person |
| ECON 201/4 G |
In-person |
| ECON 201/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 203/4 EC2 | Online (Moodle) |
| ECON 203/4 J | In-person |
| ECON 203/4 K |
In-person |
| ECON 203/4 LL | In-person |
| ECON 221/4 F | In-person |
| ECON 221/4 G | In-person |
| ECON 221/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 222/4 J |
In-person |
| ECON 222/4 K | In-person |
| ECON 222/4 L | In-person |
| Course number and section | Delivery |
| ECON 301/4 G | In-person |
| ECON 301/4 H |
In-person |
| ECON 301/4 XY (tutorial - optional) | In-person |
| ECON 302/4 J |
In-person |
| ECON 302/4 K | In-person |
| ECON 302/4 XY (tutorial - optional) | In-person |
| ECON 303/4 G |
In-person |
| ECON 303/4 H |
In-person |
| ECON 303/4 XY (tutorial - optional) | In-person |
| ECON 304/4 J |
In-person |
| ECON 304/4 K | In-person |
| ECON 304/4 XY (tutorial - optional) | In-person |
| ECON 318/4 G | In-person |
| ECON 318/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 319/2 EC2 |
Online |
| ECON 319/4 K | In-person |
| ECON 324/4 H |
In-person |
| ECON 325/4 H |
In-person |
| ECON 325/4 XH (tutorial - optional) | In-person |
| ECON 326/4 H |
In-person |
| ECON 326/4 XH (tutorial - optional) | In-person |
| ECON 331/4 H |
In-person |
| ECON 332/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 340/4 H | In-person |
| Course number and section | Delivery |
| ECON 413/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 421/4 H |
In-person |
| ECON 421/4 XH (Optional tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 422/4 BL2 |
In-person |
| ECON 432/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 433/4 H |
In-person |
| ECON 440/4 BL2 | Blended |
| ECON 483/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 485/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 491/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 497/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 498/4 J: Topic to be announced | In-person |
| ECON 498/4 H: Capstone Research Paper |
In-person |
| Course number and section | Delivery |
| ECON 513/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 521/4 H |
In-person |
| ECON 521/4 XH (Optional tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 522/4 BL2 |
In-person |
| ECON 532/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 533/4 H |
In-person |
| ECON 540/4 BL2 | Blended |
| ECON 583/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 585/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 591/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 597/4 H | In-person |
| ECON 598/4 J: Topic to be announced | In-person |
| ECON 598/4 P: Capstone Research Paper |
In-person |
| Course number and section | Delivery |
| ECON 613/4 B | In-person |
| ECON 613/4 XB (Mandatory tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 616/4 B | In-person |
| ECON 616/4 XB (Mandatory tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 681/4 B | In-person |
| ECON 681/4 XB (Mandatory tutorial) | In-person |
| ECON 695/4 G: Market Design |
In-person |
| ECON 695/4 H: Empirical Industrial Organization | In-person |
| ECON 695/4 J: Applied Machine Learning |
In-person |
Elective courses
The following elective courses are offered for the 2026-27 terms. Please consult the Concordia Class schedule for prerequisites, course delivery and class notes. Kindly note that restrictions apply for access to Economics classes for non-program students.
Summer 2026
ECON 432(532): Monetary Theory
This course examines the nature of the Monetarist-Keynesian controversy and gives a critical appraisal of the IS-LM-AS model. Topics covered may include the term structure of interest rates, post-Keynesian theories of money supply and demand as well as issues in macroeconomic policy theory such as transmission mechanisms, policy coordination and implementation lags, and international constraints.
ECON 437(537): Economics of Public Expenditure
This course examines the economic consequences of public expenditure on the economy. Topics covered include public goods, externalities, the theory of welfare measurement, public investment criteria, pricing policy of public enterprises, public choice and intergovernmental fiscal relations.
Fall 2026
ECON 311: Economic Development
The course investigates comparative economic development, with special attention to problems of capital formation, population growth, quality of labour force, and social and cultural attitudes towards economic modernization. Theories of economic development are evaluated in the context of the realities of historical patterns and the varying degrees of ability to achieve modernization.
ECON 318: Canadian Economic Policy and Institutions
This course focuses on economic policies and institutions related to contemporary issues in the Canadian economy. It also teaches students to write governmental briefing notes on specific policy options. The course is guided by the application of economic principles to current and ongoing issues in Canadian economic policy circles. Topics may include the role of institutions, economic growth, the impact of debt and deficits, unemployment and inflation, demographic trends and immigration policy, climate change and environmental policy, and international and intra-provincial trade.
ECON 319: International Economic Policy and Institutions
This course focuses on economic policies and international institutions related to contemporary issues in the global economy. It also teaches students to write governmental briefing notes on specific policy options. The course is guided by the application of economic principles to current and ongoing issues in international economic policy. Topics may include the role of international institutions (e.g., International Monetary Fund, United Nations), trade liberalization and protectionism, game theory and controversies in trade policies, economic development and reform in developing countries, and financial globalization.
ECON 361: Industrial Organization
This course develops the relationship of the firm to various forms of market structure. The course focuses on the objectives of the corporation, corporate interdependence, and the government control of industry. A study of policy matters centres on anti‑trust and corporate regulation, with respect to both the legislative and economic aspects.
ECON 381: Introduction to Labour Economics
The general objective of this course is to acquaint the student with various theoretical and empirical issues in the area of labour economics. Particular emphasis is placed upon the relation between theoretical frameworks and their empirical counterparts in Canada. Topics include the theory of wage determination, the effects of minimum wages, human capital theory, the economics of discrimination, and the economics of the household.
ECON 414: Economic Development: Policy Analysis
This course offers an advanced treatment of selected topics related to issues in economic development. Particular emphasis is placed on models of growth and structural change, such as the two‑gap model, input‑output analysis, and computable general equilibrium models. Trade and industrial policies, fiscal and financial policies, as well as public‑sector policies including taxation, spending, and cost‑benefit analysis are also discussed.
ECON 436: The Economics of Taxation
This course focuses on the effects of taxation on economic behaviour. Major topics considered include the excess burden of taxation in decisions to supply effort, savings and investment, the incidence of corporate taxation, and the design of commodity taxation. Among policy issues, topics such as tax evasion, and the taxation of multinational enterprises are examined.
ECON 442: International Economics: Trade Theory
This course examines the foundations of international trade, the origins of gains from trade, factor-price equalization, tariffs, Canadian trade policy, the role of trade in development, and economic integration.
ECON 443: International Economics: Finance
This course is an introduction to theory of national income determination in open economies with capital mobility. It includes analyses of balance of payments, exchange rate, and the role of monetary and fiscal policies under different exchange rate regimes. Among other issues covered are international policy coordination, optimum currency areas, and features of the international monetary system.
ECON 461: Industrial Organization
This course examines departures from the perfect competition paradigm to analyze economic behaviour in an industrial setting. An industry consists of a number of firms which interact strategically to maximize their profits. Topics addressed include measures of market structure, theories of oligopoly, effects of potential entry, product differentiation and advertising, technological change, vertical integration, and monopoly and merger issues.
ECON 464: Game Theory, Information, and Economic Modelling
This introductory course on game theory is a collection of mathematical tools to model and analyze strategic interactions in a variety of settings, from economic and social situations to politics and international relations. The course focuses on both non-co-operative and co-operative game theoretic modelling, in particular, strategic and extensive form games, Bayesian games, and coalitional games. Students learn to solve games using the concepts of dominant strategies, Nashequilibrium, subgame perfection, Bayesian equilibrium, and the core. Applications may include repeated games, auctions, bargaining, oligopoly games, entry deterrence, pricing strategies, and collusion.
ECON 481: Labour Economics
The course deals with topics in labour economics using microeconomic concepts such as inter‑temporal decision‑making, uncertainty, moral hazard, adverse selection and market signalling. The following topics are covered: labour supply and demand, wage differentials, human capital theory, efficiency wages and implicit contracts..
ECON 496: Natural Resource Economics
This course focuses on the problems of the finiteness of the natural resources base in Canada and in the world, and on an analysis of the demand for and supply of natural resources and energy. The course also discusses the economic aspects of a selected group of conservation measures (financial incentives, reallocation of property rights, regulation).
ECON 498: Economics of Education
Education is a major driver of private economic gains and productivity growth for society. This course examines how education is produced and its return. Topics covered include the human capital model, the signaling model, returns to education, financial aid, and peer effects.
ECON 498: Applied Machine Learning
This course introduces modern machine learning methods through the lens of causal inference rather than prediction alone. It provides an overview of key ideas in both predictive and causal inference and shows how predictive tools are key ingredients for answering many causal questions. Students learn how tools such as regularization, trees, and ensemble methods can be used to estimate causal effects, uncover treatment heterogeneity, and improve policy evaluation, while respecting the identification principles central to economics.
The emphasis is on conceptual understanding, applied implementation, and interpretation of results rather than algorithmic derivations.
ECON 514: Economic Development: Policy Analysis
This course offers an advanced treatment of selected topics related to issues in economic development. Particular emphasis is placed on models of growth and structural change, such as the two‑gap model, input‑output analysis, and computable general equilibrium models. Trade and industrial policies, fiscal and financial policies, as well as public‑sector policies including taxation, spending, and cost‑benefit analysis are also discussed.
ECON 536: The Economics of Taxation
This course focuses on the effects of taxation on economic behaviour. Major topics considered include the excess burden of taxation in decisions to supply effort, savings and investment, the incidence of corporate taxation, and the design of commodity taxation. Among policy issues, topics such as tax evasion, and the taxation of multinational enterprises are examined.
ECON 542: International Economics: Trade Theory
This course examines the foundations of international trade, the origins of gains from trade, factor-price equalization, tariffs, Canadian trade policy, the role of trade in development, and economic integration.
ECON 543: International Economics: Finance
This course is an introduction to theory of national income determination in open economies with capital mobility. It includes analyses of balance of payments, exchange rate, and the role of monetary and fiscal policies under different exchange rate regimes. Among other issues covered are international policy coordination, optimum currency areas, and features of the international monetary system.
ECON 561: Industrial Organization
This course examines departures from the perfect competition paradigm to analyze economic behaviour in an industrial setting. An industry consists of a number of firms which interact strategically to maximize their profits. Topics addressed include measures of market structure, theories of oligopoly, effects of potential entry, product differentiation and advertising, technological change, vertical integration, and monopoly and merger issues.
ECON 564: Game Theory, Information, and Economic Modelling
This introductory course on game theory is a collection of mathematical tools to model and analyze strategic interactions in a variety of settings, from economic and social situations to politics and international relations. The course focuses on both non-co-operative and co-operative game theoretic modelling, in particular, strategic and extensive form games, Bayesian games, and coalitional games. Students learn to solve games using the concepts of dominant strategies, Nashequilibrium, subgame perfection, Bayesian equilibrium, and the core. Applications may include repeated games, auctions, bargaining, oligopoly games, entry deterrence, pricing strategies, and collusion.
ECON 581: Labour Economics
The course deals with topics in labour economics using microeconomic concepts such as inter‑temporal decision‑making, uncertainty, moral hazard, adverse selection and market signalling. The following topics are covered: labour supply and demand, wage differentials, human capital theory, efficiency wages and implicit contracts.
ECON 596: Natural Resource Economics
This course focuses on the problems of the finiteness of the natural resources base in Canada and in the world, and on an analysis of the demand for and supply of natural resources and energy. The course also discusses the economic aspects of a selected group of conservation measures (financial incentives, reallocation of property rights, regulation).
ECON 598: Economics of Education
Education is a major driver of private economic gains and productivity growth for society. This course examines how education is produced and its return. Topics covered include the human capital model, the signaling model, returns to education, financial aid, and peer effects.
ECON 598: Applied Machine Learning
This course introduces modern machine learning methods through the lens of causal inference rather than prediction alone. It provides an overview of key ideas in both predictive and causal inference and shows how predictive tools are key ingredients for answering many causal questions. Students learn how tools such as regularization, trees, and ensemble methods can be used to estimate causal effects, uncover treatment heterogeneity, and improve policy evaluation, while respecting the identification principles central to economics.
The emphasis is on conceptual understanding, applied implementation, and interpretation of results rather than algorithmic derivations.
ECON 624: Topics in Economic Development:
Why are some countries poor and others rich? What can account for cross-country differences in fertility and mortality rates? In gender gaps, civil war, and school attainment? Why did the industrial revolution start in Europe? Why did Europe colonize the rest of the world, rather than the other way around? Why are some former colonies (e.g., U.S., Canada) so much richer than others (e.g., India and Zimbabwe)? This course presents research which addresses these issues. While emphasis in on theoretical research where overlapping-generations models are used to generate multiple steady-state equilibria, empirical work is also examined.
ECON 683: Applied Econometrics: Microeconometrics
This course provides an introduction to statistical techniques and practical aspects of microeconometric analysis. Topics include binary response models, censored and truncated regression models, analysis of categorical survey data, instrumental variables, treatment effects, panel data models with fixed and random effects, analysis of transition data, estimation by simulation, and estimation of dynamic programming models.
ECON 695 A: Seminar in a Special Topic: Health Economics
The course is divided into two parts: The first part follows the classic textbook approach to Health Economics in order to lay the foundations for the rest of the semester, focusing on the economic evaluation of health, the demand for health services, health insurance markets, and the provision of medical care. The second part reviews seminal papers in economics on the demand for health services from a micro and macro perspective, health inequality, the interaction between uncertainty and health, labour supply, consumption and saving, and economic epidemiology.
Winter 2027
ECON 318: Canadian Economic Policy and Institutions
This course focuses on economic policies and institutions related to contemporary issues in the Canadian economy. It also teaches students to write governmental briefing notes on specific policy options. The course is guided by the application of economic principles to current and ongoing issues in Canadian economic policy circles. Topics may include the role of institutions, economic growth, the impact of debt and deficits, unemployment and inflation, demographic trends and immigration policy, climate change and environmental policy, and international and intra-provincial trade.
ECON 319: International Economic Policy and Institutions
This course focuses on economic policies and international institutions related to contemporary issues in the global economy. It also teaches students to write governmental briefing notes on specific policy options. The course is guided by the application of economic principles to current and ongoing issues in international economic policy. Topics may include the role of international institutions (e.g., International Monetary Fund, United Nations), trade liberalization and protectionism, game theory and controversies in trade policies, economic development and reform in developing countries, and financial globalization.
ECON 331: Money and Banking
This course covers a variety of topics relating to money and the banking system within the Canadian banking institutional framework. This includes the nature, forms and economic role of money; monetary standards; markets, prices and the value of money; the payments system; financial markets; the determinants of the size and distribution of wealth portfolios; the measurement, composition and determinants of the money supply. Other topics may include the economic role of commercial banks and non-bank financial intermediaries, central banking, monetary policy and the international monetary system.
ECON 332: Introductory Financial Economics I
This course is an introduction to investment issues. Topics may include consumption‑savings decision under uncertainty, the allocation of savings from a portfolio perspective, securities markets, the historical record on risk and return, asset‑pricing models, fixed income securities and behavioural finance.
ECON 340: Population Economics
This is a course in the field of applied economics, with a focus on population economics. Topics may include the demographic transition, economic growth, population aging (and its impact on financial markets), health care and pension financing, labour migration, microfinance, environmental consequences, and optimal policy approaches.
ECON 413: Economic Growth and Fluctuations
This course reviews various theories explaining the causes of economic fluctuations and the determinants of economic growth. It also examines issues relevant to macroeconomic stabilization policies.
ECON 432: Monetary Theory
This course examines the nature of the Monetarist-Keynesian controversy and gives a critical appraisal of the IS-LM-AS model. Topics covered may include the term structure of interest rates, post-Keynesian theories of money supply and demand as well as issues in macroeconomic policy theory such as transmission mechanisms, policy coordination and implementation lags, and international constraints.
ECON 433: Financial Economics
This course introduces students to the theory and practice of finance as seen from the economist’s point of view. In particular, it examines the following topics: the theory of decision making under uncertainty; the basic portfolio models, such as the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT); equilibrium aspects of financial markets, such as the role of arbitrage in the pricing of financial assets; the pricing of derivative securities, such as options.
ECON 440: Market Design
This course focuses on the design and analysis of market mechanisms, which are concerned with how to construct rules for allocating resources and how to structure successful marketplaces. It draws on tools of game theory to identify why certain market rules or institutions succeed and why others fail. Topics may include matching markets, auctions, contracts, economic platforms and network effects. The main objectives of this course are to introduce students to some of the fundamental concepts and ideas in the theory of market design and to connect this theory to real‑life markets and to practical aspects of market design policy.
ECON 483: Employment, Earnings and Labour Market Policies
This course covers topics in labour economics from the macroeconomic perspective. The key topics include equilibrium unemployment, job search, wage determination mechanisms, labour income processes and labour mobility. The course also devotes a substantial amount of time to macroeconomic policy issues of the labour markets such as employment insurance, minimum wage and union.
ECON 485: Health Economics
This course introduces students to the role of economics in health, health care, and health policy. It surveys the major topics in health economics and forms an introduction to the ongoing debate over health care policy. Topics include the economic determinants of health, the market for medical care, the market for health insurance, the role of government in health care, and health care reform
ECON 491: Environmental Economics
This course provides a survey, from the perspective of economics, of public issues regarding the use of environmental resources, ecosystems and the management of environmental quality. The course covers both conceptual and methodological topics with recent and current applications. It begins with an introduction to the theory and methods of environmental and natural resource economics and concepts of sustainable development. Then the emphasis is shifted to the optimal use of natural resources, both non‑renewable resources (mineral and energy) and renewable resources, and the valuation of environmental resources. The last part of the course examines national and international environmental policy issues, including intergenerational equity and environmental ethics.
ECON 497: Income Distribution and Economic Inequality
This course examines the extent and dimensions of economic inequality among households both domestically and internationally. Topics covered include theories of income inequality, wealth inequality, recent trends in polarization, poverty, intergenerational bequests, the welfare state, and the role of government economic policy.
ECON 498 Advanced Topics: Capstone Research Paper
This course provides a hands-on introduction to economic research. It guides students through the process of conducting independent empirical research in economics based on their interests, with the ultimate goal of producing a complete research paper. The course is organized around the steps involved in conducting research such as formulating a clear research question, searching and reviewing the relevant literature, designing an appropriate econometric strategy, finding data, and writing about research. Through this course, students gain the opportunity to apply the skills developed throughout the program, paving the way for success in both academic and professional endeavors within the field.
ECON 498 Advanced Topics: Experimental and Behavioral Economics
The objective of the course is to introduce undergraduate students to the basic methodology of experimental economics and discuss its applications across a range of areas, including market competition, behavioral game theory, financial economics, auctions, and individual decision-making.
ECON 498 Advanced Topics: Topic to be confirmed
This course topic will be confirmed in Fall 2026.
ECON 513: Economic Growth and Fluctuations
This course reviews various theories explaining the causes of economic fluctuations and the determinants of economic growth. It also examines issues relevant to macroeconomic stabilization policies.
ECON 532: Monetary Theory
This course examines the nature of the Monetarist-Keynesian controversy and gives a critical appraisal of the IS-LM-AS model. Topics covered may include the term structure of interest rates, post-Keynesian theories of money supply and demand as well as issues in macroeconomic policy theory such as transmission mechanisms, policy coordination and implementation lags, and international constraints.
ECON 533: Financial Economics
This course introduces students to the theory and practice of finance as seen from the economist’s point of view. In particular, it examines the following topics: the theory of decision making under uncertainty; the basic portfolio models, such as the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT); equilibrium aspects of financial markets, such as the role of arbitrage in the pricing of financial assets; the pricing of derivative securities, such as options.
ECON 540: Market Design
This course focuses on the design and analysis of market mechanisms, which are concerned with how to construct rules for allocating resources and how to structure successful marketplaces. It draws on tools of game theory to identify why certain market rules or institutions succeed and why others fail. Topics may include matching markets, auctions, contracts, economic platforms and network effects. The main objectives of this course are to introduce students to some of the fundamental concepts and ideas in the theory of market design and to connect this theory to real‑life markets and to practical aspects of market design policy.
ECON 583: Employment, Earnings and Labour Market Policies
This course covers topics in labour economics from the macroeconomic perspective. The key topics include equilibrium unemployment, job search, wage determination mechanisms, labour income processes and labour mobility. The course also devotes a substantial amount of time to macroeconomic policy issues of the labour markets such as employment insurance, minimum wage and union.
ECON 585: Health Economics
This course introduces students to the role of economics in health, health care, and health policy. It surveys the major topics in health economics and forms an introduction to the ongoing debate over health care policy. Topics include the economic determinants of health, the market for medical care, the market for health insurance, the role of government in health care, and health care reform
ECON 591: Environmental Economics
This course provides a survey, from the perspective of economics, of public issues regarding the use of environmental resources, ecosystems and the management of environmental quality. The course covers both conceptual and methodological topics with recent and current applications. It begins with an introduction to the theory and methods of environmental and natural resource economics and concepts of sustainable development. Then the emphasis is shifted to the optimal use of natural resources, both non‑renewable resources (mineral and energy) and renewable resources, and the valuation of environmental resources. The last part of the course examines national and international environmental policy issues, including intergenerational equity and environmental ethics.
ECON 597: Income Distribution and Economic Inequality
This course examines the extent and dimensions of economic inequality among households both domestically and internationally. Topics covered include theories of income inequality, wealth inequality, recent trends in polarization, poverty, intergenerational bequests, the welfare state, and the role of government economic policy.
ECON 598 Advanced Topics: Experimental and Behavioral Economics
The objective of the course is to introduce undergraduate students to the basic methodology of experimental economics and discuss its applications across a range of areas, including market competition, behavioral game theory, financial economics, auctions, and individual decision-making.
ECON 598 Advanced Topics: Topic to be confirmed
This course topic will be confirmed in Fall 2026.
ECON 695 G Seminar in a Special Topic: Market Design
This course examines the design and analysis of markets that require a selection process and do not rely on prices. To understand how the organization of such markets affects their performance, several centrally administered mechanisms and their properties are discussed, including those used in real-world marketplaces. The course also explores the interplay between theory and practice, with applications to labor market clearinghouses, school choice programs, and the allocation of organs for transplantation.
ECON 695 H Seminar in a Special Topic: Empirical Industrial Organization
This course emphasizes the importance of combining economic theory and econometric techniques to answer empirical questions in Industrial Organization. It studies the specification and estimation of models of consumer and firm behaviour in oligopoly industries with the aim of understanding and quantifying firms’ market power and its sources, the determinants of market structure, or the implications of exogenous technological and institutional factors on consumer and social welfare in a particular industry. Recent studies that have applied these models and techniques in the context of specific industries are examined in details.
ECON 695 J Seminar in a Special Topic: Applied Machine Learning
This course aims to introduce students to machine learning methods and their applications in economics. Our focus will be on supervised machine learning with an emphasis on predictive methods. We will cover learning methods such as regression and classification in high dimension, splines, tree-based methods, support vector machine and deep learning. Some aspects of causal machine learning will also be covered.
Course delivery definitions
In person
Indicated with a room number in the course schedule.
Students meet with the instructor each week on campus for teaching activities during regularly scheduled hours. The main lecture sessions may be supplemented with labs or tutorials, which may take place in person.
Blended
Indicated with the code BL in the course schedule, with a room number for the in-person activities.
Students and the instructor alternate between synchronous face-to-face, on-campus classes and asynchronous course work guided by the instructor and completed by you on your own time. A course is considered blended when 25 to 75 per cent of the course activities, excluding exams, are carried out asynchronously.
Online
Indicated with the code EC in the course schedule.
In the vast majority of cases, students and the instructor do not meet in person, since learning activities happen online through eConcordia or Moodle. Activities are usually asynchronous, but many courses do involve synchronous or even in-person activities.
