The Money and Financial Markets Option explores the complex and interdependent nature of money and financial markets. You will develop institutional knowledge and analytical skills to understand the role of the financial system in society, fluctuations and risk in asset markets, including those for bonds, stocks, and currency, and how financial derivatives, such as futures, options, and swaps contracts, can be used to hedge risk. You will also study the conduct and implications of monetary policy, exploring the merits of quantitative easing, macro-prudential policy aimed at reducing systemic risk, and other key issues involving the role of the state in the financial system. By training your mind to identify and think through problems, the economics Bachelor of Arts degree provides a powerful platform for launching careers in almost all walks of life. However, the option is designed for students wanting careers in the financial services sector – including commercial and investment banking, financial trading, security analysis, portfolio management, and financial advising – and in the government sector, especially at the Federal Reserve System, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and U.S. departments of Treasury, Commerce, and State. The option is also recommended for students considering graduate education in finance, economics, and law.
A. Required courses
- ECON 635: Money and Banking
- *ACFI 703: International Financial Management
B. Complete one of the following courses
- ECON 736: Seminar in Monetary Theory and Policy
- ECON 746: International Finance
- *ACFI 702: Investments Analysis
- *ACFI 705: Financial Institutions
C. Complete one ECON elective (can be from the lists above or any 4-credit ECON course numbered 515 or higher)
*Satisfies the requirement of the option, but does not count toward the four-elective requirement of the Bachelor of Arts in Economics major.