You are in the official 2000-2001 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
Minor in Economics
Minor in International Political
Economy
Subject Matter Preparation
for
Single Subject Teaching Credential in Social Science
James M. Cypher, Chair
Robert J. Allison
Paul D. Bush
Sasan Fayazmanesh
Scott D. Houser
Don R. Leet
Linda J. Shaffer
John A. Shaw Jr.
The faculty of the department is staffed by professors whose primary
professional commitment is to undergraduate education. Every member participates
in the full range of teaching assignments from moderate sized sections of
economics principles to small, upper-division classes (averaging 16 students).
They offer a wide variety of courses ranging from the traditional core of
intermediate micro and macroeconomic theory to problem-oriented courses,
such as the economics of ecology, population, and government regulation.
The background of the faculty, like its program offerings, represents a
broad spectrum of intellectual tastes and professional specialties.
Economics is the social science that studies the way in which societies are organized to produce the goods and services that sustain and enhance the life processes of the community. As a fundamental scientific discipline, economics employs systematic analysis in the study of the production and distribution of income within and among nations. Since all social policy issues in modern societies have an economic dimension, the study of economics offers the student an opportunity to investigate the most important and exciting problems of political economy facing the world today.
Such topics as inflation, unemployment, business cycles, international trade and finance, and development have long been within the province of economics. More recently, the economic way of thinking has been extended to other areas. Economic theories have been used to explain crime rates, birth rates, class conflict, pollution, marriage decisions, migration, and many other topics involving human behavior.
Economics majors acquire skills in critical and analytical thinking that contribute to an individual's intellectual independence and self-confidence in the problem-solving processes. In addition, economics majors confront the necessity of developing a broad view of the options facing humankind in organizing the production and distribution of income. The literature of economics presents widely diverse systems of political economic philosophy. The department offers a well-developed and balanced curriculum.
The program in economics is designed to give the student maximum flexibility.
A typical economics major might take courses in intermediate macroeconomic
theory and statistics while also learning about global corporations in the
third world, or the regional economy, or pursue an independent study project
on the foundations of supply-side economics. The economics major is designed
to permit the student to pursue a broad liberal arts undergraduate degree,
integrating the study of economics with other social sciences, humanities,
natural sciences, and business administration.
Graduates of the department pursue a variety of challenging careers in
industry, finance, education, and government. The economics B.A. degree
is an excellent foundation for graduate study in public administration and
business. The undergraduate major in economics has also proved to be an
ideal prelaw major. The faculty provides counseling on legal careers to
students interested in this career option. A number of distinguished attorneys
are graduates of the department.
Careers for professional economists fall into the following patterns:
