ECON BC3xxx: Topics in Money and Finance

Instructor: Perry Mehrling

Spring 2005

Content: This course investigates a range of classic questions in monetary economics, mainly from the perspective of modern finance but embracing a range of methodological approaches (historical and institutional, theoretical and empirical). Topics will include, but not be limited to: inside and outside money, financial crisis and hyperinflation, central banking, the payments system, liquidity and market making, monetary policy and exchange rates.

Prerequisites: Intermediate Microeconomics, and Intermediate Macroeconomics. It will be helpful, but not essential, if students also have some background in either money or finance, either practical experience (such as an internship) or coursework (such as Economics of Money and Banking, or Economics of Finance).

Requirements: The course will be run as a lecture-seminar hybrid, with a typical week involving a lecture on Monday and student presentations on Wednesday, both of which will involve also classroom discussion. Presentations and discussion will be worth 30% and 20% of the final grade respectively. The remaining half of the course grade will come from a 10-15 page final paper on an approved topic.

Limited Enrollment: To facilitate discussion, enrollment will be limited to 25.