Two new courses are being offered next semester in the Department of Business & Economics, Game Theory and Health Economics. These classes count towards the BUS and ECON majors, and the ECON minor as 200-level electives.
ECON*290-00 Health Economics: A study of the economics of health behavior and related public health issues. Topics include health disparities, social determinants of health, the impact of education and income on health, the influence of insurance on health outcomes and decisions, health policy and regulation, and the economics of risky health behaviors. Students apply economic tools to evaluate the problems and policies associated with these topics and their broader economic implications within the context of health and healthcare.
ECON*291-00 Game Theory: The study of strategic interactions. Game theory has revolutionized the study of many disciplines, including business, economics, and politics, and can be used to understand any situation in which strategic decision-makers interact, such as contracting, cartel behavior, nuclear deterrence, and sports. Choices made by a player in a game influence the player’s own outcome and the outcomes of others. Therefore, the best strategy for one player depends on other players’ choices. Students learn how to analyze real-life scenarios as games and predict actions taken by rational people in these complex situations.