Browse all Economics courses →
Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison
GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.
Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.
No released grades for this term.
69 courses
Analyzes aggregate growth, income distribution, and poverty in lower-income economies, exploring why some individuals advance economically while others fall behind.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Laura Schechter
The class was manageable with effort, and everything needed for assessments was covered in lectures or readings. Grading expectations were clear and fair, though the material was not considered easy.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Environmental Economics applies microeconomic principles to natural resources like air, water, forests, and energy, examining pollution control and preservation versus development.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Corbett Grainger
The course required minimal reading and relied heavily on PowerPoint slides. Exams were described as challenging but fair, with one student noting the material was not easy but manageable.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Interdepartmental seminar in African studies topics involving interdisciplinary inquiry in African societies and cultures.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2025–Spring 2025 · limited sampleSeminar on social and economic factors relating to stability, growth, and change in non-Western areas of the contemporary world.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2025 · limited samplePrinciples of Microeconomics covers economic problems of individuals, firms, and industries, emphasizing value, price, and income distribution.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Gregory Pac
Gregory Pac’s course included five midterms with the lowest score dropped. Some students found the midterms difficult to study for, noting that practice questions did not always match the exam style.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to macroeconomic measurement, aggregate demand and supply models, and the role of fiscal and monetary policy in addressing unemployment, inflation, and economic growth.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Gwen Eudey
Exams consisted of multiple choice and free response questions, and students were allowed to use a cheat sheet. Homework was generally easy, with many answers provided in discussion sections.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Quantitative Tools for Economics refines math skills for advanced econ, applying algebra, financial mathematics, and calculus to models and optimization problems.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Rebecca Glawtschew
The workload was considered reasonable, and the class was generally easy if taken seriously, though exams required preparation.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Internship in economics related field. Students must be declared in the Economics major.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Directed study covering topics at the elementary undergraduate level, arranged individually with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Intermediate Microeconomic Theory covering contemporary theory of consumption, production, pricing, and resource allocation.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Rebecca Glawtschew
The class involves weekly problem sets that can be long and challenging, alongside a 75-minute lecture format that delivers a high volume of information.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Intermediate macroeconomic theory covering national income determination, savings, consumption, investment, and their relation to employment, inflation, and stabilization.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Simeon Alder, Ananth Seshadri
Simeon Alder’s exams featured chain-linked questions with no margin for error, while Ananth Seshadri’s exams were described as harder than any advanced economics course. Seshadri’s exams were extremely difficult but came with a generous curve.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Statistics: Measurement in Economics introduces analysis of economic data using descriptive statistics and statistical inference, including hypothesis testing and estimation for economic research.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · David Hansen
David Hansen's midterms were very hard, making up 30% of the grade with the option to drop one. The final exam was described as grueling, though homework and Stata assignments were considered easy.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Advanced treatment of intermediate macroeconomic theory using a mathematical approach to national income, savings, consumption, investment, employment, inflation, and stabilization.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Simeon Alder
The course required significant effort with a large volume of homework, including proof and Excel assignments. Students reported the derivations and overall workload were demanding, with one noting it was among the hardest classes they had taken.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Examines historical and contemporary causes of racial and ethnic economic inequality in the U.S., covering healthcare, education, labor, housing, wealth, and criminal justice.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Rodney Stevenson
Exams were long, written essays, but students who attended class found they had everything needed in their notes to succeed.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2025–Spring 2026 · limited sampleExplores China's economic reforms, growth, institutions, global integration via trade and finance, and challenges like inequality and sustainability.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2025–Spring 2026 · limited sampleIntroduction to applied econometrics covering statistical methods for evaluating empirical relationships and testing economic theory, with emphasis on applying these methods to real-world data using modern statistical software.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Christopher McKelvey
McKelvey's course included problem sets and exams; he said exams were hard but curved them.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introductory Econometrics covers statistical methods for applied economic research, including survey methods, multiple regression, ANOVA, econometric estimation, and forecasting.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Christopher McKelvey
The course was conceptually challenging, with problem sets serving as excellent preparation for exams. Students noted that weekly homeworks did not take too long to complete.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Analyzes public sector problems in education, urban areas, welfare, natural resources, and environment, applying economic analysis tools to domestic issues.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Rebecca Glawtschew
The course did not assign much homework, but students emphasized that attending lectures was necessary for success. Weekly problem sets and chapter study guides served as the main preparation for tests.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Addresses current issues in modern macroeconomic policymaking, covering fiscal and monetary policy, financial and sovereign debt crises, and financial regulation.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Menzie Chinn
Exams and homework were described as predictable and similar to problem sets, yet one student reported tests were extremely difficult with class averages around 45%.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2025Examines economic and institutional forces determining labor supply/demand, covering wage theories, unemployment, labor mobility, and market functioning.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Chao FU
Students found exams challenging, noting they were harder than class practice or handouts and required a deeper understanding than repeat homework problems.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Behavioral Economics examines empirical departures from rational decision-making norms and alternative theories using psychological enrichments, covering topics like loss aversion and time-inconsistent preferences.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Matt Friedman
One student estimated that the reading alone took at least five hours per week, noting that the assignments were extensive even if they rarely appeared on exams.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Industrial Structure and Competitive Strategy analyzes firm competition and industrial structure using theoretical models and case studies.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Raymond Deneckere
A student reported two weekly homework assignments involving reading 28-53 pages of material, each typically taking at least two hours. The final paper demanded extensive industry analysis and was considered the most challenging aspect.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Covers international macroeconomics, focusing on the exchange of financial instruments like currencies and bonds, and analyzing how national policies create spillover effects in global markets.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Stella Chan
The course involved a heavy volume of content and formulas that students were expected to memorize. Some found the first month particularly intense, while others noted that missing a lecture made catching up difficult.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Examines laboratory and field experiments for economic questions, focusing on experiment design, result interpretation, and applications in policy, development, markets, and behavior.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · David Hansen
The course structure made the material unnecessarily confusing, and the instructor seemed to have trouble getting to the root of the papers.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2025–Spring 2026 · limited sampleIntroduction to data underlying quantitative economic analysis. Covers formulating research questions, accessing economic data sources, conducting preliminary and formal analysis, and reporting findings professionally.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · John Brauer
A student described the class as essentially coding econometrics in Python with almost no code explanation, finding it impossible without prior CS220 and econometrics training.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Honors tutorial where students criticize research, draft a proposal, and complete an original research project in economics.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Corina Mommaerts
Previous economic coding requirements were noted as not adequately preparing students for this class.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sampleHONORS THESIS: Students will work on their honor thesis.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Investigates how markets allocate scarce resources through prices, rationing, search, matching, auctions, and contests, using real-world examples and formal theoretical models.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Daniel Quint
The course placed a heavy emphasis on mathematical content, which could be challenging for students who are not strong in math.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2026 · limited sampleSenior Honors Thesis is a course in which students conduct faculty-guided, honors-level original research.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
A course covering topics in economic theory and policy.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Fran Flanagan
The workload included five short homework assignments, one midterm, one final, and a final paper, with homework taking about an hour each.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026