98-99 University Bulletin Entry for:


Graduate School of International Economics and Finance

(file last updated: [8/10/1998 - 15:24:37])


Objectives

The Graduate School of International Economicsand Finance is designed to help students recognize and respondto the challenges of an expanding global marketplace. Each ofthe programs in the school is structured to train students tohelp decision-makers in business and government address the complexresponsibilities they face in their professional environments.

The Lemberg M.A. Program in InternationalEconomics and Finance offers an innovative, two-year professionalMaster of Arts degree for students planning careers with corporations,financial institutions, government, and international organizations.The program integrates management and international relationsperspectives; it addresses the practical tools of internationalfinance as well as the economic and political forces that shapeworld commerce. One semester of the program is spent abroad atone of 20 affiliated universities in Europe, Latin America, orthe Far East.

An accelerated, one-year track of the LembergM.A. degree exists for midcareer professionals and other individualswith substantial related work experience. The one-year programbegins annually in September and end in August of the followingyear.

Students in the M.B.A. International (MBAi)receive in-depth training in technical analysis and strategicissues, and gain an understanding of managerial issues. As inthe Lemberg M.A. program, they must show mastery of a major languageother than English and spend a semester studying outside of theUnited States. During their studies, they work in multiculturalteams; emphasis is placed in acquiring an appreciation for internationaldifferences in values and behavior, which are critically importantin today's workplace. The curriculum consists of three semesters(12 courses) at Brandeis and one semester (4 courses) abroad.

The M.S. in Finance (MSF) is a 10 course,part-time program that provides rigorous training in the quantitativeand analytical tools of modern finance with an emphasis on internationalapplications. There are five core courses in the MSF program withthe other five being selected from the broad array of GraduateSchool electives in International Finance and International Business.This unique program, designed to accommodate the schedule of workingprofessionals, offers year-round evening courses. It may be completedwithin five semesters.

The internationally focused curriculum, languagerequirement, study abroad component, and multicultural aspectsof the Brandeis MBA distinguish it sharply from "generic"MBA degrees. MBAi students receive training in all the major subjectsincluded in a traditional MBA, such as economics, accounting,control, finance, marketing, operations, organizational behavior,and business policy. But they learn these subjects in an internationalcontext; case examples are derived from international firms, andanalytical models involve international applications.

The Ph.D. Program in International Economicsand Finance provides advanced training in economic theory, researchtechniques, and creative problem-solving in an integrated globaleconomic framework. Concentrations are limited to four specialfields: international trade, international finance, internationalbusiness, and development/transition economics. Analytical andproblem-solving skills are fostered through involvement in appliedresearch, internships, and focused workshops in a flexible, small-groupenvironment. The training prepares students for careers in teaching,research, and policy-making in business, government, internationalagencies, and academia. The program requires two years of coursework, qualifying examinations, and an original thesis.

Combined B.A./M.A. Program

Brandeis undergraduate students may applyfor admission to the Lemberg M.A. Program in the spring of theirjunior year and begin taking program courses in their senior year.Students entering as undergraduates can satisfy the master's degreerequirements in one additional year of study after receiving theB.A. degree; five years of study at Brandeis University is normallyrequired. One year of residence as a graduate student is required.

Further information regarding requirementsand applications is available from the International Economicsand Finance School office (Sachar 121).


How to Be Admitted to the Graduate School

The general requirements for admission tothe Graduate School of Arts and Sciences apply to candidates foradmission to the programs in international economics and finance.For the Lemberg M.A. degree program, either GMAT or GRE scoresare required. For the MBAi program and the MSF, GMAT scores arerequired. For the Ph.D. program, GRE scores (both the generaland economics tests) must be submitted. An undergraduate concentrationin economics is not required for either master's degree or Ph.D.programs, but applicants are expected to have a background ineconomics and related analytical subjects. For admission to themaster's degree program, undergraduate work should include coursesin introductory economics and international relations. In additionto the above courses, a course in intermediate macroeconomicsand some exposure to differential, integral, and multivariatecalculus, and linear algebra is also required for Ph.D. candidates.Applicants to the M.A. degree program and the MBAi program shouldalso have attained some proficiency in at least one major foreignlanguage. MBAi and MSF applicants should have two to three yearsprofessional experience.


Faculty

Peter Petri, Dean

International trade. Development. Japan.Asia-Pacific.

F. Trenery Dolbear, Director of Admissions

Macroeconomics. Theory and computer simulations.

Michael Plummer, Director of Lemberg Program

International trade and finance. Regionaleconomic integration. International development (particularlyASEAN).

Rachel McCulloch, Director of Ph.D. Program

International trade theory. Trade policy.Macroeconomic coordination. Investment and technology transfer.

Anne Carter

Technological change. Input/output.

Atreya Chakraborty

Investment. Corporate finance. Economicsof regulation and antitrust.

Robert Evans, Jr.

Japan. Labor. Economic history.

Benjamin Gomes-Casseres

International business and corporate alliance.

Paul Harrison

Applied time-series econometrics. Financialeconomics. History of economic thought. Macroeconomics.

Jane Hughes

Domestic and international cash management.Third world debt, sovereign risk, and foreign exchange markets.

Adam Jaffe

Technology. Economic growth. Industrial organization.

Gary Jefferson

China. Technical progress. Open economy macroeconomics.

Henry Kim

International finance. Open-market macroeconomics.International trade and financial economics.

M. Ayhan Kose

Open economy macroeconomics. Internationaleconomics and applied time series analysis.

Julie Nelson

Economics of the household. Demand analysis.Feminist theory. Economic methodology. Public economics. Development.

Barney Schwalberg

Russia. Labor. Education.


Requirements for the Degree of Masterof Arts

Students must successfully complete an approvedschedule of at least 12 courses during their three terms of residencyat Brandeis. This includes six required courses and the remainderfrom a list of approved electives. Students must also successfullycomplete an approved schedule of courses during one term of studyat an affiliated foreign university.

The one-year and two-year tracks have thesame course and language requirements. The major difference isthat the one-year track does not require study abroad, since thecandidates' prior background is assumed to include equivalentinternational experience. Students in the one-year track takeeight semester courses during the regular academic year and completethe last four courses in the following summer, in a speciallytailored program.

Residence Requirements

Two years of full­time study will normallybe required. One term of study will be spent at a foreign universityassociated with the program. For one-year M.A. degree candidates,12 months of residence as a graduate student is required. ForB.A./M.A. degree candidates, one year of residence as a graduatestudent is required.

Language Requirement

Candidates will be required to demonstratea high level of proficiency in one priority foreign language.

Internship

Students are encouraged to serve as internswith a business or governmental agency in the summer followingtheir first year of study.

Project

An optional master's project involving athesis or a report on an appropriate internship may be submittedno later than April 15 of the year in which the degree is to beconferred. One-year program students are required to submit amaster's project during the final stage of their coursework.


Requirements for the Degree of Masterof Science in Finance

Program of Study

Students must successfully complete an approvedschedule of 10 courses. There are five required courses: IEF 206a(Analysis of Financial Institutions), IEF 207a (Capital Markets),IEF 208a (Risk Management), IEF 253a (International Macroeconomics:Trends and Implications), and IEF 285b (Quantitative Analysisfor Finance). The remaining five courses must be fulfilled froma list of approved electives.

Residence Requirement

Students are expected to complete the requirementsat their own pace. Full-time residency is not required. However,students are normally required to complete their requirementswith four calendar years after beginning work in the program.


Requirements for the Degree of Masterof Business Administration International

Program of Study

Students must successfully complete a minimumof 12 semester-equivalent courses during their three terms ofresidency at Brandeis. At least nine and one-half semester-coursecredits must be taken within a required set of subject areas:Economic Environment of Business (one semester-course credit),Economics of the Firm (one-half semester-courses credit), QuantitativeMethods (one semester-course credit), Accounting and Control (onesemester-course credit), Finance (two semester-course credits),Marketing (one-half semester-course credit), Operations (one-halfsemester-course credit), Organizational Behavior (one semester-coursecredit), and Business Policy (two semester-course credits). Theremaining two and one-half semester-course credits must come froman approved list of electives.

Residence Requirement

Two years of full-time study are required.One term of study will be spent at a foreign business school associatedwith the program.

Language Requirement

Candidates are required to demonstrate ahigh level of proficiency in one priority foreign language.

Internship

Students are encouraged to serve as internswith a business in the summer following their first year of study.

Project

An optional masterís project involvinga thesis or a report on an appropriate internship may be submittedno later than April 15 of the year in which the degree is to beconferred.


Requirements for the Degree of Doctorof Philosophy

Requirements for the degree are defined interms of successful completion of formal coursework, outstandingperformance in examinations designed to measure field competence,and substantive research activities. Students are expected tomaster the content of seven core courses (in the subjects of microeconomics,macroeconomics, econometrics, and finance). Normally, studentswill enroll in these courses during their first two years andpass a written general qualifying exam covering the core subjects.In addition to the core requirements, students must also takecourses and pass oral exams in two of the four following fieldsof concentration:

1. international trade

2. international finance

3. international business

4. development/transition economics

After core and exam requirements are substantiallycompleted, Ph.D. students, in residence, are required to enrollin IEF 399a or 399b (Topics in International Economics and Finance).This workshop provides opportunities for students to hear researchpresentations by faculty members and visitors, present papersin progress, and define thesis objectives.

Residence Requirement

Although there is a three-year minimum residencerequirement, four years of full-time graduate study are usuallyrequired for the Ph.D.

Language Requirement

While there is no formal language requirement,students are strongly encouraged to develop a reading knowledgeof a second major foreign language.

Core and Field Examinations

Each candidate for the Ph.D. must pass awritten examination, offered annually, covering the core requiredsubjects. Students must also pass oral examinations in two ofthe four fields of concentration described earlier. The purposeof the examination is to demonstrate competence in a broad specialtyto the examining committee. The field examinations are offeredas required.

Research Experience and Thesis

Students are expected to participate in oneor more applied research projects during the first two years ofstudy. A critical paper that analyzes the objectives and methodsof at least one such research project or, alternatively, a substantiveoriginal research paper, is required in addition to the qualifyingfield examinations.

Dissertation and Defense

All candidates for the Ph.D. will submita dissertation in a form approved by his or her dissertation directorand by a committee appointed by the chair of graduate studies.The student will defend the dissertation at a Final Oral Examination.


Special Notes Relating to the GraduatePrograms

The Graduate School of International Economicsand Finance provides some financial support, which may includetuition scholarships, research or teaching assistantships, andinstitutional loans. Aid is based on merit and need and is alsoavailable to students from abroad. American and Canadian applicantsfor aid must file a FAFSA form. Students from other countriesmust complete the financial aid form for international studentsthat is part of the school's application. The M.A. degree programrequires parents' information for all dependent students, regardlessof age, and all independent students under 24. Students who failto provide parental information may jeopardize their considerationfor institutional aid.

In addition to the courses listed below,IEF students may take courses in the Department of Economics orother departments at Brandeis. A full list of non-IEF coursesapplicable to the degree is available in the Graduate School ofInternational Economics and Finance catalog.


Courses of Instruction


(200 and above) Primarily for GraduateStudents

IEF 200f Fundamentals of Microeconomics

Only open to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Designed for first year M.A. students. Anintroduction to key theoretical concepts in microeconomics. Calculuswill only be used in a very limited number of cases. Emphasizestopics important in other IEF classes, such as Financial Theoryor International Trade. Some material is applicable to coursesin Business Strategy. Usually offered every year.

Staff

IEF 201f Fundamentals of Macroeconomics

Only open to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Prepares students for more advanced macroeconomicsclasses by providing the basic building blocks for a thoroughunderstanding of current macroeconomic issues. Usually offeredevery year.

Staff

IEF 202b International Macroeconomics

Reviews standard international macroeconomics,including balance of payments accounting, PPP and interest parity,and the Mundell­Fleming paradigm. Advanced topics includespeculative attacks against fixed exchange rate regimes, modelsof target zone, and stopping hyperinflations. Usually offeredevery year.

Mr. Plummer

IEF 204a Accounting and Financial Analysis

Prerequisite: ECON 2a. This course maynot be taken for credit by students who have received credit forECON 12a.

Introduction to basic accounting principles,including analysis of financial statements using case studies.Develops fundamental concepts and accounts and applies them toincome measurement, capital values, and costs, with a focus oninternational accounting issues. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Hughes

IEF 205a Financial Theory

Topics related to financial economics, includinginvestors' attitudes toward risk, portfolio selection, asset pricingmodels (Capital Asset Pricing Model and the Arbitrage PricingModel), options and future markets, the efficient market hypothesis,and the determinants of a firm's financial structure. Usuallyoffered every year.

Mr. Chakraborty

IEF 206a Analysis of Financial Institutions

Develops a framework for understanding themajor institutions of capital markets, such as banks, money managers,pension funds and insurance companies, and their role in financingbusiness enterprises. Examines relevant accounting techniquessuch as financial statement analysis, income measurement, andaccrual accounting. Presents valuation methods and key regulatoryprinciples and institutions. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Harrison and Ms. Hughes

IEF 207a Capital Markets

Discusses the operation of capital marketsfrom the perspective of investments (buy side) and corporate finance(sell side). Examines how investors construct portfolios consistingof securities with differing risk and return characteristics.Reviews the capital budgeting and financing decisions of largemodern firms, including opportunities of doing business overseas.Concludes with a major valuation project that integrates students'work in different aspects of finance. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Chakraborty and Staff

IEF 208a Risk Management

Covers methods of evaluating and controllingrisk in financial portfolios and enterprises. Examines methodsfor internal monitoring and managing exposure to various typesof risk, compliance with regulatory requirements and processes,and financial engineering techniques for managing risk, includingthe use of derivative securities. Usually offered every year.

Mr. D'Vari

IEF 210b International Corporate Finance

(Formerly IEF 111a)

Prerequisite: IEF 205a.

Analysis of the exposure of the multinationalfirm from accounting and economic perspectives, survey of investmentfinance, and other international operations. Usually offered everyyear.

Staff

IEF 211b Case Studies in InternationalFinance

Analysis of international corporate financeusing case studies in the areas of foreign exchange exposure management,corporate capital transactions, foreign investment analysis, internationalbanking, and investment banking. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Hughes

IEF 212f Cases in International FinancialManagement

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

This course is designed to familiarize studentswith case method of analysis. The second is to stimulate creativethinking and discussions about key topics in international finance:foreign direct investment and financing decisions, foreign exchangerisk management, and multimarket global management. Usually offeredevery year.

Ms. Hughes

IEF 214a Financial Strategies

Focuses on the techniques used by financialpractitioners to understand and then enhance shareholder value.Students taking the course will improve their skills in financialstatement analysis, analyze alternative methods of valuation analysis,and examine an array of asset and liability restructuring techniquesused by corporate managers and investment bankers to boost shareholdervalue. Usually offered every year.

Staff

IEF 215b Options and Derivatives

Examines financial innovations in the securitiesmarket including futures and forward contracts, options, and swaps.Valuation of these contracts and their use as dynamic hedginginstruments will be examined in detail. The role of secondarymortgage markets and the various derivative mortgage productswill also be analyzed in the context of asset-backed lending.Usually offered every year.

Mr. Chakraborty

IEF 216b Corporate Financial Operations

Focuses on the techniques used by corporatefinancial managers to assure liquidity and to minimize the riskof bankruptcy. In addition to liquidity assessment, we examineinvestment of surplus funds, cash management, risk management,credit and accounts receivables analysis, inventory management,and short-term financing alternatives. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Alt

IEF 218f Foreign Exchange Markets

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Aims to provide a systematic understandingof foreign exchange markets. The topics include participants anduses of foreign exchange markets; determination and forecastingof foreign exchange rates; and forwards, futures, swaps, and options.Concludes with several sessions using a computerized foreign exchangetrading simulation program. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Hughes

IEF 219f International Banking

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Provides a survey of international banking.Topics will include structures and functions of global banks,financial innovations, syndications, offshore banking centers,supervision, and risk analysis. Students will use case studiesand will form teams to perform a country analysis project. Usuallyoffered every year.

Ms. Hughes

IEF 220b International Management

Examines the international environment andthe nature and form of international business arrangements, withspecial focus upon the strategic management of multinational enterprises.Reviews relevant trade and investment theories, develops casestudies in the management of key functional areas (finance, production,marketing, and human resources), and concludes with concepts ofstrategic planning. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Rugman

IEF 221b Laboratory in International Business

Covers the internationalization of U.S. businessthrough direct observation and participation in decisions facedby area companies. Some students research case studies describingthe past export experiences of companies, while others prepareconsultant reports for companies that are currently developinginternationalization strategies. Students work independently insmall teams supervised by faculty. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Ruth

IEF 222f Law of International Transactions

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Examines the legal regimes governing internationalfinancial transactions. Reviews legal nomenclature, the formationand performance of contracts, and legal structures affecting financialrights and interests. Various instruments will be discussed, includingletters of credit, loan and security documents, prospectuses,and underwriting agreements. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Mirfendereski

IEF 223b Fixed Income Securities

Focuses on capital markets and, in particular,analysis of debt securities and markets, conventions, mathematics,and relative valuation. Emphasis is placed on factors determiningmarket expected yields such as default risk, liquidity, terms,optionality, and structure. Usually offered every year.

Mr. D'Vari

IEF 224f Bond Portfolio Management

Meets for one-half semester and yieldshalf-course credit

Presents the rationale for investing in internationalbonds, discusses the challenges presented by investing internationally,and addresses portfolio management and risk management issues.Usually offered every year.

Mr. Steward

IEF 225b Global Marketing Strategy

Starting with a brief overview of marketingdisciplines, the course will develop strategies for entering andoperating in diverse international markets at varying levels ofinvestment. The case study method will be used to examine theprocess that leads to a successful marketing strategy, includingfinancial analysis, economic and geographic evaluation, culturaland political assessment, and infrastructure evaluation. Usuallyoffered every year.

Mr. Estrada

IEF 226b Frontiers of International Finance

Consists of two parts that each explore adifferent area of financial theory. The first part examines theinteraction between economics and investing in the real globaleconomy; the second part examines the interaction between managers,stockholders, and corporate structure.

Messrs. Chakraborty and Harrison

IEF 228b Case Studies in InternationalBusiness

Provides theoretical and practical insightsinto the roles of corporate strategies and government policiesin forging competitive advantage in forms and industries. Casestudies are used to examine critical management issues, as wellas the political and ethical dimensions of international business.Usually offered in odd years.

Staff

IEF 229f Hedge Fund Management

Meets for one-half semester and yieldshalf-course credit.

Covers the historical evolution of hedgefunds, analyzes the regulatory government, and considers key issuesin the "hedge fund universe," such as price versus value,risk versus volatility. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Gross

IEF 230b Managing International Business

Firms compete internationally through trade,foreign investment, and alliances. To succeed, they need to managethree sources of competitive advantage: country environments,firm capabilities, and government policies. Using case discussion,we will analyze the international strategies of U.S., Japanese,and European firms. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Gomes-Casseres

IEF 234f Venture Business Plans

Meets for one-half semester and yieldshalf-course credit.

Concentrates on the issues, ideas, and approachesin developing ventures requiring careful market research, extensivefinancial plans, full management teams, and other tasks. Usuallyoffered every year.

Mr. Reed

IEF 235b Entrepreneurship

Addresses the fundamentals of starting andgrowing a business, including entrepreneurial finance and financialmanagement. Covers theory and practice, and includes presentationsby speakers engaged in entrepreneurship, underwriting, and venturecapital. Assignments include a team project to construct a businessplan for a startup company using actual data. Usually offeredevery year.

Mr. Subramaniam

IEF 235f Entreprenurial Management

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Prepares students to start and nurture theirown business. Attempts to develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledgethat will support that activity. Focus will be on the issues,ideas, and approaches that define successful "bootstrap"ventures. First concentrating on identifying and evaluating potentialopportunities, then looking at defining and securing start-upresources. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Reed

IEF 236f Transnational Negotiations

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Explores the dynamics of international businessnegotiations in the context of evolving global industries. Studentswill develop an understanding of negotiation strategy, positioningand process, as well as the skill necessary to effectively design,negotiate, and manage transnational deals. Usually offered everyyear.

Ms. Rosansky

IEF 237b Organizational Behavior

Examines leadership styles and the effectsof organizational structure, policy, vision, and culture on thebehavior of stakeholders, employees, consumers, stockholders,legislative bodies, and the like. Cases and exercises are usedextensively. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Rosansky

IEF 241f Privatization

Meets for one-half semester and yieldshalf-course credit.

Examines the legal regime governing the transferof management and property interests from the public sector tothe private sector in developing countries/emerging markets. Usuallyoffered every year.

Mr. Mirfendereski

IEF 245f Competitive Strategy

Enrollment limited to 50. Open only toIEF students. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-coursecredit.

Provides an intensive survey of the mostimportant techniques and frameworks in the field of business strategy.Discusses ideas from the theoretical, empirical, and normativeresearch on the topic, and applies theses ideas to managerialdecisions using case studies. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Gomes-Casseres

IEF 246f Frontiers of International Business

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

International business practice evolves continuallyas firms create new ways of competing and responding to new globalpressures. This seminar explores recent and future managementtrends by focusing on the current research of the school's faculty.Topics will vary from year to year. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Gomes-Casseres

IEF 247f Workshop in International Business

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

International business is a dynamic and eclecticfield of research. This seminar provides a survey of seminal studiesand findings, as well as an opportunity to explore new researchquestions. Students will develop and share their own ideas fororiginal research in international business. Usually offered everyyear.

Mr. Gomes-Casseres

IEF 248b International Business Enterprise

Focuses on the planning and implementationof international business strategies. Particular emphasis is placedon how internationally competitive firms are structured, managed,and strategically positioned to compete effectively in the globalmarketplace.

Ms. Rosansky

IEF 253a International Economic Environment

Provides a foundation in macroeconomic theoryfor understanding the workings of international money marketsand for analyzing ongoing trends in economic activity. Specialemphasis is placed on international financial flows, macroeconomicpolicy strategies, and exchange rate determination. Usually offeredevery year.

Mr. Plummer

IEF 255f Asian Economic Miracle

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit. This course may not berepeated for credit by students who have taken ECON 163a in previousyears.

Examines the "Asian Success story"--thereasons why successful economic development continues along thePacific Rim. Considers the strong gains in aggregate output, industrialproduction, trade, poverty reduction, life expectancy, literacyrates, and other socioeconomic variables. Investigates the reactionof the United States to the growth in the Asian region. Usuallyoffered every year.

Mr. Plummer

IEF 256f Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit. This course may not berepeated for credit by students who have taken ECON 163a in previousyears.

Considers the future of Asia-Pacific economiccooperation, through "informal" (i.e., market-driven)and "formal" (i.e., policy-driven) channels. Focuseson the newly formed Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC),an organization of 18 countries along the Pacific Rim--includingthe United States--that have pledged the creation of free tradeand investment by the year 2020. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Plummer

IEF 258f Current Issues in European Integration

Prerequisite: ECON 160a. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Surveys the economic issues emerging fromeconomic "deepening" and "widening" in Europe,including monetary union, labor migration, and expansion to includeEastern European countries.

Mr. Landesmann

IEF 272f International Political Economy

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Provides an introduction to theories of internationalpolitical economy and an application of these approaches to issuesof trade, monetary relations, and finance. Readings and discussionfocus on issues of conflict and cooperation; the relationshipbetween the international system and domestic politics; economicgrowth, development, and equity; and the connection between thestudy of economics and politics. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Gomes-Casseres

IEF 280f Introductory Statistics I

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Prepares students who do not have a statisticsbackground to take economics, finance, and econometrics coursesinvolving considerable statistical analysis. No prior knowledgeof statistics is required. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Hu

IEF 281f Information Management

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Surveys of quantitative techniques and computertools in management information systems including database manipulation.Objective of the course is to help students acquire advanced computerskills through cases and hands-on applications. Usually offeredevery year.

Ms. Nelson

IEF 282f Financial Modeling

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Introduces quantitative modeling techniquesfor analyzing the financial performance of projects and companiesand valuing earning streams. A key objective is to help studentsdevelop sophisticated skills in using spreadsheets and relatedsoftware through cases and hands-on applications. Usually offeredevery year.

Ms. DiPietro

IEF 283a Quantitative Methods in Economicsand Management

Survey of quantitative techniques and computertools in three important application areas: management informationsystems, data analysis and forecasting, and financial simulation.The techniques covered include database manipulation, econometricestimation, and simulation modeling. A key objective of the courseis to help students acquire advanced computer skills through casesand hands-on applications. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Petri

IEF 283f Introduction to Econometrics

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Survey of quantitative techniques and computertools in data analysis and forecasting, including econometricestimation. The course will include case studies and the use ofcomputer applications. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Nelson

IEF 284b Econometrics with InternationalApplications

Econometric theory and applications. Discussesthe statistical theory of regression modeling and associated hypothesistesting, with emphasis on the construction, interpretation, anduse of econometric models. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Lewbel

IEF 285b Quantitative Methods in Finance

Introduces the mathematical and econometrictechniques commonly used in financial research and decision making.Emphasizes "hands-on" applications in financial modeling,estimation, forecasting, and testing. Usually offered every year.

Staff

IEF 286f Managerial Accounting and Control

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Intermediate-level managerial accountingwith special emphasis on applications to managerial decision makingfor strategic purposes. Covers conceptual and technical skillsneeded to manage financial and strategic control problems facinganalysts and managers. Areas covered include: cost behavior, understandingstrategy in the context of managerial financial decisions, andthe nature of strategic planning and managerial control. Usuallyoffered every year.

Mr. Chilingerian

IEF 287f Financial Systems Analysis

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Designed to develop skills in analyzing externalfinancial reports. Topics include: financial statements terminology,mergers and acquisitions, cash flow analysis, and foreign exchangeand foreign tax issues. Usually offered every year.

Staff

IEF 291b Cases in International Economicsand Finance

This course uses a case-method approach toa number of analytical topics in international economics and finance.Important areas of concentration include the economics of internationalorganizations, project evaluation, financial issues in emergingmarkets, Asian economic development, and direct foreign investment.Usually offered every year.

Mr. Plummer

IEF 297a Field Project

Prerequisite: Two semesters at GSIEF.Yields half-course credit.

Offers students an opportunity to apply thetheories and key themes covered in the core courses in a reallife setting. Requires completion of at least six weeks of a paidor unpaid internship approved and monitored by a faculty advisor.The project could involve a research or consulting assignmentor a structured internship in the school's fields. Interestedstudents should consult the guidelines established by the school.Usually offered every year.

Staff

IEF 298b Independent Study

Normally available for a student who wishesto pursue advanced reading on research in a subject or field notavailable in the department's course listings. Usually offeredevery semester.

Staff

IEF 299a Master's Project

A student wishing to complete a master'sproject, under the guidance of a faculty advisor, may enroll inthis course during his or her final semester in the master's program.Projects may involve a short analytical thesis, the solution ofan applied problem, or a report on work completed in an appropriateinternship. Usually offered every year.

Staff

IEF 300a Readings

Staff

IEF 301a Advanced Microeconomics I

Study of the theories of microeconomics includingoptimization, theory of the firm, theory of the consumer, dualitytheory, general equilibrium, welfare economics, public goods,and externalities. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Lewbel

IEF 301b Advanced Microeconomics II

Investigates advanced topics in microeconomicsincluding decision making under uncertainty, dynamic optimization,game theory, and strategic interactions, imperfect competitionand oligopoly theory, and information economics including moralhazard and adverse selection. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Jaffe

IEF 302a Advanced Macroeconomics I

Study of the modern theory of consumption,investment, the current account, and the implications of monetaryand fiscal policy. Topics include inflation, unemployment, rationalexpectations, the impact of a government deficit, the determinationof interest rates, and the behavior of exchange rates. Long-runproperties of short-run models and the microeconomics of macromodels. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Dolbear

IEF 302b Advanced Macroeconomics II

Current research issues in macroeconomics,such as the impact of supply shocks, real demand shocks, and monetaryshocks on output, interest rates, and exchange rates. Empiricalstudies and testing of competing macroeconomic theories. Usuallyoffered every year.

Staff

IEF 305a Financial Theory

An introduction to capital market theoryand the theory of corporate finance. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Chakraborty

IEF 315f Topics in Finance

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

The course covers key empirical areas ofmodern finance by focusing on seminal papers in the field. Topicsinclude asset pricing, implications and testing, the distributionof returns, predictability, efficient markets, mean-variance frontier,and the equity premium. The course provides exposure to the methodsand data used to test finance models and is intended to help studentsgenerate their own research. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Harrison

IEF 325a Transition Economics

This course examines the transformation ofwhole economic systems, as well as their parts, including financialsystems, legal systems, and individual forms. Economic concepts,models, and methods are drawn from fields of comparative economicsystems, comparative institutional analysis, industrial organization,and econometrics to analyze economic transition in the formersocialist countries, economic liberalization in developing economies,and privatization in OECD countries. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Jefferson

IEF 335b Industrial Organization

Examines factors that affect the organizationof industrial activity. The course includes cross-country studiesof firm and industry structure and performance and their technologicaland institutional determinants, innovative behavior under comparativemarket multinationals and their strategic behavior, and comparativeperspectives on the economic role of the state. Usually offeredevery year.

Mr. Jaffe

IEF 360b International Trade Theory

Topics include comparative advantage andgeneral equilibrium; the factor-proportions theory and alternativeexplanations of trading patterns; trade with imperfect competition;commercial policy in the presence of domestic distortions; preferentialtrading blocs; exogenous and endogenous growth in open economics;and the evolution of the GATT system. Usually offered every year.

Ms. McCulloch

IEF 375b Development Economics

Reviews various models of growth and development,including models of project evaluation, household economic choice,long-run growth, technological change and human resource investment,and alternative development strategies. Includes extensive reviewof related empirical work that tests various hypotheses that emergefrom the theoretical literature. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Jefferson

IEF 382a International Macroeconomics

Applications of macroeconomic theory to openeconomies. Topics include international parity theorems, modelsof exchange rate determination, and central bank management ofthe exchange rate. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Goldfajn

IEF 385f Time Series Econometrics

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit.

Covers the tools of time series analysisand their application to macroeconomics and financial data modeling,estimation, forecasting, and testing. Topics include ARMA processes,VAR, unit roots, cointegration, and the ARCH family. The coursefocuses on current techniques and their actual use by data analysts.Usually offered every year.

Mr. Harrison

IEF 386f Empirical Macroeconomics

Open only to IEF students. Meets for one-halfsemester and yields half-course credit

Covers key empirical areas of modern macroeconomicsby focusing on a selection of seminal papers. We investigatethe relationship between the real economy and asset markets, money,inflation, the term structure of interest rates, exchange rates,and the business cycle.

Mr. Harrison

IEF 399a Dissertation Workshop

This course will involve invited lecturesby Brandeis faculty and other researchers, and presentation anddiscussion of dissertation topics and work in progress. Usuallyoffered every year.

Staff

IEF 399b Dissertation Workshop

This course will involve invited lecturesby Brandeis faculty and other researchers, and presentation anddiscussion of dissertation topics and work in progress. Usuallyoffered every year.

Staff