Overview
The curriculum of the Economics program at Alliance University Bangalore is meticulously crafted to ensure students acquire a robust foundation in economic theory, analytical tools, and practical applications. The program balances theoretical rigor with real-world relevance, preparing graduates for careers in academia, government, finance, consulting, and industry.
Course Structure
The curriculum spans eight semesters, with each semester comprising core courses, departmental electives, science electives, and laboratory components. Core courses provide essential knowledge in microeconomics, macroeconomics, mathematics, statistics, and econometrics. Departmental electives allow students to specialize in areas of interest such as public policy, international trade, behavioral economics, and environmental economics.
Core Courses
Core courses form the backbone of the Economics program, providing students with fundamental concepts and analytical frameworks. These include:
- Introduction to Microeconomics (ECON101): This course introduces basic economic principles such as supply and demand, consumer behavior, producer theory, market structures, and welfare economics.
- Introduction to Macroeconomics (ECON102): Students learn about national income accounting, inflation, unemployment, fiscal and monetary policy, economic growth, and international trade.
- Calculus for Economics (MATH101): This course covers differential and integral calculus with applications to economic modeling, optimization problems, and marginal analysis.
- Statistics for Economic Analysis (MATH102): Students are introduced to descriptive statistics, probability distributions, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and data visualization techniques relevant to economics.
- Basic Economics Concepts (ECO101): This foundational course explores basic economic terminology, concepts of scarcity, opportunity cost, production possibilities frontier, and the role of markets in resource allocation.
Departmental Electives
Departmental electives offer students opportunities to explore specialized areas within economics. Some of these include:
- Data Science for Economics (ECON504): This course teaches students how to apply data science techniques to economic problems using Python, R, and Stata. Topics include machine learning algorithms, statistical modeling, and predictive analytics.
- Economic Forecasting and Policy Analysis (ECO501): Students study forecasting methods such as time series analysis, VAR models, and simulation techniques. They also examine policy instruments used in macroeconomic management.
- Urban Economics and Planning (ECON603): This course examines spatial economics, urban development patterns, housing markets, and public infrastructure planning. Case studies from cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore are analyzed.
- Corporate Governance and Financial Ethics (ECON604): Students analyze corporate governance structures, ethical dilemmas in finance, and regulatory compliance frameworks. Real-world cases involving financial scandals and fraud prevention are examined.
- Health Economics (ECON503): This course investigates healthcare economics, health policy design, and resource allocation strategies. Topics include medical cost analysis, insurance systems, and public health interventions.
- Labour Economics (ECON404): Students explore labor market dynamics, wage determination, employment policies, and social security mechanisms. Case studies from India’s informal economy and global labor trends are analyzed.
- Environmental Economics (ECON403): This course addresses environmental degradation, pollution control, climate change economics, and sustainable development strategies. It includes discussions on carbon pricing and green fiscal policies.
- Behavioral Finance (ECON303): Students study how psychological biases affect financial decision-making and market behavior. The course integrates insights from psychology and finance to understand irrational investor choices.
- Quantitative Methods in Economics (ECO301): This elective teaches advanced quantitative techniques including regression analysis, panel data models, and instrumental variables estimation. Practical applications involve economic datasets from central banks and international organizations.
- Public Choice Theory (ECON602): Students analyze the role of government in economic decision-making using principles from political economy. The course explores voting systems, public goods provision, and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Project-Based Learning Philosophy
The department emphasizes project-based learning to foster practical understanding and research skills among students. This approach integrates theoretical knowledge with real-world applications through:
- Mini-Projects (Semester 3–6): Starting from the third semester, students engage in mini-projects lasting six weeks. These projects involve working with external stakeholders like NGOs, government agencies, or private firms to address economic challenges.
- Final-Year Thesis/Capstone Project: In the seventh and eighth semesters, students undertake a year-long independent research project. They propose topics aligned with current economic issues, secure funding for data collection, and present findings at departmental symposiums.
Students select projects based on their interests and faculty availability. Each project is supervised by a faculty mentor who guides the student through literature review, methodology development, data analysis, and final presentation.
Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation criteria for mini-projects and capstone projects include:
- Research proposal quality and feasibility
- Data collection methods and accuracy
- Methodology appropriateness and rigor
- Findings interpretation and relevance
- Presentation skills and clarity
- Overall contribution to academic or policy discourse
Projects are evaluated by a panel of faculty members, with feedback provided to help students improve their research capabilities.