ECON 3379 Financial Economics
This undergraduate elective focuses on financial economics, with specific emphasis on asset pricing and the valuation of risky cash flows. After developing and studying the details of consumer decision-making under uncertainty, it uses that general framework as a basis for understanding both equilibrium and no-arbitrage theories of securities pricing, including traditional models like the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), newer Arrow-Debreu theories, and, if time permits, arbitrage pricing theory (APT), the consumption capital asset pricing model (CCAPM), and martingale pricing methods.
Course overview
- Department
- Economics
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Every Fall, Every Spring
Catalog details
Requirements fulfilled
- International Studies: Concentration: Political Economy and Development Studies – approved courses (six courses; either cluster counts) (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
- Economics B.A.: Economics elective options (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
- International Studies: IS Core: one approved Economics elective numbered 2000 or above (after ECON1101) (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.74 / 5 · Excellent
- Instructor rating
- 4.87 / 5 · Excellent
- Terms evaluated
- 8
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Peter Ireland | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 43 of 47 |
| Summer 2025 | Jarod Coulter | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4–6 hrs/week | 1 of 3 |
| Spring 2025 | Peter Ireland | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 1–3 hrs/week | 44 of 50 |
| Summer 2024 | Shane Mcmiken | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | — | 4–6 hrs/week | 1 of 2 |
| Spring 2024 | Peter Ireland | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 1–3 hrs/week | 35 of 39 |
| Fall 2023 | Peter Ireland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 46 of 51 |
| Spring 2023 | Peter Ireland | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 1–3 hrs/week | 36 of 40 |
| Spring 2022 | Peter Ireland | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 1–3 hrs/week | 22 of 33 |