In 2026, we will celebrate the 250th birthday of The Wealth of Nations. Adam Smith's tome is widely known and remarkably influential in both economics and political philosophy. Yet, it is very rarely read in its entirety. To celebrate the semiquincentennial, we will read the book -- the whole book. The book covers a wide scope of topics, including trade, the division of labor, the functioning of markets, labor, capital, land, economic history, economic development, mercantilism and international trade, the role of government, national defense, justice, education, and taxation.

This seminar develops a historical and theoretical analysis of issues and concerns arising from a Marxian specification of social and economic inequality. Using class as a lens for examining relationships between individuals, institutions, and society, the course examines the role of markets and the state in social and economic life, and the challenges of achieving class justice for all.

Analysis of theoretical models and empirical studies on the economic performance of industries. Approaches studied include transaction cost economics, game theory, and pricing models. Topics include advertising, research and development, and relationships between government and business such as regulation and antitrust laws.

This seminar explores the economic impact of the Internet, information technology, digitalization, and the networked information economy on manufacturing and manufacturing networks, global and local finance, goods and services markets, innovation and invention, intellectual property rights, public finance and taxation, security and cybercrime, media, and social networking. We investigate the implications of the networked information economy and digitalization, more broadly, for the creating of new economic (and social) relationships and the internet of everything.

Economic development is complex and nuanced, and differences in development persist globally. Many African countries, however, lag behind in key development indices and this precipitates our focus on Africa. In this seminar, we will build our knowledge of development issues in this region and provoke our interest in possible areas for future research to increase our understanding.

This course uses computation and statistics to explore topics in modern quantitative portfolio and risk management. We cover models in financial econometrics, risk metrics, equity modeling, factor models, derivative pricing, and volatility surfaces, with emphasis on models that require numerical solutions. We learn to use a general purpose programming language to retrieve and explore data, implement models, and present results. The majority of class time is spent in the computer lab. No prior programming experience is required.

Data scientists answer questions with scientific and social relevance using statistical theory and computation. We will discuss elementary topics in statistics and learn how to write code (in Python) to visualize data and perform simulations. We will use these tools to answer questions about real data sets. We will also explore ethical issues faced by data scientists today.

Artificially intelligent technologies are prominent features of modern life -- as are ethical concerns about their programming and use. In this class we will use the tools of philosophy to explore and critically evaluate ethical issues raised by current and future AI technologies. Topics may include issues of privacy and transparency in online data collection, concerns about social justice in the use of algorithms in areas like hiring and criminal justice, and the goals of developing general versus special purpose AI.

This class is an interdisciplinary course that examines the application of computational tools and methodologies to humanities research, with a strong emphasis on practical Python programming. It covers key topics such as image processing, data visualization, and statistical analysis applied in various domains, including history, archaeology, and the arts. Students engage with diverse case studies and projects, employing computational and statistical techniques to analyze and interpret complex real-world datasets.

This course explores play and storytelling as sources of meaning-making, community building, and pedagogical insight. Drawing from psychology, disability studies, anthropology, Black feminist thought, Indigenous worldviews, and educational frameworks, students will examine how play shapes development and challenges dominant paradigms. Through theoretical study and empirical data, we will explore how children's stories illuminate social issues, and how educators and researchers can respond with care, creativity, and justice-oriented practice.