Introducing Undergraduates to Economics in an Interdisciplinary Setting

Abstract

Introducing economics to undergraduates with courses that incorporate various elements of economic fields at an introductory level has the potential to increase the appeal of economics classes. The author provides a model for teaching such courses using an environmental economics class as an example. This approach incorporates introductory economics concepts into an interdisciplinary class that includes three disciplines focused on a central theme. In this course, called environmental perspectives, the economics section covered the principles of microeconomics, the fundamentals of environmental economics, and linked these applications to the topics covered in the ecology and philosophy sections of the class. A discussion of the methods for applying this model to other courses that include economics is included.

Key Words:

• environmental economics
• interdisciplinary
• principles of economics
• teaching
• undergraduate

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jill L. Caviglia-Harris

Jill L. Caviglia-Harris is an assistant professor of economics at Salisbury University, Maryland (e-mail: [email protected]).