Upper-level economics majors at Harvard take classes across various subgroups of study. Each subgroup represents a focus within the field of economics. International economics courses study how government policies affect the relationships of businesses in different countries. Courses include study in international financial and macroeconomic policy, as well as international trade. Behavioral economics coursework includes the study of how psychology influences people's economic decisions. Game theory involves the analysis of interactive decision making. It can be used with transaction bargaining, wage negotiations and contracts.
Within the study of economic history at Harvard is the teaching of how economics has changed throughout history. This includes discovering which economic institutions have remained over a long period of time and which are newer. The structure and behavior of financial institutions such as investment banks and insurance companies is studied in the finance subgroup of classes. Courses also concentrate on risk analysis and portfolio management. The public sector economics courses deal with U.S. fiscal institutions and the argument for government intervention in market economics.
Environmental economics is a rapidly growing segment in the field of economics. Courses examine how environmental policies can be made to best protect dwindling resources. Classes within the study of health economics look at how health care services function and how health care is distributed. Study might include such topics as the influence of health care services on health as well as how policies affect health outcomes. Labor economics includes the study of how employers and workers interact. These courses examine such subjects as employment and income.
Microeconomics coursework includes the study of individual and business economic decisions. Industrial organization courses look at the behavior of companies and how industries are structured. Macroeconomics is the study of how governmental policies affect such things as the standard of living, inflation, the growth of the economy and the rate of employment. Development economics examines what occurs economically in developing countries. Courses cover such topics as farm productivity, rural disease and housing, governmental corruption and economic growth.