- Faculty and Staff
- Research
- Public Service and Outreach
- Career Development
- For Alumni and Friends
- Calendar
- News
- Contact Us
- Sitemap
International Policy Focus Field: Trade and Finance
Unprecedented global current account imbalances, the advent of the euro, new regional trade agreements, and the entry of China into the World Trade Organization are among the recent events that highlight the fundamental importance of issues in international trade and finance in global public affairs. Basic questions in international trade include why nations trade, the consequences of trade, and the determinants of pattern of trade. Newly prominent issues include the role of bilateral and regional trade agreements and international institutions in the world economy. Critical issues in international financial regulation include the stability of the international financial system, the ability of the global economy to accommodate potentially disruptive adjustments in current account balances, the role of central banks and exchange rate regimes, determination of balance of payments and exchange rates, policy coordination, and financial crises.
Students of international trade and finance prepare themselves for a wide range of careers in government agencies, international organizations, international NGOs and multinational businesses.
Field coordinators: Menzie Chinn and Charles Engel
La Follette School faculty in this field
Electives from Other Departments
Students may take courses from other departments depending on their interests. Students should consult their advisors if they are unsure whether a course is appropriate for their focus field. These elective courses include:
POLI SCI 379 Globalization: On States, Societies, and the International System
POLI SCI 401 Selected Topics in Political Science
POLI SCI 864 International Political Economy
POLI SCI 959 International Organization
POLI SCI 960 Seminar – International Relations
BUS 445 Multinational Business Finance
BUS 615 Business in Emerging Markets
BUS 700 International Perspectives
BUS 703 Global Issues in Management
BUS 745 Multinational Business Finance
BUS 755 International Operations: Problems and Administration
BUS 770/870 Seminar in International Business
ECON 464 International Trade and Finance
ECON 467 International Comparisons: Industrial Firms and Industrial Organizations
ECON 474 Economic Problems of Developing Areas Law
LAW 828 International Business Transactions
LAW 871 International Trade Law
Core Courses
PA 818 Quantitative Tools for Public Policy Analysis
PA 850 International Governance
PA 854 Macroeconomic Policy Analysis
PA 860 Workshop in Public Affairs, International Issues
PA 880 Microeconomic Policy Analysis
PA 799 Professional Development Workshop
Recommended Public Affairs Electives
PA 827 Internship
PA 841 International Business and Government
PA 855 Governing Work and Welfare in the European Union
PA 856 Trade, Competition and Governance in a Global Economy
PA 857 Political Economy of Corruption and Good Governance
PA 866 Global Environmental Governance
PA 867 Government Finance in Developing Countries
Public Affairs Electives for this Focus Field
PA 819 Quantitative Methods for Public Policy
PA 881 Cost-Benefit Analysis
Regional Focus Fields
Students can add a focus on a region and take courses from outside departments that offer courses on that region. Certificates are offered in the following departments:
African Studies, East Asian Studies, European Studies, French Studies, German Studies, Global Cultures, Global Health, Middle East Studies, Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, South Asian Studies and Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies.
Employment and Internships in Trade and Finance
La Follette School alumni have held these positions:
- analyst, U.S. Government Acountability Office
- project coordinator, American Red Cross
- intern, Economic Section, U.S. Embassy in Warsaw
- political intern, U.S. Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka