The department offers a wide variety of courses. The offering of electives is flexible and designed to serve the teaching and scholarly interests of faculty members as well as the interests of students. Electives are offered at two levels: lower level courses with a Principles prerequisite, and upper level courses requiring intermediate theory. Department members are encouraged to develop new courses. The Winter Study Program offers an opportunity for faculty either to venture outside their specialties or to emphasize them. In addition to the M.A. program in Development Economics, a number of department members teach in the several interdepartmental programs in the College (Political Economy, Environmental Studies, Afro-American Studies, Women's Studies and several geographic Area Studies programs). Class sizes average 17.