Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2012-2013 (archived)

Module ECON3171: DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS

Department: Business School (Economics and Finance)

ECON3171: DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS

Type	Open	Level	3	Credits	20	Availability	Available in 2012/13	Module Cap	None.	Location	Durham

Prerequisites

Any Level 2 Economics module.

Corequisites

None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

None.

Aims

To provide students with insights into some of the key issues affecting the economic development of countries
To stimulate students to study, present and debate their own ideas and analyses of these issues.
To widen students' perceptions of the world and of the applicability of economic science and to motivate them to retain that perception.
To provide the opportunity for students to build on knowledge and key skills acquired in their second year studies

Content

In the first term the module begins with a consideration of the meaning and measurement of development. Different theories of growth and convergence are analysed, as are two-sector growth models, the role of human capital and theories of labour migration.
The development of agriculture, causes of famine, problems of poverty and inequality and are also studied and the term finishes with a consideration of contribution of the New Institutional Economics.
In the second term the role of trade, international labour migration, domestic finance, foreign aid, macroeconomic stability, and the resource curse are studied along with an assessment of the role of government in promoting economic development.
Throughout the module examples are taken from the development experiences of Latin America, Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the MENA economies.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

Theories, controversies, policies and case studies of how countries attempt to grow and develop over time.

Subject-specific Skills:

Application of economic analysis to low income countries

Key Skills:

critical and analytical thinking
problem solving
written communication
own learning
working with numbers
working with others
bibliographic search and information retrieval.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

Teaching is by lectures, tutorials and support for e-mail exchanges with students in universities abroad. Learning takes place through attendance at lectures; preparation and participation in tutorial classes; private study, and contributing to international e-mail discussions on student-selected topics of development economics. Formative assessment is by means of seminar assignments, presentations and discussion in the Michaelmas Term plus feedback on international e-debates in the Ephiphany Term. Summative assessment is by means of a written examination and an essay.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total/Hours
Lectures	22	1 per week	1 hour	22
Tutorials	8	Fortnightly	1 hour	8	■
Preparation and Reading				170
Total				200

Summative Assessment

Component: Examination		Component Weighting: 60%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Written examination	1 hour 30 mins	100%
Component: Assignment		Component Weighting: 40%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
One essay	2500 words max	100%

Formative Assessment:

Seminar assignments, presentation and discussion in the Michaelmas Term.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University