Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2015-2016 (archived)
Module ECON1011: PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS
Department: Business School (Economics and Finance)
ECON1011: PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS
| Type | Open | Level | 1 | Credits | 20 | Availability | Available in 2015/16 | Module Cap | Location | Durham |
|---|
Prerequisites
- AS Level Mathematics minimum grade B
Corequisites
- None
Excluded Combination of Modules
- None
Aims
- To introduce the basic principles of economics
- To provide a sound foundation for second year core modules in Micro- and Macroeconomics.
Content
- MICROECONOMICS: The methodology of economics.
- Demand, supply and the market determination of prices.
- Consumer spending choices, indifference curves and the budget constraint.
- Household saving and investment decisions.
- Labour supply decisions and the choice between work and leisure.
- Production of goods and services and the theory of the firm.
- Competition, Monopoly and Oligopoly.
- Game Theory, factor markets.
- MACROECONOMICS: Introduction
- Goods market equilibrium.
- Money market equilibrium.
- The IS-LM model.
- Labour market equilibrium.
- Aggregate demand and supply
- Unemployment and inflation 1: the Phillips curve and expectations.
- Growth theories.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- know and understand the basic principles of economics
- be able to apply an economic framework to the analysis of decision making by producers and/or consumers
- be able to construct and explain fundamental macro-economic models and interrelationships and how they are affected by change
- have had exposure to rival schools of thought in the evolution of economics
Subject-specific Skills:
- Manipulation of microeconomic and macroeconomic analysis
Key Skills:
- Critical and analytical thinking
- problem solving
- written communication
- own learning
- working with numbers
- library skills
- information retrieval
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Teaching is by lectures and seminars. Learning takes place through attendance at lectures, preparation for and participation in seminar classes, and private study. Seminar questions give students the opportunity to test their understanding of the subject. Formative assessment is by means of fortnightly seminar on-line assessment and two short essays. Summative assessment is by means of a written examination to test students’ knowledge and understanding of the subject-matter.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 41 | 2 per week | 1 hour | 41 | |
| Seminars | 8 | 1 per fortnight | 1 hour | 8 | ■ |
| Preparation and Reading | 151 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: Examination | Component Weighting: 100% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| One written examination | 2 hours 30 minutes | 100% | Same |
Formative Assessment:
Two mini essays, fortnightly on-line multiple choice test and seminar questions throughout the Michaelmas and Epiphany Terms.
■ 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