This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2016-2017 (archived)
Module ECON3171: DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
Department: Business School (Economics and Finance)
ECON3171: DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 3 | 20 | Available in 2016/2017 | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- Any Level 2 Economics module.
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combinations
- 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 and seminars. Learning takes place through attendance at lectures; preparation and participation in seminar classes and private study. Formative assessment is by means of seminar assignments, presentations and discussion in the Michaelmas Term. Summative assessment is by means of a written examination and an essay.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 22 | 1 per week | 1 hour | 22 | |
| Seminars | 8 | Fortnightly | 1 hour | 8 | Yes |
| Preparation and Reading | 170 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 60% | Written examination | 1 hour 30 mins | 100% | Same |
| Assignment | 40% | One essay | 2500 words max | 100% | Same |
Formative Assessment
Seminar assignments, presentation and discussion in Michaelmas and Epiphany terms.
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.