Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2019-2020 (archived)
Module ECON3171: DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
Department: Economics and Finance
ECON3171: DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
| Type | Open | Level | 3 | Credits | 20 | Availability | Available in 2019/20 | Module Cap | 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, and the role of human capital.
- The development of agriculture, causes of famine, problems of poverty and inequality are also studied and the term concludes with theories of rural-urban and international labour migration.
- In the second term the lectures cover the role of institutions, culture and political systems, trade, domestic finance, foreign aid, macroeconomic stability, and the resource curse along with an assessment of the role of government in promoting sustainable 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 and a 1250 word essay.
- Summative assessment is by means of a written examination and an essay.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 21 | 1 per week | 1 hour | 21 | |
| Seminars | 8 | Fortnightly | 1 hour | 8 | ■ |
| Preparation and Reading | 171 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: Examination | Component Weighting: 60% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| Written examination | 1 hour 30 mins | 100% | Same |
| Component: Assignment | Component Weighting: 40% | ||
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| One essay | 2500 words max | 100% | Same |
Formative Assessment:
Seminar assignments and a 1250 word formative essay
■ 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