Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2024-2025
Module ECON1011: PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS
Department: Economics
ECON1011: PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS
| Type | Tied | Level | 1 | Credits | 20 | Availability | Available in 2024/2025 | Module Cap | Location | Durham |
|---|
| Tied to | L100 |
|---|---|
| Tied to | L106 |
| Tied to | L109 |
| Tied to | L103 |
| Tied to | L104 |
| Tied to | L105 |
| Tied to | LL12 |
| Tied to | LL02 |
| Tied to | LL01 |
| Tied to | VL52 |
| Tied to | VLL6 |
| Tied to | VLLA |
| Tied to | CFG0 |
| Tied to | CFC0 |
| Tied to | FGC0 |
| Tied to | LA01 |
| Tied to | LA02 |
| Tied to | LMV0 |
Prerequisites
- A-Level Mathematics minimum grade A or equivalent
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 topics are likely to include:
- Demand, supply and the market determination of prices.
- How markets work.
- 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.
- Utility and decision making.
- The determinants of international trade.
- MACROECONOMICS: Topics are likely to include:
- Goods market equilibrium.
- Money market equilibrium.
- The IS-LM model.
- Exchange rates and the balance of payments.
- 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:
- By the end of the module students should be able to:
- explain key theories in microeconomics;
- explain key theories in macroeconomics;
- use appropriate techniques for economic 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 essay questions.
- 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 | 40 | 2 per week | 1 hour | 40 | |
| Seminars | 8 | 4 in Term 1, 4 in Term 2 | 1 hour | 8 | ■ |
| Revision Lectures | 2 | 2 in Term 3 | 1 hour | 2 | |
| Preparation and Reading | 150 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: Examination | Component Weighting: 100% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| One in-person written examination | 2 hours | 100% | Same |
Formative Assessment:
At least one written piece of work to prepare students for summative exam.
■ 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