This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2025-2026 (archived)
Module ECON3171: Development Economics
Department: Economics
ECON3171: Development Economics
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tied | 3 | 20 | Available in 2025/2026 | Durham |
Tied To
- CFC0: Natural Sciences (Psychology pathway)
- CFC1: Natural Sciences (Psychology pathway) with Year Abroad
- CFC2: Natural Sciences (Psychology pathway) with Placement
- CFG0: Natural Sciences
- CFG1: Natural Sciences with Year Abroad
- CFG2: Natural Sciences with Placement
- FGC0: Natural Sciences
- FGC1: Natural Sciences with Placement
- L100: Economics
- L103: Economics with Management
- L104: Economics with Management with Placement Year
- L105: Economics with Management with Study Abroad
- L106: Economics with Placement Year
- L109: Economics with Study Abroad
- L125: Economics and Mathematics
- L126: Economics and Mathematics with Year Abroad
- L127: Economics and Mathematics with Placement
- L130: Economics
- L133: Economics with Management
- L134: Economics with Management with Placement Year
- L135: Economics with Management with Study Abroad
- L136: (programme not found)
- L139: (programme not found)
- L1R1: Economics with French
- LA01: Liberal Arts
- LA02: Liberal Arts (with Year Abroad)
- LA03: Liberal Arts (with Placement Year)
- LL01: Economics and Politics with Study Abroad
- LL02: Economics and Politics with Placement Year
- LL12: Economics and Politics
- LMV0: Combined Honours in Social Sciences
- LMVA: Combined Honours in Social Sciences (with Year Abroad)
- LMVP: Combined Honours in Social Sciences (with Placement Year)
- VL52: Philosophy, Politics and Economics
- VLL6: Philosophy, Politics and Economics with Placement Year
- VLLA: Philosophy, Politics and Economics with Study Abroad
Pre-requisites
- EITHER Macroeconomics (ECON2011) AND Microeconomics (ECON2021) OR Economic Theory (ECON2291)
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combinations
- None.
Aims
- To provide students with insights into some of the key issues affecting the 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
- Content will include the relationship between the development of countries and topics such as:
- Structural transformation,
- Climate change,
- Agriculture and famines,
- Poverty and inequality,
- Physical capital and technology,
- Human capital,
- Demography,
- Internal and international labour migration,
- Formal and informal institutions,
- International trade and openness,
- Natural resources,
- Foreign aid.
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 lower 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 a written assignment.
- Summative assessment is by means of a written assignment.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 | 10 in term 1, 10 in term 2 | 1 hour | 20 | |
| Seminars | 8 | 4 in term 1, 4 in term 2 | 1 hour | 8 | Yes |
| Preparation and Reading | 172 | ||||
| Total | 200 | ||||
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | 100% | One written assignment | 4,000 words | 100% |
Formative Assessment
One written piece of work to prepare students for the summative assignment.
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.