Module ECON3171: Development Economics

Department: Economics

ECON3171: Development Economics

Type	Level	Credits	Availability	Module Cap	Location
Tied	3	20	Available in 2026/2027		Durham

Tied To

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 tutorials. Learning takes place through attendance at lectures; preparation and participation in tutorials 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
Tutorials	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.