Syllabus
UNE Summer Session
BUEC 203: Macroeconomics – 6 Weeks
Credits - 3
Description
This course introduces students to macroeconomics, the study of the economy as a whole. Students will learn about the key macroeconomic indicators of GDP, unemployment, and inflation, and then apply these concepts to analyze economic behavior. The topics covered in this course include choice and scarcity; supply, demand, and its applications; GDP and economic growth; unemployment and inflation; the aggregate demand-aggregate supply model; Keynesian economics and Neoclassical economics; fiscal policy; money and banking; monetary policy; policy applications; globalization and trade; exchange rates and international finance; and Inequality, Poverty and Discrimination.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Explain the role of scarcity, specialization, opportunity costs in economic decision-making.
- Identify the determinants of supply and demand and demonstrate the impact of shifts in both market supply and demand curves on equilibrium price and quantity.
- Define GDP, economic growth, and identify sources of economic growth.
- Describe unemployment rate and inflation rate and use them to analyze the economy in quantitative terms.
- Construct the aggregate demand and aggregate supply model of the macro economy and use it to illustrate macroeconomic problems.
- Describe aggregate demand in Keynesian analysis and policy implications of the Neoclassical perspective.
- Define money and money supply; describe the process of money creation by the banking system, and analyze the role of money, credit, and Federal Reserve.
- Apply the principle of comparative advantage to international trade and evaluate the impact of exchange rates to domestic economic activity.
- Analyze government spending, taxation and fiscal policy, and the impact of government borrowing.
- Analyze fiscal and monetary policy decisions to counter business cycles fluctuations by using macroeconomic models.
- Describe absolute and comparative advantage and analyze the effects of barriers to international trade.
- Describe protectionism, and analyze international trade and its effects on jobs, wages and working conditions, and the tradeoffs of trade policy.
- Define Inequality, poverty and discrimination and explain their patterns in the U.S.
Assignments
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Assignments Due Dates
Week 1
Why Study Economics
Economic Way of Thinking
Supply and Demand
Modules 1-3 Quizzes
Modules 1-3 Assignments
Week 1 Discussion
Initial Discussion Posts: 11:59 PM EST on THURSDAY
Response Discussion Posts, Assignments, and Quizzes: 11:59 PM EST on SUNDAY
Week 2
Applications of Supply and Demand
GDP and Economic Growth
Unemployment and Inflation
Modules 4-6 Quizzes
Modules 4-6 Assignments
Week 2 Discussion
Initial Discussion Posts: 11:59 PM EST on THURSDAY
Response Discussion Posts, Assignments, and Quizzes: 11:59 PM EST on SUNDAY
Week 3
Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply
Keynesian and Neoclassical Perspective
Money and Banking
Modules 7-9 Quizzes
Modules 7-9 Assignments
Week 3 Discussion
Initial Discussion Posts: 11:59 PM EST on THURSDAY
Response Discussion Posts, Assignments, and Quizzes: 11:59 PM EST on SUNDAY
Week 4
Monetary Policy
Exchange rates and International Capital Flows
Fiscal Policy
Modules 10-12 Quizzes
Modules 10-12 Assignments
Week 4 Discussion
Initial Discussion Posts: 11:59 PM EST on THURSDAY
Response Discussion Posts, Assignments, and Quizzes: 11:59 PM EST on SUNDAY
Week 5
Macroeconomic Policy around the world
International Trade and Globalization
Inequality, Poverty, and Discrimination
Modules 13-15 Quizzes
Modules 13-14 Assignments
Week 5 Discussion
Initial Discussion Posts: 11:59 PM EST on THURSDAY
Response Discussion Posts, Assignments, and Quizzes: 11:59 PM EST on SUNDAY
Week 6 Final Exam Final Exam Due 11:59 PM EST on FRIDAY
Student Resources
Summer Session Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Email: summersessiononline@une.edu.
Instructor and Support Contact Information
Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.
UNE Libraries
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
Further Assistance
Your student support specialist monitors course progression and provides assistance or guidance when needed. They can assist questions regarding ordering course materials, University policies, billing, navigating the course in Brightspace, and more.
To request an accommodation a student needs to go through the process with our UNE office. If the student has a current/already established accommodation in place with UNE it is the responsibility of the student to notify the program at summersessiononline@une.edu to ensure it is applied properly.
If you need to inquire about a possible accommodation, please reach out to the Student Access Center by calling 207-221-4418 or send an email to pcstudentaccess@une.edu.
Policies
Summer Session & Academic Engagement Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm EDT of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion by 11:59 pm EDT on Sunday of the first week, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the Student Summer Session Manual for full details.
Proctored Examinations
Your course may have proctored exams. Please see the course for the exact exam requirements, test-taker guidance, proctoring format, and allowances (such as calculators or whiteboards, as indicated in the course).
Information about exam attempts can be found in your course.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements.
Course Length
A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus.
Courses in the program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 6 or 12 weeks.
- Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar.
- Course due dates, start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.
Withdrawal and Refund Policies
Please review the policies in your confirmation email. Contact summersessiononline@une.edu with any questions.
Grade Policy
Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course.
Transcripts
Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the College. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.