Syllabus
Science Prerequisites for Health Professionals
ECON 1011: Macroeconomics (Summer 2024)
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
Program Outcomes
In lecture courses, students should be able to:
- Communicate scientific concepts and information clearly.
- Illustrate fundamental laws, theories, and principles of scientific disciplines.
- Apply knowledge and critical thinking skills to scientific problems.
Course 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.
SELF PACED DESIGN
On the course start date, students will have access to orientation. This must be completed to be able to gain access to the first module in the course. Students must complete the first module to gain access to the next one. We recommend that students spend about 15 hours per week to complete a course in 16 weeks. When trying to complete the course in less than 16 weeks, we typically see students do this successfully within 12-14 weeks. Instructors will be timely in grading and feedback, but it will not be instant.
Assignments
MIDTERM AND FINAL EXAM
These exams account for 40% of your grade and are designed to review important concepts found in the module materials. Each exam has 50 multiple choice and/or True or False questions, covers several modules and you will have 80 minutes to complete each exam.
Both the midterm and final will be proctored. The University of New England has contracted with ProctorU to provide students with the most convenient online exam proctoring system. Upon enrollment into the course, you will register with ProctorU and establish a login name and password. This will give you access to all of ProctorU’s services.
When you’re ready, you will schedule your exam time with ProctorU at least 72 hours prior to taking the exam. Please refer to the full requirements for proctored exams in the Policies section below. You must purchase the Official UNE External Webcam to take your proctored examinations. Remember to order your webcam at least three weeks prior to scheduling your first proctored exam.
The exams are closed book, closed notes, and no additional resources may be used during the exam session. The exams are also closed for review. You will not be able to review these exams at any time. You may contact your instructor for specific feedback on your exam.
PRACTICE QUIZZES
Module quizzes should help evaluate your performance and readiness to take the exams. Quizzes are assigned for every module covered in the course. Collectively, quizzes account for 20% of your final grade. You will have 15 quizzes, two attempts for each quiz. You will have 90 minutes to complete each attempt.
You will NOT be able to see the answers to the questions you missed prior to your next attempts. However, you will be able to see which quiz questions you missed.
WORKSHEETS
Each week you will have a worksheet. You will have one attempt with the possibility to submit a second/final attempt the following week. I recommend that each week, you read and re-read the modules and any associated material posted until you are confident in your understanding of the material and then attempt the assigned worksheet.
DISCUSSION BOARD POSTS
There will be four discussion board posts. You can access these forums under the weekly Modules. You are required to create a new thread with a response to the question posted in the Forum Description. Once you create your thread, you will be able to view other threads in the forum by your classmates. You are then required to post a response to at least two of your classmates’ threads.
SHORT-ESSAY
You are required to write one essay that should have a maximum of 500 words. The essay should be completed in .doc, docx or .rtf format using APA format. The essays are not meant to be research papers. They are summary reports that link topics you have been learning in class to current economic news found in media articles. The basic idea of the essay is to allow you to read, think and write on the assigned topic while relating basic theory to real life.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Grade Weight |
|---|---|
| Midterm Exam (Modules 1-8, multiple choice questions) | 20% |
| Final Exam (Modules 9-15, multiple choice questions) | 20% |
| Quizzes (15) | 20% |
| Assignments (14) | 20% |
| Discussion questions (5) | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
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
COURSE OUTLINE
Week 1 – Why Study Economics
Week 2 – Economic Way of Thinking
Week 3 – Supply and Demand
Week 4 – Applications of Supply and Demand
Week 5 – GDP and Economic Growth
Week 6 – Unemployment and Inflation
Week 7 – Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply
Week 8 – Keynesian and Neoclassical Perspective
MIDTERM
Week 9 – Money and Banking
Week 10 – Monetary Policy
Week 11 – Exchange Rates and International Capital Flows
Week 12 – Fiscal Policy
Week 13 – Macroeconomic Policy around the world
Week 14 – International Trade and Globalization
Week 15 – Inequality, Poverty, and Discrimination
FINAL EXAM
|
Week |
Topic |
Readings/Resources |
Assignments |
|
1 |
Why Study Economics |
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2 |
Economic Way of Thinking |
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3 |
Supply and Demand |
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4 |
Applications of Supply and Demand |
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5 |
GDP and Economic Growth |
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6 |
Unemployment and Inflation |
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|
7 |
Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply |
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8 |
Keynesian and Neoclassical Perspective |
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Midterm |
Midterm Exam |
||
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9 |
Money and Banking |
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10 |
Monetary Policy |
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11 |
Exchange Rates and International Capital Flows |
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12 |
Fiscal Policy |
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13 |
Macroeconomic Policy around the world |
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14 |
International Trade and Globalization |
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15 |
Inequality, Poverty, and Discrimination |
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16 |
Final |
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Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you - they will monitor course progression and provide assistance or guidance when needed. Please don’t hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, course materials, billing, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Science Prerequisites page
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Instructor and Support Contact Information
Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.
Student Lounge
The Student Lounge Discussion Forum is a designated support forum in which students may engage with each other and grapple with course content. Feel free to post questions, seek clarification, and support each other, but be mindful of UNE's Academic Integrity Policy.
Your instructor will monitor this forum. However, if you are seeking specific and timely answers to questions about course content or your personal grades, please contact your instructor via course messages. For questions about course materials, program policy, and how to navigate and proceed through the course, please contact your Student Service Advisor through the Student Portal.
Policies
Proctored Examinations
Your course may have proctored exams. The University of New England has contracted with ProctorU to provide students with the most convenient online exam proctoring system. This system provides a simple, no cost to the student, secure, online proctor for exams and allows the student to take all the exams at home and on their own schedule.
Upon enrollment into the course, each student will register with ProctorU and establish a login name and password. This will give the student access to all of ProctorU's services. When ready, students will schedule each of their proctored exams with ProctorU. Exams must be scheduled at least 72 hours in advance to avoid fees. Prior to taking their exams, students must be sure that they have downloaded any required additional software. They must also be sure their testing site's connection meets the minimum requirements by using ProctorU's "Test It Out" utility.
Upon the exam day and hour, students will log in to ProctorU and click on "exams". After following the procedures outlined at ProctorU's website, the student will log in to Brightspace and locate their correct exam. The proctor will then allow student access to that exam.
Students must follow all proctoring requirements for their exams to be credited. Please contact your instructor for specific feedback.
Exam Attempts Policy
Students will receive two attempts at all proctored examinations. The higher score of the two attempts will be calculated into the final grade. Students can schedule their second attempt by following the same ProctorU instructions as with the original exam.
All students are encouraged to utilize a second attempt on their exams in order to improve their overall performance in the course.
Course Discussions
Discussion topics cover events or materials related to this course that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. Each discussion topic may require you to conduct internet research, read additional materials, visit a specific webpage, AND/OR view a short video before writing a response following the specific guidelines in the discussion topic prompt.
To earn full credit you will need to post a response to the discussion topic, respond to the original posts of other students, and then contribute meaningfully to an ongoing discussion. You may need to post your initial response before you will see any posts from your classmates. For special cases where one or two students are accelerating faster through the course, the instructor will participate in the discussion so that everyone has the opportunity to interact.
Please see Brightspace for a full description, along with specific guidelines, for each discussion topic. Discussion board assignments should be completed, along with all other assignments in the course, in the order that they appear. Due to the course design, you may be unable to take a proctored exam if you do not complete all assignments that appear prior to that exam.
Please also refer to the Grading Policy/Grade Breakdown section of the syllabus to learn the percentage of your grade that each discussion is worth.
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. This is, however a self-paced course and you can complete the course in less time.
- Courses in the SPHP program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 16 weeks
- Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar found on the Student Success Portal.
- Course start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.
Withdrawal and Refund Policies
Please visit the enrollment page to review the withdrawal and refund policies.
Grade Policy
Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course. View the incomplete grade policy..
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 Program Director. 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.
Using Generative AI When Completing Coursework
Generative AI (GenAI) applications (like ChatGPT) have proven to be powerful and effective tools, and students are encouraged to become familiar with and use them. However, as with any tool, students must use GenAI in ways that support learning, not replace it. Learning to use AI responsibly and ethically is an important skill in today’s society.
In their courses, students are not allowed to use advanced automated tools, such as generative AI tools, on assignments unless explicitly directed to do so. Each student is expected to complete each assignment, including labs and quizzes as applicable, without substantive assistance from others, including automated tools.
Using AI-content generators to complete assignments without proper attribution violates academic integrity. By submitting assignments in UNE courses, you pledge to affirm that they are your own work and you attribute use of any and all tools and sources.
Unauthorized Use
Unauthorized use of AI is treated as a violation of academic integrity.
Citing AI Use
If permitted, students should indicate and cite any use of AI tools.
Instructor responsibility
Instructors should clearly reiterate, using UNE Online’s Policy, how students can use AI tools in their courses, and communicate this policy to students at the beginning of the semester.
Student responsibility
Students must follow the academic integrity policy of the University of New England.