Course Title: Development Economics

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Development Economics

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

ECON1259

City Campus

Undergraduate

625H Economics, Finance and Marketing

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2011,
Sem 2 2016,
Sem 2 2017,
Sem 2 2018,
Sem 2 2019,
Sem 2 2020,
Sem 2 2021,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 2 2022,
Sem 1 2023,
Sem 1 2024

Course Coordinator: Professor Simon Feeny

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 5901

Course Coordinator Email: simon.feeny@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Melbourne Campus, Building 80

Course Coordinator Availability: Please check with course coordinator


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Required Prior Study
None 

 


Course Description

Reducing poverty and the vast differences in living standards across the world are major issues facing the world today. This course is designed to provide a detailed understanding of the key economic aspects of development.

Issues covered include the meaning of development and how it is measured, the Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals, poverty and inequality, human capital, urbanisation and migration, foreign aid, the global economic crisis and COVID-19. The course draws on the latest research in development as well as on a number of country case studies.

Students will acquire the skills to assess the status of low and middle income countries and evaluate the impact on development of various national and international economic policies.

 


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

-


On successful completion of this course you will be able to:

  1. Apply research techniques to address major challenges facing low and middle income countries.
  2. Apply economic methods in order to assess the status of low and middle income countries.
  3. Critically evaluate economic policies to predict their impact on development.
  4. Assess the huge diversity in living standards across the world and use your contextual knowledge to ascertain why such disparities exist.
  5. Critically evaluate the different theories or perspectives on development to validate and verify their accuracy.


Overview of Learning Activities

The course requires students to participate in the following learning activities:

  • Attendance and note-taking during scheduled lectures/tutorials
  • Reading and note taking from the recommended textbooks and other references

In this course you will be encouraged to be an active learner. Your learning will be supported through various in-class activities. These may include quizzes; assignments; prescribed readings; sourcing, researching and analysing specific information; solving problems; conducting presentations; producing written work and collaborating with peers on set tasks or projects.

 


Overview of Learning Resources

There will be recommended texts, other references and resources.

Various learning resources are available online through MyRMIT Studies\Canvas. The lecture notes and workshop notes are posted on Canvas.

Resources are also available online through RMIT Library databases and other facilities. Visit the RMIT library website for further details. Assistance is available online via our chat and email services, face to face at our campus libraries or via the telephone on (03) 9925 2020.

Additional resources and/or sources to assist your learning will be identified by your course coordinator and will be made available to you as required during the teaching period. 

 


Overview of Assessment

The assessment alignment list below shows the assessment tasks against the learning outcomes they develop.

Assessment Task 1: 20%
Linked CLOs: 3, 4, 5

Assessment Task 2: 40%
Linked CLOs: 2, 5

Assessment Task 3: 40%
Linked CLOs: 1, 3

Feedback will be provided throughout the semester in class and/or in online forums through individual and group feedback on practical exercises and by individual consultation.