Overview
Welcome to ECON 366: Economic Development. This three-credit, senior-level course in economics at Athabasca University can be taken as an elective for students in business, political science, international studies, and history. An introductory economics course is a prerequisite for ECON 366.
In this course, you will study the economic circumstances and development experiences of the nations in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. We will examine the likely reasons that some countries have developed more rapidly than others and the range of economic policies that have been implemented to promote the process of economic development.
Outline
ECON 366 is divided into eight units, as outlined below:
- Unit 1: Economic Development: An Introduction and Overview
- Unit 2: Development Ideas in Historical Perspective
- Unit 3: Growth, Poverty, and Income Distribution
- Unit 4: Population Growth, Urbanization, and Internal Migration
- Unit 5: Human Capital: Education and Health in Economic Development
- Unit 6: Agricultural Transformation and Rural Development
- Unit 7: International Trade and Development
- Unit 8: Capital Flows and Development
Learning outcomes
After completing this course, students should be able to:
- explain the broader meaning of development.
- discuss the development experiences and prospects of the countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
- explain the very different levels of development and economic growth in countries around the world.
- explain the relationships between growth and poverty, and growth and income distribution.
- discuss how factors such as technological progress, population growth, urbanization, rural-urban migration, education, and health affect the process of development.
- explain the relationships between international trade and development, and international capital flow and development.
Evaluation
Your final grade in ECON 366 will be based on your performance on five assignments and a Final Examination. The passing grade for the Final Examination is D (50 percent). You must also achieve an overall course grade of at least D (50 percent) to pass the course. The weighting of each assessment activity is indicated in the table below.
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1 | 10% |
| Assignment 2 | 10% |
| Assignment 3 | 10% |
| Assignment 4 | 10% |
| Assignment 5: Essay | 20% |
| Final Exam | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Todaro, M. P., & Smith, S. C. (2020). Economic development (13th ed.). Pearson. ISBN 9781292291208
Other Resources
All other learning resources will be available online.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the ECON 366 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least 50 percent on the examination.
Online Exam (3 hours)
Challenge for credit course registration form