Economics (ECON) 248

Overview

ECON 248: Macroeconomics, in conjunction with ECON 247: Microeconomics, provides a basic introduction to the entire discipline of economics. The study of microeconomics, macroeconomics, or both can help all students to understand our society better. While microeconomics deals with individual decision makers in households, firms, and governments, macroeconomics deals with aggregates. ECON 248 looks at economy-wide issues such as inflation, unemployment, balance of international payments, and the way that government policies affect these variables.

ECON 248 deals with both economic theory and economic policy. For the future economist, the theory is absolutely essential, because senior economics courses will assume that you have already mastered certain analytical tools that economists routinely use.

In order to develop this understanding of economic issues and theories, you will need to learn:

• economic definitions (e.g., how economists use terms like investment, money, and unemployment);
• economic facts (e.g., what the powers and responsibilities of the Bank of Canada are); and
• analytical tools (e.g., how economists determine the relationship between investment and unemployment).

Economics is a quantitative discipline. By its very nature, it deals with numbers and requires some understanding of mathematics.

Outline

Unit 1: Introduction to Economics

Unit 2: Monitoring Macroeconomic Trends and Fluctuations

Unit 3: Macroeconomic Trends: The Real Economy

Unit 4: Macroeconomic Trends: The Money Economy

Unit 5: Macroeconomic Fluctuations

Unit 6: Macroeconomic Policy

Evaluation

To receive credit for ECON 248, you must receive a grade of 50 percent or better on the final examination, and achieve an overall grade of at least “D” (50 percent) for the entire course. Your final grade is determined by a weighted average of the grades you receive on the activities listed below. The weightings for each of these activities are as follows:

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbook

Other Materials

All other course materials will be accessed online. The course materials for this course are shipped as a shrink-wrapped package. If the shrink wrap is broken, the materials are not returnable.

Challenge for Credit Course Overview

The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they 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 for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy
• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures

Challenge Evaluation

To receive credit for the ECON 248 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least “D” (50 percent) on the examination.

Paper Exam (3 hours)

Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form

• Challenge for Credit Form