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Syllabus for ECO-490-OL

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

International Economics presents an in-depth examination of the basic principles of international economics. The course broadens your perspective on the growing economic interdependence of nations--how it happens and how it affects lives around the globe. Topics such as industrial policy and strategic trade policy, comparative advantage theory, exchange rate determination and forecasting, international trade in services, environmental regulatory policies, and international competitiveness are covered.



COURSE OBJECTIVES

After successfully completing the International Economics course, you should be able to:

  • Define economic interdependence.
  • Distinguish between absolute and comparative advantage.
  • Describe the operation and effects of tariffs and identify major nontariff barriers to trade.
  • Summarize the history of trade protection in the United States.
  • Describe major regional trading agreements and organizations.
  • Explain the operation of the foreign exchange market.
  • Identify the tools of international economic policy.
  • Discuss the activities of the International Monetary Fund.



COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete the work of the course. They are available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Textbook

  • International Economics, 12th ed., by Robert J. Carbaugh (Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western, a part of the Thomson Corporation, 2009).

The textbook publisher provides free access to the textbook's Web site (http://www.thomsonedu.com/economics/carbaugh). This site provides resources for additional learning and links to Web sites for the study and exploration of economics topics. A link to this Web site is provided in each reading assignment.


COURSE STRUCTURE

International Economics is a three-credit online course. Study assignments include reading chapters in the textbook. You are also required to complete six written assignments, participate in seven graded online discussions, take a proctored midterm examination, and complete a final project in the form of a trade analysis.

There are six (6) assignment modules, each of which comprises one or two units. Units contain your study assignments, discussion activities, and written assignments.

For the course's six assignment modules, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. See also the course Calendar.)

ONLINE PARTICIPATION

In addition to posting an introduction to the class in module 1, you are required to participate in seven graded online discussions, each focusing on an international economics issue.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a discussion question and at least two subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

International Economics has six (6) written assignments consisting of eight (8) essay questions each. One assignment, discussed below, has two parts.

When you have completed all of the assigned reading for a particular assignment, prepare your essay answers to the assignment questions. Use all of the relevant parts of the textbook. Be sure to refer to these directly in your answers. Of course, do not copy the answers word-for-word from the course materials. Answers must be in your own words. Be sure to make appropriate references.

Please answer each essay question as completely as possible (a minimum of about 150 words). Edit your assignment before submitting it. Be sure that you have addressed all required questions and every part of each question. Check your document for accurate spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Make sure that all sentences are complete and that paragraphing is appropriate.

Please note that Written Assignment 4 has two distinct parts to it. Besides answering the 8 essay questions in Part 1, you are required to make a preliminary submission concerning your final project trade analysis. You can get specific information about this preliminary project submission in the appropriate written assignment. Complete details about the project are in the Final Project area of the course Web site.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and submit your assignment file.


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MIDTERM EXAMINATION

International Economics requires you to take a proctored midterm examination. Consult the course Calendar for the scheduling of this exam. The midterm is a closed-book exam. It is two hours long and covers material assigned in Modules 1-3. It consists of essay questions and definitions.

As you prepare for your exam, you may want to:

  • Review all of your reading assignments as well as your written assignments.
  • Define and explain the significance of the key concepts and terms that are listed in the textbook. The Glossary in the textbook may be helpful in this regard.
  • Answer the short-answer questions in the "Study Questions" section at the end of each chapter.

You may take the midterm examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation during the first week of the semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.

For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook.

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FINAL PROJECT

You are required at the end of the semester to submit a final project in which you will compare international trade between two developed countries. This final project will be worth 20 percent of your final grade for the course.

Please note that in addition to submitting the final project trade analysis, you must make one preliminary submission containing information about your project. For specific information about this preliminary step, see the Final Project area of the course Web site. This area of the Web site will also provide details about the final paper.

For details regarding the due date see the course Calendar.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Written Assignments (6)35 percent
Online Discussions (7)15 percent
Midterm Examination30 percent
Final Project20 percent


Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, course examinations, and projects are based on the following numerical grades:

A=93–100C+=78–79
A–=90–92C=73–77
B+=88–89C–=70–72
B=83–87D=60–69
B–=80–82F=Below 60


To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, projects, papers, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

  1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

  2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule your midterm exam and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.

  3. Arrange to take your proctored midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your midterm examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)

  4. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

  5. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

  1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking your examination. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

  2. Explore the Web links and other learning resources provided on the textbook's Web site (http://www.thomsonedu.com/economics/carbaugh). As with print materials, apply caution and the same level of evaluation to any material found on the Web.

  3. Review the steps listed under the heading Midterm Examination in this Syllabus document as you prepare for your examination.

  4. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

Syllabus Index

This document contains the following main sections:

Course Description

Course Objectives

Course Materials

Course Structure

Online Participation

Written Assignments

Midterm Examination

Final Project

Grading and Evaluation

Strategies for Success


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