Introduction To Development Economics
- Management Sciences
- 200 level
- 2 credit units
- 119 pages
- 17 units
This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and theories of development economics. It explores the nature of development and underdevelopment, examining various manifestations in developing nations. The course covers historical growth experiences, major development problems, and policies at both domestic and international levels. Topics include poverty, income inequality, population growth, education, health, agricultural and industrial development, trade, and development planning. The course aims to provide a holistic view of sustainable development in a global context.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 200 hours
- Maths
- Basic
- Content
- Theoretical, case study
- Practical work
- No
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assignments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of MGS207, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
- UNIT 1 GENERAL SCOPE OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICSPage 7
- UNIT 2 CLASSICAL THEORIES OF DEVELOPMENTPage 86
- UNIT 3 POVERTY, INCOME INEQUALITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTPage 95
- UNIT4: POPULATION GROWTHS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTPage 102
- UNIT 5 HUMAN CAPITAL: EDUCATION IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTPage 109
- UNIT 6: HUMAN CAPITAL: HEALTH IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTPage 115
- UNIT 1 GLOBALIZATION: INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND DEVELOPMENTPage 151
- UNIT 2: GLOBALIZATION: FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND FOREIGN AIDPage 158
- UNIT 3 COMPOSITE INDICATORS OF DEVELOPMENTPage 164
- UNIT 4 INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTPage 169
- UNIT 5 DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND STRATEGIESPage 175
- UNIT 6 DEVELOPMENT PLANNINGPage 180
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
MGS207 · UNIT 1 GENERAL SCOPE OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
The first 2 unit under module 1 focus on the nature and meaning of development and underdevelopment and its various manifestations in developing countries. They also give you the historical growth experience of developed countries based on the four classic theories of development and thus becomes a benchmark for assessing its relevance to contemporary developing nations.
What you should be able to do
- Explain the nature, goals, and means of development and underdevelopment.
- Highlight the historical growth experience of developed countries.
- Identify major development problems and policies at both domestic and international levels.
- Analyze developmental problems of poverty and income inequality, health, and education.
- Describe the variants of globalization in international trade, migration, foreign investment, and foreign trade.
What it prepares you for
- Development Economist
- Policy Analyst
- International Development Consultant
- Economic Planner
- Researcher
- Government Agencies
- International Organizations
- Non-Governmental Organizations
- Consulting Firms
- Research Institutions
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 1:
Unit 2: Classic Theories of Development
The classic theories require understanding of complex economic models and historical contexts, which can be challenging for students without a strong economics background.
- Module 3:
Unit 3: Composite Indicators of Development
This unit requires a comprehensive understanding of various economic and social indicators and their interrelationships, which can be difficult to grasp without prior knowledge of statistics and economics.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 38 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1:
Unit 1: General Scope of Development Economics · 2 hours
Read Unit 1: Understand the scope of development economics and its various dimensions.. Define development and underdevelopment.. Identify the goals of economic development and how they are measured..
Unit 2: Classic Theories of Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Examine Rostow's stages of growth and the Harrod-Domar model.. Analyze the limitations of linear-stages of growth theories.. Understand the role of savings and capital in economic growth..
- Week 2Module 1:
Unit 3: Poverty, Income Inequality and Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 3: Define poverty and income inequality.. Understand the vicious circle of poverty and its implications.. Analyze the relationship between growth and poverty..
Unit 4: Population Growth and Economic Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 4: Analyze the history of world population growth.. Understand the structure of world population and demographic transition.. Examine the causes and consequences of high fertility in developing countries..
- Week 3Module 1:
Unit 5: Human Capital: Education in Economic Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 5: Understand the central role of education in economic development.. Analyze the human capital approach to investing in education.. Examine the gender gap in education and its implications..
Unit 6: Human Capital: Health in Economic Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 6: Understand the central role of health in economic development.. Analyze the relationship between health and population age structure.. Examine the burden of infectious diseases and health system policies..
- Week 4Module 2:
Unit 1: Urbanization and Rural-Urban Migration · 2 hours
Read Unit 1: Understand the migration and urbanization dilemma.. Analyze the role of the urban informal sector.. Examine the causes and consequences of urban unemployment and air pollution..
Unit 2: Agricultural Transformation and Rural Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Understand the role of agricultural progress and rural development.. Analyze the structure of agrarian systems in developing countries.. Examine the role of women in agricultural production..
- Week 5Module 2:
Unit 3: The Employment Problem in Less Developed Countries · 2 hours
Read Unit 3: Understand the concept of unemployment.. Analyze the characteristics of the employment problem in LDCs.. Examine the reasons for employment problems and suggested policy approaches..
Unit 4: Industrialization Strategies for Economic Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 4: Understand the major structural shifts in economic development.. Analyze the economic rationale for industrialization and post-industrialization.. Examine the implications of the knowledge revolution for development sustainability..
- Week 6Module 2:
Unit 5: Public and Private Enterprises · 2 hours
Read Unit 5: Understand the dilemma of public-private ownership.. Analyze the reasons for government intervention in economic activities.. Examine the trend towards privatization..
- Week 7Module 3:
Unit 1: Globalization: International Trade and Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 1: Understand the waves of modern globalization.. Analyze the trade strategies of development.. Examine the costs and benefits of free trade..
- Week 8Module 3:
Unit 2: Globalization: Foreign Investment and Foreign Aid · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Understand the role of private capital flows.. Analyze the ways to attract more foreign investment.. Examine the role of official development assistance..
- Week 9Module 3:
Unit 3: Composite Indicators of Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 3: Understand the development diamond.. Analyze the human development index.. Examine the relationship between economic growth and human development..
- Week 10Module 3:
Unit 4: Indicators of Sustainable Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 4: Understand the concept of sustainable development.. Analyze the composition of national wealth.. Examine the accumulation of national wealth..
- Week 11Module 3:
Unit 5: Development Goals and Strategies · 2 hours
Read Unit 5: Understand the millennium development goals.. Analyze the role of national development policies.. Examine the need for a national sustainable development strategy..
- Week 12Module 3:
Unit 6: Development Planning · 2 hours
Read Unit 6: Understand the nature of development planning.. Analyze the objectives of development planning.. Examine the rationale for development planning..
- Week 13Final Revision
All Units: Review and Exam Preparation · 4 hours
Review all units and prepare for final examination.. Focus on key concepts and theories.. Practice with tutor-marked assignments..
Preparing for the exam
- Review all study units and focus on key concepts and definitions.
- Create summaries of each module to consolidate your understanding.
- Practice with past examination questions to familiarize yourself with the exam format.
- Pay close attention to the tutor-marked assignments and their feedback.
- Allocate sufficient time to each section of the exam based on its weightage.
- Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 poverty and inequality concepts
- Practice applying development theories from Units 7-9 to real-world case studies
- Review the millennium development goals from Unit 15 weekly
- Focus on understanding the core issues in development problems and policies at both domestic and international levels.
- Ensure you can explain and apply the key economic models and theories discussed in the course.
Questions students ask about this course
What is MGS207 about?
This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and theories of development economics. It explores the nature of development and underdevelopment, examining various manifestations in developing nations. The course covers historical growth experiences, major development problems, and policies at both domestic and international levels. Topics include poverty, income inequality, population growth, education, health, agricultural and industrial development, trade, and development planning. The course aims to provide a holistic view of sustainable development in a global context.
How many units does MGS207 have?
MGS207, Introduction To Development Economics, has 17 units across 3 modules, over 119 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is MGS207?
MGS207 carries 2 credit units, at 200 level in Management Sciences.
Is MGS207 hard?
MGS207 is rated intermediate level, with basic mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and case study work.
How long does MGS207 take to study?
About 200 hours of study, spread across its 17 units.
How is MGS207 assessed?
MGS207 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assignments and final examination.
What can I do with MGS207?
Development Economist, Policy Analyst, International Development Consultant, Economic Planner and Researcher.