Georgia Southern University
ECON 3132 A: International Trade
Spring 2014
Syllabus
Instructor: Faria Huq
Office: College of Engineering and Information Technology 3136
Phone: (912) 478-2285 (office)
E-mail: fariahuq@georgiasouthern.edu (This is the best way to reach me)
Lecture
Office Hours
DAYS
MWF
MW
T
ROOM
COBA 2241
CEIT 3136
TIME
1:25 – 2:15
2:30 – 4:00 pm
9:30 – 11:30 pm
Or by appointment
Course objectives: The objective of this course is to provide students with an understanding of
both theory and policy issues in the economics of international trade. The topics covered in the
course can be categorized into three main sections. The first section focuses on traditional trade
theories explaining patterns of international trade such as the Ricardian model, the specificfactors model and the Heckscher-Ohlin model. The second section covers the more recent
extensions of the models and includes theories related to increasing returns to scale and
offshoring. The last section focuses on the examination of international trade policies and
includes the welfare and distributional implications of tariffs, quotas and subsidies as well as
additional topics such as international agreements on trade, labor and the environment.
Textbook: Robert Feenstra and Alan Taylor. International Trade, 2nd edition. New York: Worth
Publishers, 2011.
APLIA: The purchase of an Aplia access code is required for the course and you will be given
assignments to do on Aplia which accounts for 25% of your grade. Detailed instructions on how
to access this Aplia course is attached at the end of the syllabus. Aplia comes with a digital copy
of the text book and so your are not required to purchase the physical textbook unless you wish
to.
Prerequisites: ECON 2105 with a grade of “C” or better.
GRADING:
In this course, your total grade will constitute assignments, three exams and a group presentation
and report. The detailed breakdown of your grade is given below.
Assignments:
Group presentation/report:
Exam 1:
Exam 2:
Exam 3 (Final):
25%
15%
20%
20%
20%
Grading Scale:
Total points
Grade
90 – 100
80 – 89.9
70 – 79.9
60 – 69.9
Less than 60
A
B
C
D
F
Attendance/Participation: I will pass out an attendance sheet in the beginning of each class and
it is your responsibility to make sure that you sign it. In addition, I will assign work in class so
make sure you come with your notes for reference. After the add/drop period is over, I will
record the number of unexcused absences. You will be allowed two unexcused absences in the
entire semester and each absence after that will result in a one point deduction from your final
total grade. Absences may be excused for unforeseen circumstances/emergencies as long as
some written documentation is provided for it. Regular attendance is very important in order to
gain a better understanding of the topics covered in class.
Assignments: Assignments will be given to you via APLIA throughout the semester. You can
expect to have one assignment after each chapter covered in class. I will drop your lowest
assignment grade. Late assignments will NOT be accepted. These will account for 25% of your
grade. Assignments will help you to enhance your understanding and do better in the exams.
Assignments will be graded and they will act as guidelines for studying and I would strongly
encourage you to go through them yourself in order for you to do well in this class.
Presentation: Towards the end of the semester, the class will be divided into groups to research
some issue of importance from the field of international trade to present their findings to the rest
of the class (10%). I will provide a list of topics as well as a list of online resources that you may
use as a guide or you may choose your own topic as long as it is relevant to the materials
covered. You will also have to hand in a group report (5%) summarizing your key findings.
Exams: There will be 3 exams given throughout the semester including your final. Each exam
will be 20% of your grade. Dates will be announced at least a week in advance. The tests will
consist of problems similar to the ones in your assignment problem sets and will test your basic
knowledge and concept of the topics covered in class. You need to bring your own calculator for
each exam as I will not allow any sharing. Cell phones may NOT be used as a substitute for a
calculator. Your final exam will be held according to the Georgia Southern Final Exam
schedule, which is available to you through the Georgia Southern website.
Office Hours: You should come to me with any problems during my office hours which are
given above. If for any reason you are unable to attend the office hours given due to work or
class conflicts, please do not hesitate to schedule another time to meet me. If you miss class, it is
YOUR responsibility to catch up with the material – I will NOT go over your missed lectures
during my office hours.
Folio: You will be required to access Folio regularly. Announcements, powerpoint slides,
assignment deadlines and other pertinent course documents/information will be posted on Folio.
Approximate course outline: This is just a tentative outline and is subject to change:
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3
Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4
Chapters 5, 6, 7
Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11
Pet peeves: Cell phones ringing in class and walking in late to class. If I see anyone using a cell
phone in class, 5 points will be deducted from their first exam. 10 points will be deducted for the
second offense, and you will not be allowed to take your first exam for the third offense. If you
are more than 5 minutes late to class, you will not be allowed to sign the attendance sheet.
Academic misconduct: Academic misconduct that includes but is not limited to cheating and
plagiarism are not tolerated. Academic misconduct will result in a failing grade for the course as
well as disciplinary action as set by the university judicial organizations.
Note: I reserve the right to make changes to this syllabus as necessary. If changes are made, I
will notify you in class.