STUDENT COURSE GUIDE
BUS 655
Micro and Macro Economics
Students learn basic economic concepts, and analyze individual
and economy-wide decisions, using the supply and demand
framework. The course also focuses on the theories of firm
behavior under different market structures and studies the process
of resource allocation through the “invisible hand” of the market,
sometimes helped by government regulation to ensure a balance
between equity and efficiency. Further, aggregate economic
behavior is examined through the study of economic growth,
inflation, unemployment, and money supply. A number of policy
questions and issues are raised, that relate to the way these
variables affect the health of the economy in the near and long
terms.
OUR MISSION ...................................................................................................................................................................3
COURSE OVERVIEW ...........................................................................................................................................................3
MBA PROGRAM OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................... 3
COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES............................................................................................................................. 3
LEARNING RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................................ 4
COURSE POLICIES ..............................................................................................................................................................4
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................................................. 4
WRITING STANDARDS AND RESOURCES .................................................................................................................. 4
CLASS PARTICIPATION AND LATE POLICY ................................................................................................................. 6
ACADEMIC RECYCLING POLICY .............................................................................................................................. 6
COURSE COMMUNICATION .................................................................................................................................. 6
INSTRUCTOR QUESTIONS AND GRADING ................................................................................................................. 6
COURSE AND UNIVERSITY EVALUATION .................................................................................................................. 6
STUDENT ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................................................................................7
DISCUSSION FORUMS ....................................................................................................................................... 7
WEEKLY QUIZZES .............................................................................................................................................. 7
GROUP ASSIGNMENT ......................................................................................................................................... 7
FINAL EXAM ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
COURSE GRADING ........................................................................................................................................... 7
ASSIGNMENTS ............................................................................................................................................................... 10
WEEK ONE – SCARCITY AND ECONOMICS.............................................................................................................. 10
WEEK TWO – DEMAND, SUPPLY, AND ELASTICITY ................................................................................................... 10
WEEK THREE – FIRM PRODUCTION, COSTS, AND PERFECT COMPETITION ...................................................................... 11
WEEK FOUR – MONOPOLY AND IMPERFECT COMPETITION ....................................................................................... 12
WEEK F I V E - FINANCIAL MARKETS AND THE ECONOMY ........................................................................................... 13
WEEK SIX – THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT AND INFLATION ................................................................. 14
WEEK SEVEN – THE ROLE OF MONEY AND MONETARY POLICY ................................................................................... 15
WEEK E I G H T – F I SC A L P O L I C Y A N D T H E E C O NO M Y ...................................................................................... 16
COURSE MAP ................................................................................................................................................................ 17
2
Our Mission
Executive Academy of Scottsdale is committed to providing high-quality distance learning graduate business
education to a diverse group of learners in a flexible, affordable, and student-centered academic environment.
Our programs empower students to achieve career advancement and personal enrichment, and become
expert global leaders committed to the application of sound business practices in corporate governance,
entrepreneurship, and service to the community.
Course Overview
MBA Program Objectives
Students who successfully complete the Master of Business Administration degree program will be able to:

Critical Thinking: solve managerial problems using critical thinking skills and quantitative analysis;

Ethical Reasoning: evaluate the moral and ethical principles practiced in the organizational setting;

Team Development: analyze the use of managerial and leadership skills to develop productive teams;

Decision Making and Execution: research business information to support the decision making process
and execute decisions;

Effective Communication: assess internal and external communication practices used in business; and

Global Thinking: analyze business opportunities and challenges from a global perspective.
Course Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Analyze and show how changes in supply and demand lead to new equilibrium prices and quantities in
markets.

Analyze how economic theory relates to decision-making, interaction, and the workings of the economy
as a whole.

Identify the effects of taxation on markets, and evaluate government policy with regards to equity and
efficiency

Recognize the effect of market structure on firm behavior and market outcomes, including effects on
consumer welfare and profitability

Describe the use of concepts such as GDP, inflation, and unemployment to measure standard of living
and the business cycle.

Analyze the nature of the US financial system and the manner in which it channels funds in the
economy.
3

Identify the effects of fiscal and monetary policies on the economy’s production, employment and
inflation in the short-run and long-run.
Learning Resources
Required Text
Rittenberg, L. & Tregarthen, T. (n.d.). Principles of Economics, v. 2.0 (Flatworldknowledge Study Pass).
Retrieved from www.flatworldknowledge.com.
Course Policies
Student rights and responsibilities and detailed EAS academic information and policies can be found in
the EAS University Catalog. The catalog can be accessed, electronically, through EAS web-site
www.eascottsdale.org. Specific student responsibilities, policies, requirements, and standards applicable
to online coursework are provided below. All university policies apply to students taking this course.
Technology Requirements
Competencies
Students must have the following competencies:
 Ability to access course and program material on the Internet;
 Ability to correspond with University staff, faculty, and students through email and the Internet.
System Requirements
The following system configuration and software are recommended:






Platforms: Mac OS X 10.2 or higher or Windows XP or higher;
Hardware: 256 Mb RAM, CD-ROM, and 1 Gb free disk space;
Productivity Software: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel 2003 or higher; Adobe Reader 8.0 or
higher;
Web Browser: Firefox 3.0 or higher, Internet Explorer 8.0 or higher, Safari 4.0 or higher, or Chrome;
Networking: 56k dialup modem, DSL, or Cable modem;
Email: Outlook, Outlook Express, Mac Mail, Eudora, Entourage, or Yahoo/Hotmail/Gmail.
The following are recommended for optimal performance


Productivity Software: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel 2007 or higher;
Networking: Broadband Internet connection (DSL, cable, or other).
Writing Standards and Resources
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General Guidelines
The following writing standards apply to assignments as part of this course.



All individual and group papers must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or
Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format.
All papers must be formatted according to APA Guidelines listed below. Cited sources must be given
appropriate credit through inclusion in a reference list at the end of the paper, as well as an
appropriately formatted in-text citation must be used.
Paper size guidelines are provided so that students can appropriately focus their writing within a
specified scope. Students should consider these guidelines as approximations, although a significant
deviation on either side of the guideline may be subject to grade penalties.
APA Guidelines
EAS has adopted the use of APA (American Psychological Association) guidelines for use in written
assignments, including papers and discussion posts. These guidelines govern document formatting,
organization, style, and citations. The use of APA guidelines for discussion posts is limited to the
development of in-text citations and reference lists. A more informal writing style is otherwise acceptable
for discussion posts.
Below are some sources of additional information about APA style, which are publicly available information.
1. APA Style website from the American Psychological Association
http://www.apastyle.org/learn/faqs/index.aspx
2. The OWL (Online Writing Lab) from Purdue University
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/
3. The BibMe website to automatically generate APA citations for paper bibliographies.
www.bibme.com
Plagiarism
EAS takes academic honesty very seriously. Students are expected to always submit original work, and
outside sources should be appropriately credited whenever used. Works that require citation include, but are
not limited to, hard copy or electronic publications (copyrighted or not), communication (verbal or
otherwise) originating from identifiable sources. Academic dishonesty occurs when: students use words or
ideas that are not their original work in assignments, citations are not included for all used outside sources,
work is recycled from another course taken by the same student (unless agreed with the instructor in
advance), documents, such as transcripts or diplomas are forged, etc. (EAS University Catalog, 2012)
Faculty members are trained and encouraged to try and prevent plagiarism in their classes. Some steps in
that direction are for a faculty member to make it very clear, through announcements or assignment
instructions, what constitutes plagiarism (as well as the potential consequences), and how assignments
and citations should be formatted. Both students and faculty members are encouraged to check
assignments through a plagiarism checking software. Instances of plagiarism are addressed immediately.
(EAS University Catalog, 2012)
Academic Research
Academic research and papers must meet quality standards recognized by the academic community.
Research should include Primary (original) or Secondary credible sources written by experts in the
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area of study. Peer-reviewed journal articles are required in major course written assignments.
Educational websites such as Wikipedia, Investopedia or others are not recommended for
academic research and referencing in course assignments.
Class Participation and Late Policy
Students are expected to participate and actively contribute to class assignments (including discussions),
demonstrating knowledge of the concepts and theories studied, and the ability to apply that knowledge when
analyzing current events, assigned case studies, or real business questions from their own organizations and
communities. Assignments should be completed timely and within the posted deadlines. Limited extensions of
time may only be granted for unexpected business, health, or personal emergencies, whenever those are
communicated in advance of missing a due date. All late submissions, otherwise, will result in a late penalty of
10% per day that the assignment is late. In the rare occurrence of a technical issue preventing students from
submitting assignments on time, the late penalty will not be applied, provided the technical issue is universitywide and outside of the control of individual students.
Academic Recycling Policy
Re-using of papers submitted for other courses, is generally, not acceptable. Partial recycling may be allowed,
provided that the student receives permission from the faculty member, given the individual circumstances
for each assignment. Using coursework from a previous class, partially or in its entirety, without explicit
prior approval of the faculty member may result in a failing grade for the assignment.
Course Communication
Our MBA programs place a high importance on effective written communication. We encourage you to visit
the classroom daily, and to participate in classroom discussions a minimum of 3 days per week. Students are
expected to contribute a minimum of 8 substantive posts per week in order to earn participation credit.
Faculty and students will use the in-course messaging system to exchange private communications related to
the course. For questions that concern the majority of the students in the class, it is best to post the question
in the respective forums assigned for process questions in the virtual classroom.
Instructor Questions and Grading
Questions posted in the course classroom and sent via the course messaging system or email will be
answered within 48 hours. Personal information and questions related to grading must be handled via
private communications in order to protect students’ privacy rights. Discussion board grades will be posted
within 48 hours after the end of each week, i.e. by end of day each Tuesday. Individual and Written
Assignment grades will be posted within 72 hours after the end of each week, i.e. by end of day on
Wednesday after the week they are due. Final grades will be posted within 7 days after the course ends, i.e.
by end of Sunday following the end of the course.
Course and University Evaluation
Students are asked to submit a course evaluation at the end of their course. Your feedback is very important
to your university and faculty members. Your feedback will allow us to improve the quality of our programs
and ensure successful and productive student experience for future cohorts.
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Student Assessment
Students have a number of opportunities to demonstrate learning through the measures of evaluation
provided below. Please, use the table below to identify the days of the week as referenced in this
section. Please, note that each week starts with Monday and ends with Sunday.
Day 1
Monday
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Discussion Forums
Each Week there will be discussion activities, which require critical thinking and responses that are
based in theory, readings, current events, and personal experiences. All discussions pertaining to the
topics of a particular week must take place within that week. Students should plan to begin
participating in discussions early in the week, so as to allow a substantive discussion and exchange
of ideas to take place within the week.
Weekly Quizzes
Every week, there will be quizzes offered in the online classroom, which consist of multiple-choice
problems. Quizzes are meant for practicing of the concepts and theories studied in class. Quizzes can be
taken multiple times and are scored automatically.
Group Assignment
Students are required to work in study groups of 3-4 people, to complete one group assignment. Your
faculty member will assign students into groups during Week 1. It is expected that all group members will
contribute to group assignments, and faculty members reserve the right to assign individual grades to group
assignments as needed.
Final Exam
There is a final exam, which is administered in the virtual classroom and is open for students throughout
Week 8. The final exam may include a variety of question types, including definitions, calculation
problems, or analysis from all topics covered throughout the term.
Course Grading
MBA Program Grading Philosophy
Students should note that the average grade for EAS is a grade of “B”. Students, whose performance is
solid and meets expectations consistently, can expect to earn this grade. Our university is very focused on
ensuring that classes are not grade inflated and as such, grades of “A” are only provided for those
assignments and activities for which a student goes beyond expectations. Please, note that per university
policy, grades less than B are not meeting standards of graduate school competency and students whose
cumulative GPA falls below B are subject to being placed on Academic Probation or Dismissal, as detailed in
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the University Catalog .
Course Grading Rubric
The following grading rubric will be used in evaluating student work in discussions and written
assignments.
Above Expectations
(A range)
Critical
Student uses relevant,
Thinking/Originality professional or personal
experience in a unique and
insightful manner that adds
substantially to the
knowledge on the topic.
Content/Subject
Student thoroughly
Knowledge.
addresses all elements of
the question and
demonstrates an advanced
knowledge of the theory
behind the question
Meet Expectations
(B range)
Student uses relevant,
professional or personal
experience.
Below Expectations
(C-F range)
Student poorly applies
relevant, professional or
personal experience to
the topic.
Student addresses most
of the elements of the
discussion question, and
demonstrates a basic
knowledge of the theory
behind it.
Frequency of
Participation for
Discussions
Student responds in a
substantive manner to
Discussion Questions or
colleagues’ responses at
least 8 times during the
respective week as counted
in all discussion forums
together.
Student responds in a
substantive manner to
Discussion Questions or
colleagues’ responses at
least 5 times during the
respective week as
counted in all discussion
forums together.
Organization and
Mechanics
Writing contains very few,
if any, minor errors related
to grammar, spelling,
sentence structure or
clarity. Student properly
cites resources, if applicable
Writing contains errors
related to grammar,
spelling, sentence
structure or clarity, but
the errors do not impact
understanding of the
content. Student cites
resources, if applicable.
Student fails to address
a majority of the
elements in the
discussion question, and
does not demonstrate
basic knowledge of the
topic.
Student responds nonsubstantively to
Discussion Questions or
colleagues’ responses
and/or responds less
than 5 times during the
respective week as
counted in all discussion
forums together.
Writing contains errors
related to grammar,
spelling, sentence
structure, and citations,
and the errors impact
the clarity of the post.
Course Grading Breakdown
Please note that there are no D grades or plus or minus signs.
Letter Grade
Percent
A
B
C
F
90-100
80-89
70-79
69 and below
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Grading Percent Breakdown
Discussion Forums
Individual Quizzes
Group Assignment
Final Exam
Total:
36%
24%
20%
20%
100 %
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Assignments
Week One – Scarcity and Economics
Objectives

Specify how economic theory relates to decision-making, interaction, and the workings of the
economy as a whole.
Define concepts such as scarcity, efficiency, and thinking at the margin.
Understand the resources to production and identify the role of government in the economy.
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
Assignments Overview
Assignment
Due Date
Format
Post your Introduction
Day 1 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
General Readings Discussion
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz
Day 7
Quiz
Readings
1. Rittenberg, L. & Tregarthen, T. (n.d.). Principles of Economics, v. 2.0 (Flatworldknowledge Study
Pass). Retrieved from www.flatworldknowledge.com. Chapters 1-2
Discussion Forums
Participate in the following Discussion Forums:
1. Due by Day 1. Post your Introduction on the discussion forum titled, "Post Your Introduction." Briefly
introduce yourself to your cohort and faculty member. Identify your primary skills and qualifications
as they relate to business and economics and describe what you would like to gain from this course,
as well as your goals for the program in general. Additionally, explain what economics is from your
point of view and based on your experience. Greet and respond to your fellow students’ postings.
2. Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapters
and post an overview of the readings - discuss the concepts and theories presented. Use your
personal experience or work examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of
your colleagues’ posts. All responses must be completed by Day 7.
Week Two – Demand, Supply, and Elasticity
Objectives


Understand the determination of market prices through the interaction of supply and demand.
Define the factors which impact price elasticity of demand and supply.
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Assignments Overview
Assignment
Due Date
Format
General Readings Discussion
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Current Events Discussion
Day 5 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz
Day 7
Quiz
Readings
1. Rittenberg, L. & Tregarthen, T. (n.d.). Principles of Economics, v. 2.0 (Flatworldknowledge Study
Pass). Retrieved from www.flatworldknowledge.com. Chapters 3-5
2. Current Event articles posted on the course web-site (under Current Events Discussion Forum).
Discussion Forums
Participate in the following Discussion Forums:
1. Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapters
and post an overview of the readings - discuss the concepts and theories presented. Use your
personal experience or work examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of
your colleagues’ posts. All responses must be completed by Day 7.
2. Initial Post Due by Day 5. Current Events Discussion. Read the articles posted under Current
Events Discussion forum. Summarize the readings and analyze the current events using
economic concepts and principles learnt in this week’s reading materials. Respond to some of
your colleagues’ posts. All responses must be completed by Day 7.
Week Three – Firm Production, Costs, and Perfect Competition
Objectives
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
Understand the determination of market supply through the production function, inputs and
costs.
Apply marginal analysis in the determination of output, prices, and profits.
Analyze the structure and behavior of perfectly competitive firms.
Assignments Overview
Assignment
Due Date
Format
General Readings Discussion
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Current Events Discussion
Day 5 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz
Day 7
Quiz
11
Readings
1. Rittenberg, L. & Tregarthen, T. (n.d.). Principles of Economics, v. 2.0 (Flatworldknowledge Study
Pass). Retrieved from www.flatworldknowledge.com. Chapters 8-9
2. Current Event articles posted on the course web-site.
Discussion Forums
Participate in the following Discussion Forums:
1. Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook
chapters and post an overview of the readings - discuss the concepts and theories presented.
Use your personal experience or work examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond
to some of your colleagues’ posts. All responses must be completed by Day 7.
2. Initial Post Due by Day 5. Current Events Discussion. Read the articles posted under
Current Events Discussion forum. Summarize the readings and analyze the current events
using economic concepts and principles learnt in this week’s reading materials. Respond to
some of your colleagues’ posts. All responses must be completed by Day 7.
Week Four – Monopoly and Imperfect Competition
Objectives


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Understand firm behavior under Monopoly, Oligopoly and Monopolistic Competition.
Compare and contrast the characteristics of the different market structures.
Identify government policies to correct inefficiencies associated with some market structures.
Assignments Overview
Assignme
nt
General Readings Discussion
Due Date
Format
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz
Day 7
Quiz
Paper Assignment
Day 7
Group Assignment
Readings
Rittenberg, L. & Tregarthen, T. (n.d.). Principles of Economics, v. 2.0 (Flatworldknowledge Study Pass).
Retrieved from www.flatworldknowledge.com. Chapters 10-11.
NOTE: No Current Events discussion this week.
Discussion Forums
Participate in the following Discussion Forums:
Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapters and
post an overview of the readings - discuss the concepts and theories presented. Use your
personal experience or work examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of
12
your colleagues’ posts. All responses must be completed by Day 7.
Written Assignments
Group paper assignment due by Day 7. The purpose of this assignment is for students to work together in a
group of 3-4 students, to differentiate between different market structures and to identify companies that are
representative of each market structure. The outputs of this assignment are two:
Please, complete the following table by providing examples of specific organizations that belong in each market
structure and then completing all the rows in the table for the respective organizations and structures, according
to theory.
Perfect competition
Monopoly
Monopolistic Competition
Oligopoly
An example of an
organization
Goods or services
produced by the
organization
Barriers to entry
Numbers of
organizations
Price elasticity of
demand
Economic profits: Is
there a presence of
economic profits?
(Yes or no) Specify if
short-run or long-run.
Write a paper of 1500-2000 words detailing each of the four companies that were chosen to illustrate the
structures. Gather some information about these companies through research. Provide a brief history of the
companies, introduce their products and discuss the market structure, main competitors, pricing, and
advertising decisions and profitability. Please, use APA guidelines to format your paper: generally, a title page is
required, as well as a reference page including all sources used in the research.
Week Five - Financial Markets and the Economy
Objectives


Describe the fundamentals of the financial system and the way in which it channels funds between
borrowers and lenders.
Describe the use of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), inflation, and unemployment to measure
economic well-being and the business cycle.
Assignments Overview
Assignment
General Readings Discussion
Due Date
Format
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
13
Current Events Discussion
Day 5 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz
Day 7
Quiz
Readings
1. Rittenberg, L. & Tregarthen, T. (n.d.). Principles of Economics, v. 2.0 (Flatworldknowledge Study Pass).
Retrieved from www.flatworldknowledge.com., Chapter 13 (sections 1 and 2) and Chapters 20-21.
2. Current Event articles posted on the course web-site.
Discussion Forums
Participate in the following Discussion Forums:
1. Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapters
and post an overview of the readings - discuss the concepts and theories presented. Use your
personal experience or work examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of
your colleagues’ posts. All responses must be completed by Day 7.
2. Initial Post Due by Day 5. Current Events Discussion. Read the articles posted under Current
Events Discussion forum. Summarize the readings and analyze the current events using
economic concepts and principles learnt in this week’s reading materials. Respond to some of
your colleagues’ posts. All responses must be completed by Day 7.
Week Six – The Relationship Between Unemployment and Inflation
Objectives


Describe the nature of aggregate demand and aggregate supply and the way unemployment and
inflation are determined.
Define recessionary gap and inflationary gap and analyze their relationship with a country’s production,
employment, and inflation.
Assignments Overview
Assignment
Due Date
Format
General Readings Discussion
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Current Events Discussion
Day 5 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz
Day 7
Quiz
Readings
1. Rittenberg, L. & Tregarthen, T. (n.d.). Principles of Economics, v. 2.0 (Flatworldknowledge Study Pass).
Retrieved from www.flatworldknowledge.com., Chapters 22-23
2. Current Event articles posted on the course web-site.
14
Discussion Forums
Participate in the following Discussion Forums:
1. Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapters and
post an overview of the readings - discuss the concepts and theories presented. Use your personal
experience or work examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of your colleagues’
posts. All responses must be completed by Day 7.
2. Initial Post Due by Day 5. Current Events Discussion. Read the articles posted under Current Events
Discussion forum. Summarize the readings and analyze the current events using economic concepts
and principles learnt in this week’s reading materials. Respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by Day 7.
Week Seven – The Role of Money and Monetary Policy
Objectives


Describe the nature, and creation of money in the economy, and the financial markets.
Analyze monetary policy and the role of the Central Bank (the Fed) in reaching the goals of economic
growth and low inflation.
Assignments Overview
Assignment
Due Date
Format
General Readings Discussion
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Current Events Discussion
Day 5 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz
Day 7
Quiz
Readings
1. Rittenberg, L. & Tregarthen, T. (n.d.). Principles of Economics, v. 2.0 (Flatworldknowledge Study
Pass). Retrieved from www.flatworldknowledge.com., Chapters 24-26
2. Current Event articles posted on the course web-site.
Discussion Forums
Participate in the following Discussion Forums:
1. Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapters
and post an overview of the readings - discuss the concepts and theories presented. Use your
personal experience or work examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of
your colleagues’ posts. All responses must be completed by Day 7.
2. Initial Post Due by Day 5. Current Events Discussion. Read the articles posted under Current
15
Events Discussion forum. Summarize the readings and analyze the current events using
economic concepts and principles learnt in this week’s reading materials. Respond to some of
your colleagues’ posts. All responses must be completed by Day 7.
Week Eight – Fiscal Policy and the Economy
Objectives



Describe the roles of the government bodies that determine national fiscal policies.
Explain the effects of fiscal policies on the economy’s production and employment.
Analyze the nature and determinants of short-run and long-run economic growth.
Assignments Overview
Assignment
Due Date
Format
General Readings Discussion
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz
Day 7
Quiz
Final Exam
Day 7
Individual Assignment
Readings
1. Rittenberg, L. & Tregarthen, T. (n.d.). Principles of Economics, v. 2.0 (Flatworldknowledge Study
Pass). Retrieved from www.flatworldknowledge.com., Chapters 27, 31, and 34.
NOTE: No current Events discussion this week.
Discussion Forums
Participate in the following Discussion Forums:
Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapters
and post an overview of the readings - discuss the concepts and theories presented. Use your
personal experience or work examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of
your colleagues’ posts. All responses must be completed by Day 7.
Final Exam
Individual Assignment Due by Day 7. FINAL EXAM
The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with a test of your understanding of economics concepts
and analysis. The exam will consist entirely of short-answer questions. Be sure that you understand the
concepts and analysis presented in the textbook and course lecture notes. Your exam will be posted in our
virtual classroom at the start of Week 8 and can be completed at any time during week 8. The exam will be open
book and must be completed without assistance.
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Course Map
The course map illustrates the careful design of the course through which each learning objective is
supported by one or more specific learning activities in order to create integrity and pedagogical depth
in the learning experience.
LEARNING OUTCOME
WEEK
ASSIGNMENT
Analyze and show how changes in supply and
demand lead to new equilibrium prices and
quantities in markets.
1-8



Discussion Forums
Written Assignments
Final Exam
Analyze how economic theory relates to
decision-making, interaction, and the workings
of the economy as a whole.
1-8



Discussion Forums
Written Assignments
Final Exam
1,2,4


Discussion Forums
Written Assignments
1-4


Discussion Forums
Written Assignments
Identify the effects of taxation on markets, and
evaluate government policy with regards to equity
and efficiency.
Recognize the effect of market structure on firm
behavior and market outcomes, including effects
on consumer welfare and profitability.
Describe the use of concepts such as GDP, inflation,
and unemployment to measure standard of living
and the business cycle.
5-8



Discussion Forums
Written Assignments
Final Exam
Analyze the nature of the US financial system and
the manner in which it channels funds in the
economy.
5-7


Discussion Forums
Written Assignments
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Discussion Forums
Written Assignments
Final Exam
Identify the effects of fiscal and
monetary policies on the economy’s
production, employment and inflation in
the short-run and long-run
7-8
17
MBA Program Objectives
Course Learning
Objectives
Team
Critical
Ethical
DevelopThinking Reasoning
ment
Decision
Making
and
Execution
Analyze and show how changes in
supply and demand lead to new
equilibrium prices and quantities
in markets.
V
Analyze how economic theory
relates to decision-making,
interaction, and the workings of
the economy as a whole.
V
V
Identify the effects of taxation
on markets, and evaluate
government policy with regards
to equity and efficiency.
V
V
V
V
V
V
Describe the use of concepts such as
GDP, inflation, and unemployment
to measure standard of living and V
the business cycle.
V
V
V
Analyze the nature of the US
financial system and the manner in
which it channels funds in the
economy.
V
V
V
Identify the effects of fiscal and
monetary policies on the
economy’s production,
employment and inflation in the
short-run and long-run
V
V
V
Recognize the effect of market
structure on firm behavior and
market outcomes, including
effects on consumer welfare and
profitability.
V
Effective
Communication
V
V
V
V
V
18
Global
Thinking
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V