Main objectives of the course

This course provides an accessible introduction to the key concepts of economics and the fundamental tools used to understand how economies work. Topics include supply and demand analysis, how prices are determined, different types of markets, how we measure economic performance (such as GDP and inflation), the causes of economic booms and recessions, and the role of government and central banks in managing the economy.

You can download the course presentation here

We have 14 sessions, one per week, of 90 min. each. The course is divided into 10 topics, which are covered in the following order:

Week 1	Topic 1. Thinking like an economics
Week 2	Topic 2. Supply and demand analysis
Week 3	Midterm I (topics 1 and 2)
Week 4	Topic 3. Market structure
Week 5	Topic 4. Measuring the economy
Week 6	Midterm II (topics 3 and 4)
Week 7	Topic 5. Economic growth
Week 8	Topic 6. Business cycles
Week 9	Midterm III (topics 5 and 6)
Week 10	Topic 7. The labor market
Week 11	Topic 8. Fiscal policy
Week 12	Midterm IV (topics 7 and 8)
Week 13	Topic 9. Monetary policy
Week 14	Topic 10. International trade

The final grade is the weigthed average of:

• Midterm exams: 40% of the final grade
• There will be 4 midterm exams during the course, but only the best 3 midterm exams will count for the final grade.
• Each midterm exam will cover the material taught since the previous midterm exam.
• The midterm exams will consist of multiple-choice questions and short-answer questions.
• Final exam: 60% of the final grade
• To pass the course, it is necessary to score 5 or higher on the final exam.
• If the student fails the final exam, the final mark to be included in the student’s record will be the final exam mark out of 10.
• If the student does not take the final exam or is unable to take the final exam because the required percentage of attendance has not been achieved, the final exam mark will be zero. This criterion applies to both regular and extraordinary examinations.

Data sources:

• OECD Data Explorer
• Eurostat
• Penn World Table
• FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
• World Bank data