If you have ever wondered what all those economic news and statistics mean to you, how policy changes by the government and central bank may affect your living standard, job or investment, and why things happened in countries far away can still find their way to impact on you here, this is the program for you! This is an introductory program in Macroeconomics. It focuses on explaining many macroeconomic phenomena that we either observed first hand or heard indirectly from the media. The program considers long-term economic growth in developed and developing economies. You’ll also learn why a national (or global) economy experiences short-term cycles in activity (e.g., recessions and recoveries) around its long-term growth trend. The behaviour of an economy as a whole is often broadly predictable, but sometimes it can suddenly change due to a range of unpredictable factors such as regional conflicts, financial crises and health emergencies. This program explains what central banks and governments can do to try to smooth these fluctuations and to lift the living standard. Theories or ‘models’ widely used by governments, central banks and the private sector to conduct macroeconomic analyses are explained intuitively as well as discussed critically. The behaviour of the financial system, including the banking system and asset markets, is also considered, especially in the light of financial crises. The three courses are based but extended on an introductory macroeconomics course taught on campus at The University of Queensland. A focus is placed on core economic principles that are immediately applicable rather than formal mathematical theorisation. A distinctive feature of these courses is their strong emphasis on the international aspect of macroeconomics. Recent global economic and non-economic events have highlighted the importance of understanding the interconnection between the domestic and the international economy. This program is for everyone, whether you are studying at university, a career professional interested in expanding your economic knowledge, or simply curious about global economic behaviour and what influences it.
An excellent online course offered by edX: how it works
edX courses consist of weekly learning sequences. Each learning sequence is composed of short videos interspersed with interactive learning exercises, where students can immediately practise the concepts from the videos. The courses often include tutorial videos that are similar to small on-campus discussion groups, an online textbook, and an online discussion forum where students can post and review questions and comments to each other and teaching assistants. Where applicable, online laboratories are incorporated into the course.
edX offers certificates of successful completion and some courses are credit-eligible. Whether or not a college or university offers credit for an online course is within the sole discretion of the school. edX offers a variety of ways to take courses, including verified courses where students have the option to audit the course (no cost) or to work toward an edX Verified Certificate (fees vary by course). edX also offers XSeries Certificates for completion of a bundled set of two to seven verified courses in a single subject (cost varies depending on the courses).
An edX learning programme under Other Experiences
