UnitLevel 1Undergraduate

ECS1102 Introductory macroeconomics

Faculty of Business and Economics

ECS1102 Introductory macroeconomics is a level 1, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Business and Economics, offered in 2020 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at South Africa. It has no prerequisites and unlocks 9 units, leading on to 19 units in all.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2020
Semester 1, Semester 2
South Africa
Assessment
Exam 60%
and 2 other tasks
Workload
144 hours
per semester

This is the 2020 handbook entry. See the 2021 entry.

Reviews

No reviews yet

No reviews yet. Be the first to review ECS1102.

Requisites

Overview

An introduction to the study of economics from a macroeconomic perspective including the following areas of study: trade in a global village, GDP as National Income and Aggregate Expenditure, savings and investment, unemployment, money and the South African monetary system, aggregate demand and supply in the short and long run, monetary and fiscal policy, including the related debates in South Africa as an open economy and as a major economy in Africa.

Offerings in 2020

Teaching periodCampusMode
First semesterSouth AfricaOn campus
Second semesterSouth AfricaOn campus

Assessment

  • Semester Test 1
    20%
  • Semester Test 2
    20%
  • ExaminationThreshold hurdle
    60%

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    gain an insight into the product, money, labour and foreign exchange markets

  2. 2

    develop skills in the application of economic principles to wider social issues

  3. 3

    gain knowledge and understanding of the South African and African economies and their operation in an international environment

  4. 4

    acquire the basis for more advanced studies in economics

  5. 5

    demonstrate in individual summative assessment tasks the acquisition of a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered.

Workload and teaching

  • Lectures144 hours
  • Teaching approachActive learning

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Lecture and tutorials or problem classes

Three principles drive the teaching approaches in this unit:

Constructive Alignment: Learning is strategically aligned to achieve the learning outcomes, as demonstrated through the assessment. Through the weekly lessons you should see clear connections to the assessment program, and learning should be directly transferrable to the assessment program.

Scaffolding: Starting from lower level learning, new knowledge and skills are progressively introduced adding complexity and connections, and expecting higher-order learning. Within each lesson, and across the unit, building upon early activities, you should see your knowledge and skills demonstrate higher capabilities.

Team-Based Learning: Learning is social and interactive, and best achieved through purposefully designed activities that include these interactions. Through your personally developed and shared learning activities you should develop, analyse, connect, synthesise, interpret, evaluate, justify… more than you could on your own.

Learning resources

Required resources

Gans, J., King, S., Byfort, M. and Mankiw, N.G. (2015). Principles of Microeconomics, Cengage Learning, 6th Edition.

Contacts

Chief Examiners
Dr Tendeukayi Mugadza

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for ECS1102?

ECS1102 has no prerequisites.

What can I take after ECS1102?

ECS1102 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 9 units, including ECB2330, ECB3121, ECC2010, ECC2300, ECC2840 and ECF2331. Those lead on to 19 units in all.

When is ECS1102 offered?

In 2020, ECS1102 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at South Africa.

How much work is ECS1102?

The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does ECS1102 have an exam?

Yes. The exam is worth 60% of the final mark, alongside 2 other tasks.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
1
Study level
Undergraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Business and Economics
Organisational unit
Department of Economics
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 3
Study abroad
Not available
Handbook years
20202021