ECN317: International Trade & International Finance Information for Electives Faculty of Business Plymouth University

1. An Introduction to ECN317
International Trade and International Finance
Prerequisite: equivalent knowledge to
that of Principles of Economics

2. What does the module do?
The aims of this 20-credit level 6 undergraduate module are:
 To investigate major trends in international trade, why trade
occurs and why governments intervene.
 To investigate the balance of payments, exchange rates and
the international monetary system.
 To discuss the implications of the globalisation of economic
activity.

3. Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module you should be able to:
 Explain and evaluate alternative theories of international
trade in relation to modern trade patterns;
 Debate issues of globalisation;
 Apply economic analysis to current policy issues in world
trade;
 Analyse and explain the importance of international financial
markets;
 Appraise the development and performance of the
international monetary system.

4. Teaching and Learning Style
 This module is delivered by a series of weekly lectures and
fortnightly tutorials.
 Attendance to lectures and tutorials are compulsory. We use
the Personal Response System (the ‘clickers’) to record
attendance.
 The student cohort will be split into different streams; each
stream will be assigned a tutorial time/date. You will need to
prepare for the tutorials by answering questions on the
tutorial sheets and / or reading articles.
 Outside of lectures and tutorials, you should spend a
considerable amount of time reading, note making, research,
reflective learning and revision on this module.

5. Topics covered
• First half of the module
– World trade growth and structure
– Early and modern theories of international trade
– International trade policy (tariffs, quotas etc.)
– Regionalism, multilateralism (EU, NAFTA, WTO etc.)
– Globalisation, multinationals, Foreign Direct Investment
• Second half of the module
– Balance of payments, exchange rates
– Exchange rate regimes and exchange rate determination
– International lending and financial crises
– International macroeconomics and finance
– Regional monetary integration

6. Assessment
This module is assessed by coursework (40%) and examination
(60%).
• ASSESSED COURSEWORK (40%)
There will be a single piece of coursework which is compulsory.
Details will be released later.
• EXAMINATION (60%)
There will be a three hour written examination worth 60% of the
final mark for the module.