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Module description: Finance and Monetary Policy in South Africa

Module name

Finance and Monetary Policy in South Africa

Credit points

5 ECTS credits

Courses

Lecture (24 hours in two weeks): 5 ECTS

Lecturers

Dr. Thobeka Ncanywa

Module Coordinator

Dr. Thobeka Ncanywa

Contents

The module introduces fundamental concepts and issues in development with special reference to Developing countries. The contents that will be covered are:

  • An overview of the financial system
  • Development of financial markets
  • Financial institutions and financial crises
  • The conduct of monetary policy and central banks
  • Transmission mechanism of monetary policy
  • Monetary policy theory and controversies in monetary policy

Learning objectives and skills

The overall goal is to gain an overview of central questions and topics in development economics and to get familiar with key theoretical and empirical concepts applied in this field. Students should be able to acquire the following skills:

  • Subject-specific skills: Students critically evaluate different approaches to economic development. They formulate differentiated arguments on questions relevant to causes and consequences of economic development.
  • Methodological skills. Students understand key theoretical models and get familiar with different empirical strategies to test these theories. They demonstrate understanding of verbal, graphical, mathematical and econometric representation of economic ideas and analysis, including the relationship between them.
  • Social skills: Students solve exercises in learning groups. They give feedback on presentations.

Prerequisites

None.

It is recommended that students should be familiar with the foundations of microeconomics and macroeconomics, and have basic knowledge in econometrics and statistics.

Integration in curriculum

First or third semester (winter semester)

Module compatibility

Master program “Development Economics and International Studies”: Regional module, elective module or elective complementary module

Method of examination

  • Written exam (60 minutes).

Grading procedure

Written exam: 100 %

Module frequency

Only in the winter semester 2017/18

Resit examinations

Failed exams can be retaken twice.

Workload

  • Class time: 24 hours
  • Study time: 126 hours

Duration

One semester

Teaching and examination

English

Recommended reading

  • Mishkin Frederick S., Money, Banking and Financial markets business school edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2013.
  • Further reading will be provided during class.

Last modified

October 2017