PD:Economia Internacional

Teaching plan for the course unit

General information

Course unit name: International Economics

Course unit code: 364567

Academic year: 2025-2026

Coordinator: Eduard Gracia Rodriguez

Department: Department of Economics

Credits: 6

Single program: S

Estimated learning time

Total number of hours 150

Face-to-face and/or online activities

	- Lecture with practical component	Face-to-face		45
	- Problem-solving class	Face-to-face		15

Supervised project

Independent learning

Recommendations

A basic understanding of both microeconomics and macroeconomics is highly desirable.

Competences / Learning outcomes to be gained during study

-	CG5 - Ability to work in a team (capacity to collaborate with others and contribute to a common project, capacity to work in cross-disciplinary and multicultural teams).
-	CG8 - Capacity to communicate in English and/or other foreign languages orally and in writing, comprehension skills, and mastery of specialized language.
-	CB5 - Learning skills that are necessary to undertake further study with a high degree of autonomy.
-	CG3 - Capacity for learning and responsibility (capacity for analysis, synthesis, to adopt global perspectove and to apply knowledge in practice).

-	CE3 - Understanding of the structure and operation of international markets, to detect the potential implications of increasing internationalization and the new global framework.

Learning objectives

Referring to knowledge

The primary goal of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive overview of modern trade theory, international macroeconomics and finance.

Students study the causes, dynamics and impact of international trade, global macroeconomics and international financial markets. The course integrates both theoretical and empirical contributions to international trade, macroeconomics and finance with a specific reference to current debates, including such issues as the globalisation of trade, exchange rate movements and financial crises.

Teaching blocks

1. International trade

1.1. Classical trade models

• Introduction to international trade

• The Ricardian model: comparative advantage

• The Heckscher–Ohlin model: factor endowments

• Factor mobility

1.2. New trade theory

• Imperfect competition and economies of scale

• Firm heterogeneity

1.3. Trade policy

2. International macroeconomics

2.1. International macroeconomics

• National income accounting and the balance of payments

• Exchange rate movements

• Macroeconomic policies

• Financial globalisation

• Currency crisis

2.2. Economic integration

• Degrees of economic integration

• Theory of optimum currency areas

Teaching methods and general organization

The teaching methodology combines:

— Theoretical lectures that introduce and discuss the core theoretical material.

— Practical exercises, to be completed individually (though often worked on collaboratively in groups), are typically set on a weekly basis. These tasks are designed to enable students to consolidate their understanding of the course content, apply concepts in practice, and engage more deeply with the implications of the material.

Official assessment of learning outcomes

The course is divided into two parts: the first devoted to trade theory, and the second to international macroeconomics and finance. For students opting for a continuous mode of assessment, the final grade is based on a combination of weekly exercises and two mid-term tests (sat at the end of each of each part of the course), weighted as follows:

25% – Weekly exercises on trade theory

25% – Mid-term test on trade theory

25% – Weekly exercises on international macroeconomics and finance

25% – Mid-term test on international macroeconomics and finance

Examination-based assessment

Students who are unable to meet the demands of continuous assessment, or who prefer to sit the single assessment examination, are entitled to request this mode of evaluation.

The final examination may differ from that of the continuous assessment and accounts for 100% of the final grade.

Repeat assessment

The repeat assessment examination is the same for all students. Marks awarded for completing the continuous assessment activities cannot be carried forward.

Reading and study resources

Check availability in Cercabib

Book

FEENSTRA, Robert C., TAYLOR, Alan M. International economics. 3th. ed. New York: Worth Publishers, 2014.

Catàleg UB

KRUGMAN, Paul R., OBSTFELD, Maurice; MELITZ, Marc J. International economics : theory and policy. 10th ed. Boston : Pearson Addison-Wesley, 2015

Catàleg UB