Teaching plan for the course unit

 

 

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General information

 

Course unit name: Economic Environment

Course unit code: 366707

Academic year: 2025-2026

Coordinator: Jordi Vilaseca Requena

Department: Department of Economic History, Institutions and Policy and World Economy

Credits: 6

Single program: N

 

 

Estimated learning time

Total number of hours 150

 

Face-to-face and/or online activities

60

 

-  Lecture with practical component

Face-to-face

 

45

 

-  Group tutorial

Face-to-face

 

15

Supervised project

40

Independent learning

50

 

 

Recommendations

 

Class attendance is highly recommended.

 

 

Competences / Learning outcomes to be gained during study

 

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Capacity for learning and responsibility (capacity for analysis, synthesis, to adopt global perspectives and to apply knowledge in practice, and capacity to take decisions and adapt to new situations).

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Learning skills required to undertake further study with a high degree of autonomy.

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Ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within the field of study) to inform judgements that entail reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues.

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Capacity to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

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Capacity to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in a field of study that builds on general secondary education, typically at a level that, whilst based on the content of advanced textbooks, also requires a knowledge of aspects at the cutting edge of the field of study.

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Capacity to apply knowledge and understanding in a manner that indicates a professional approach to the work or vocation, and competences typically demonstrated through devising and sustaining arguments and solving problems within the field of study.

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Concern for sustainability (capacity to assess the social and environmental impact of actions taken in a particular setting and capacity to adopt integrated and systemic approaches).

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Capacity to identify and understand economic institutions and how they work.

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Capacity to analyse organizations and the environment in which they operate.

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Ability to produce critical analyses of economic theories and models.

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Capacity for learning and responsibility (capacity for analysis and synthesis, to adopt global perspectives and to apply the knowledge acquired / capacity to take decisions and adapt to new situations).

 

 

Learning objectives

 

Referring to knowledge

  • Know the laws of operation of the capitalist economy.
  • Know the characteristics of the world capitalist system.
  • Identify and analyse the factors and obstacles to development and socio-economic underdevelopment.
  • Know the characteristics of the material basis of the world economy: analysis of economic sectors.
  • Know the characteristics of international economic relations and the institutions that regulate them.

 

Referring to abilities, skills

  • Know how to use the corresponding indicators and empirical variables for the study of the world economy.
  • Acquire the capacity to conduct basic research and organize and use information from international statistical sources.
  • Have the ability to interpret and draw conclusions from the use of international statistics.

 

Referring to attitudes, values and norms

  • Have a critical and reflective attitude towards the world economic reality and its problems of poverty, inequality and polarization.
  • Learn to work systematically and respond professionally to the different activities that are requested throughout the course.

 

 

Teaching blocks

 

1. Introduction to the world economy: method and concepts

2. The world capitalist system: structure and dynamics

3. The material basis of the system

4. Economic relations

5. Regulation and world economic institutions

 

 

Teaching methods and general organization

 

Classes consist of both theoretical content on each topic and practical lessons in which students must carry out tasks provided by the lecturers.

 

 

Official assessment of learning outcomes

 

Continuous assessment

Continuous assessment consists of carrying out the exercises proposed by the lecturers in the practical classes (tutored sessions, students in split subgroups, etc.). This assignment is worth 40% of the final grade.

For the practical classes, the group can be split into subgroups on alternate weeks, on whichever days the professor decides throughout the course.

The continuous assessment also includes a final exam, which is worth 60% of the final grade. This exam consists of a set of questions on the entire syllabus worked on during the course.

To pass the continuous assessment, students must obtain a minimum grade of 3 points in the exam.

 

Examination-based assessment

Students who wish to opt for single assessment must inform the lecturer in writing.

Single assessment consists of a final examination worth 100% of the final grade.

The final exam consists of a set of questions on the entire syllabus worked on during the course.

 

Repeat assessment

The repeat assessment examination follows the same structure and criteria as the standard single assessment examination.

The repeat assessment exam consists of a questionnaire on the entire syllabus worked on during the course.

 

 

Reading and study resources

Check availability in Cercabib

Book

Vidal Villa, Marínez Peinado, Vilaseca, et alt (2001). Economía mundial. 2a ed. Madrid. McGraw-Hill.

  Manual used in groups A1, B1 and C1.

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Cairó, Franquesa, Maestro, et alt (2018): Economia Mundial: Deconstruint el capitalisme global.Editorial UB

  Manual used in group A2.

Catāleg UB  Enllaç
Catāleg UB. Versiķ en castellā (2020)  Enllaç

Electronic text

Articles, capítols de llibres i altre material que es facilita al llarg del curs.