Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

ST: Development Economics (Online)

ECON 4900-30I

Course: ECON 4900-30I
Credits: 4
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: ECON
CRN: 30172

Course Description

Development Economics is a branch of economics that focuses on the economic, social, and institutional processes that drive improvements in the living standards of people, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. It seeks to understand the causes and consequences of underdevelopment and explores policies and interventions that can promote sustainable economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve human well-being. The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with the contemporary issues that are faced by developing or lower-middle-income countries. In particular, the course is designed to enlighten students on how these developing countries prosper by overcoming the challenges these countries face. The course is structured to provide students with a broad yet rigorous understanding of key issues in development, blending theoretical foundations with empirical insights and policy relevance. By the end of the course, students should be able to understand some of the basic concepts, theories, and real-world applications of development economics and international development.

Required Texts

Michael P. Todaro and Stephen C. Smith (2020). Economic Development. 13th Edition. The publisher is Pearson.

Learning Outcomes

 After the completion of this course, students will be able to:
  • Define and explain core concepts in development economics, including poverty, inequality, human capital, and economic growth.
  • Understand the real conditions and institutions across the developing world.
  • Apply microeconomic and macroeconomic models to analyze the causes and consequences of underdevelopment.
  • Work with real-world economic and demographic data from developing countries to identify trends and evaluate policy impact.
  • Analyze how institutions, governance, geography, and history influence development outcomes.
  • Discuss and critique major debates in the field, such as the role of remittances, foreign direct investment, trade liberalization, and microfinance in economic development.
  • Assess the effectiveness of development policies and interventions using theoretical reasoning and empirical evidence.
  • Develop analytical skills while broadening their perspectives on the broad scope of the field.

Course Requirements

The students have to take the these class components and the grading will be based on the following assessment components:
  • Quizzes 10%
  • Case Studies 20%
  • Problem Set Assignment  20%
  • Midterm Exam  20%
  • Project Paper 20%
  • Summarization of Journal Articles 10%

Course Outline

 Date                                                      Topics Covered                                            Assignment Due                    Due Date (by 11:59 pm)

Week 0 & Week 1               Introduction to Economic Development:                                       None
(Aug 27 – Sep 7)                                  A Global Perspective
                                                                   (Chapter 1)

Week 2                               Comparative Economic Development                                    Quiz-Chapter 1                                Sep 14 2025
(Sep 8- 14)                                                 (Chapter 2)

Week 3                              Classical Theories  & Models of Development                       Quiz-Chapter 2                                 Sep 21 2025
(Sep 15- 21)                                          (Chapters 3 & 4)                                                           &
                                                                                                                                         Case Study 1

Week 4                               Poverty, Inequality, and Development                                   Quiz-Chapter 3 & 4                          Sep 28 2025
(Sep 22 – 28)                                             (Chapter 5)                                                              &
                                                                                                                                         Case Study 2

Week 5                                Population Growth and Economic Development                     Quiz-Chapter 5                               Oct 5 2025
 (Sep 29 – Oct 5)                                         (Chapter 6)                                                                &                                                                                                                                                                                                              Case Study 3

Week 6                                           Review for Midterm Exam                                             Midterm Exam                              Oct 12 2025
(Oct 6 -12)                                       (Chapters 1, 2, 3 & 4, and 5)

Week 7                                 Urbanization and Rural-Urban Migration                                   Quiz-Chapter 6                           Oct 19 2025
(Oct 13- 19)                                                 (Chapter 7)

Week 8                                 Human Capital-Education and                                                 Quiz-Chapter 7                             Oct 26 2025
(Oct 20-26)                           Health in Economic Development                                                       &                                                                                                                                (Chapter 8)                                                           Case Study 4

Week 9                                  The Environment and Development                                        Quiz-Chapter 8                              Nov 2 2025
(Oct 27-Nov 2)                                         (Chapter 10)

Week 10                                           Problem Set Assignment                          Submission of Problem Set Assignment            Nov 9 2025
(Nov 3 – 9)                                     (Based on Topics covered)

Week 11                               International Trade Theory and                                                   Quiz-Chapter 10                        Nov 16 2025
(Nov 10-16)                                  Development Strategy                     
                                                               (Chapter 13)

Week 12                              The Role of FDI, Remittances, and                                              Quiz-Chapter 13                        Nov 23 2025
(Nov 17-23)                          Microfinance Institutions in Economic Development                              &
                                                              (Chapters 14 & 15)                                                      Case Study 5      

 Week 13                                                                      Thanksgiving Break
(Nov 24- 30)

Week 14                                Preparing Project Paper and                                                   Quiz-Chapter 14 & 15                   Dec 7 2025
(Dec 1 - 7)                             Summary of Journal Article                                                                     &                                                                                                                                                                                                                Case Study 6
                                                                                                                                                                          
                                                              
Final Week                                                                                                                                 Project Paper                         Dec 11 2025
(Dec 8 - 11)                                                                                                                                         &
                                                                                                                                         Summary of Journal Article
                                                                                                                                                        






                                                                                                                                                         














                                                              





                                                                 


                                                                                                                                                    









                                                                   

 









                                                                                                                                       






                                                               





                                                                                                                                                 










Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

 No late homework/ Quizzes will be accepted. However, the late submissions of HW/Quiz will be accepted by the instructor upon valid reasons. 
There are no make-up exams. In case you miss any exam, your absence will be excused upon submission of supporting documents such as a medical certificate or official SUU approval. Acceptance of such documents is at the discretion of the instructor.

Attendance Policy

Since this is an asynchronized online course, attendance is not required. However, students are expected to watch the uploaded lecture videos each week and take the assignments on time.

Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

Instructor Information

Instructor:                       Mir Angkur
Office:                            312 C Bennion Building
Office Hours:                 Monday & Wednesday:  11:00 am - 12:00 pm and 01:00 pm - 03:00 pm
                                     Friday: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm or by appointment on Zoom.

Zoom Meeting Details:  Meeting ID: 8842239224
                                     Passcode: 987246
Email:                           mirangkur@suu.edu

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.