Universitat Internacional de Catalunya - BarcelonaEconomy
Main language of instruction: Spanish
Economics is a subject of 6 ECTS credits, basic training, which is taught during the second semester of the second year of Journalism.
This course is key in training the student as it addresses the most important economic concepts of the economic world. In addition to other professional skills acquired by students in Journalism Degree (drafting, documentation, etc.), the knowledge of key concepts of the economy becomes a strategic factor as it focuses on results, and the primacy of financial profitability determines the functioning of many companies, including advertising agencies and the media.
Hence the importance attached by the agencies and the media, as it is granted by the citizens themselves, and economy has become a strategic factor in the communication sector. Factors such as the configuration of the market, the law of supply and demand, price, public debt and economic and fiscal policies can influence decisively in this sector. In addition, agencies and media direct their activities towards achieving overall organizational objectives, which often are evaluated in economic terms, such as the so-called Return On Investment. Hence the importance of learning some of the most important economic concepts so as to enable the student to work in the field of communication effectively.
There are no prerequisites to take this course, although it is advisable to have previously taken Business Information, as both subjects are closely related.
The primary objective of this course is to understand the theoretical concepts key to economic reality. Analyze the relationship between the different theoretical concepts discussed, and the importance of all of them in shaping the economic reality of a market. Reflecting on the direct relationship between many of the theoretical concepts explained and commercial communication strategies and the functioning of the media.
The theoretical and practical program of the subject Economics is composed of the following contents by two parts.
Syllabus:
PART I
1. Introduction to economics
2. Supply and Demand
3. Market failures
4. The company
5. From microeconomics to macroeconomics.
6. Money, banking and the monetary system
7. The State and economic activity
8. Financial markets: the stock market
9. Inflation
10. The labor market. Unemployment
PART II
6. Economic journalism
Students will take 10 hours of lectures on economic journalism.
|
||
|
|
[i] El concepto Taller/FP consiste en una revisión del tema y principales conceptos, anàlisis de noticies sobre el tema, anáisis de cuadros y cifras (o visionado/escucha de noticies de radio y TV) y, a continuación, realización de una pràctica
The contents will be worked through various activities that require continuous assessment, combining reflection and analysis of the subject with practical exercises. All activities are divided into the following table:
|
Subject |
ECTS |
CO |
SE |
FP |
TA |
|
Economy |
6 |
4 |
8 |
6 |
2 |
* There are 30 sessions of two hours each, 60 hours in total.
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | ECTS CREDITS |
|---|---|
| Coaching. Monitoring how students learn the content of the subject, either individually or in groups. In the coaching sessions, mistakes will be corrected, queries answered, and exercises and activities to achieve the established objectives will be suggested. | 0.4 |
| Focused Praxis. Handing in occasional exercises to learn theory through practice. | 0.6 |
| Seminar. This activity will consist of taking an in-depth look at specific up-to-date topics in a monographic manner-in some cases these topics will have been debated socially-, via active work in small groups. | 0.8 |
| Lectures. In lectures, lecturers/professors not only transmit content or knowledge, but also, and above all else, attitudes, motivation, skills and values, etc. They also ensure that participants can express their opinions and arguments to the other students. | 4 |
| Practical workshop. A highly practical working activity, where students can acquire skills that are practical or also theoretical (intellectual skills, logical skills, critical skills, intellectual learning skills, study skills, quoting skills, etc). | 0.2 |
La evaluación es continua. Por un lado, hay una evaluación basada en casos prácticos de interpretación y comparación de artículos en la materia en base a la teoría que se ha ido impartiendo. Esta parte tiene un peso total del 20% de la nota de la asignatura. También hay un examen parcial a mitad de semestre, tipo test, que tiene un peso total del 20% de la nota de la asignatura. El último módulo del curso consta de cinco sesiones prácticas con un docente específico para esa parte y cuyo peso total es también del 20% del total de la asignatura. Por último hay un examen final de obligada realización y que tiene un peso del 40% de la nota total de la asignatura. Para superar la asignatura hay que aprobar el examen final (nota mínima de 5) y obtener un 5 o más sumando cada una de las partes de evaluación de la asignatura. Todas las pruebas evaluadoras son obligatorias (no presentado implica cero puntos en esa parte).
En resumen, la evaluación consta de:
La nota final de la asignatura es una suma de las notas conseguidas en cada parte evaluadora aplicando su ponderación en el total.
Dado que todo el contenido teórico que hay que preparar para el examen se explica en las clases, es recomendable asistir a todas las clases. Se valora positivamente la participación en clase y la actitud profesional de trabajo.
Para aprobar la asignatura, es necesario aprobar asimismo las sesiones de periodismo económico, que se puntúan a partir de las prácticas, actitud, participación y asistencia.
Los alumnos de 3ª convocatoria en adelante (e inclusive la 3ª) están exentos de venir a clase, pero se les recomienda venir a clase, especialmente a los Seminarios, donde se realizará prácticas puntuables para la nota final.
Evaluación (resumen):
Examen parcial. 20%
Interpretación de Artículos + Casos Prácticos. 40%
Examen final. 40%
Bibliography:
VARA, Alfonso (2009). Economía básica para comunicadores. Pamplona: EUNSA.
Recommended bibliography:
MANKIW, Gregory (2010). Principles of Economics. Mexico: Cengage Learning Editores.
Krugman, Paul (2010). The era of limited expectations. Barcelona: Ariel.
MAYORAL MARTIN, Fernando (2009). Manual Spanish economy: theory and structure. Madrid: Prentice Hall.
ICEX (2005). Keys to the world economy. Madrid: ICEX.
HEYNE, Paul (1998). Economic concepts: the world according to economists. Madrid: Prentice Hall.
Teacher's bibliography:
MANKIW, Gregory (2010). Principles of Economics. Mexico: Cengage Learning Editores.