Essential MOOC Courses In Business For October

The Power of Macroeconomics:  Economic Principles in the Real World

 

School: University of California-Irvine

Platform: Coursera

Registration Link: The Power of Macroeconomics:  Economic Principles in the Real World

Start Date: October 6, 2014 (11 Weeks)

Workload: 2-4 Hours Per Week

Instructor: Dr. Peter Navarro

Credentials:  Dr. Navarro, who has taught at the University of California-Irvine for over 25 years, is a well-known author and politician. Profiled on 60 Minutes and serving as a commentator for outlets like CNN and CNBC, Navarro’s work has also been published by The Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. In addition, he has published over 10 books, including classics like The Well-Time Strategy, Always a Winner, and If It’s Raining in Brazil, Buy Starbucks.

Graded: This course includes graded and ungraded tracks. Students who successfully compete the quizzes and final exam will receive a signed certification of completion.

Description: According to Navarro this course covers the “major principles of macroeconomics normally taught in a quarter or semester course to college undergraduates or MBA students.” Each weekly lecture covers a particular topic, including inflation, fiscal and monetary policy, unemployment, debt and deficits, international trade, exchange rates, and globalization. However, the lectures are designed to be as practical as theoretical, showing students exactly how specific concepts relate to day-to-day issues like mortgage interest rates, wages, and risk tolerance. The course is taught through video lectures, relying heavily on PowerPoint slides and charts, with students evaluated on weekly quizzes and a final exam.  Concepts are also covered in a review guide, which is available to students at no charge.

Review: “Took this course with no prior experience in (macro)economics. Overall instructive MOOC for getting the basics of macroeconomics. However there is room for improvement. Some topics were not explained clearly (I had to look it up on KhanAcademy to really understand some things). Secondly, the format could be better. Instead of showing only a powerpoint presentation, I would prefer to actually see the professor as well, preferably explaining things on a blackboard.” For additional reviews, click here.

Additional Note: Dr. Navarro recommends David Colander’s Macroeconomics to students interested in learning more about the concepts covered in this course.