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Students

ECON3011 – Macroeconomic Policy

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Natalia Ponomareva
natalia.ponomareva@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
4 Eastern Road 428
David Orsmond
david.orsmond@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
4 Eastern Road 415
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
ECON2004 or ECON204
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit further develops macroeconomic models with a focus on key contemporary policy and operational issues such as variable inflation rates, interest rates, alternative monetary policy frameworks, fiscal policy constraints, climate change, understanding financial crises, financial regulation and cryptocurrencies. Students develop an understanding of the factors that behind these issues and how key policy institutions such as the RBA, APRA and Treasury seek to address them.
 

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Analyse and explain macroeconomic policy within a general framework.
  • ULO2: Appraise how monetary and fiscal policies are determined in the context of the current economic environment.
  • ULO3: Critically evaluate the effectiveness of current macroeconomic policy in achieving its stated goals.

General Assessment Information

Late Submission Penalties

If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days. Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

Example 1 (out of 100):

If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

Example 2 (out of 30):

If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

Extensions

Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special Consideration page for further details.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI assisted?
Professional practice: Policy evaluation 25% No 01/05/2026 Individual Yes Open AI
Formal examination 50% No Formal examination period Individual No Observed
Skills development: Analytical tasks 25% No 02/04/2026 Individual No Observed

Professional practice: Policy evaluation

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 01/05/2026
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI assisted?: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is for students to demonstrate their analytical skills in evaluating economic issues and related macroeconomic policies. Students will need to analyse proposed issues, evaluate relevant policies using both academic and policy sources and available data.

 

Skills in focus: 

  • Discipline knowledge
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Work readiness

Deliverable(s): Written report [max 1600 words]

 

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Appraise how monetary and fiscal policies are determined in the context of the current economic environment.
  • Critically evaluate the effectiveness of current macroeconomic policy in achieving its stated goals.

Formal examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: Formal examination period
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Observed

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate the expertise you have gained in Economic Development.

 

You will participate in a 2-hour exam held during the University Examination period.

 

Important information about the exam will be made available on the unit iLearn page. You should also review the MQ Exams website for general tips. 

 

Deliverable(s): Formal exam

 

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse and explain macroeconomic policy within a general framework.
  • Appraise how monetary and fiscal policies are determined in the context of the current economic environment.
  • Critically evaluate the effectiveness of current macroeconomic policy in achieving its stated goals.

Skills development: Analytical tasks

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 02/04/2026
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Observed

The purpose of this assessment is for students to demonstrate their analytical skills in evaluating economic issues. Students will apply their skills learned in the unit to show how to solve the issues related to economic structure and policy.

 

Skills in focus:

  • Discipline knowledge
  • Critical thinking and problem solving

Deliverable(s): Written answers to problem set

 

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse and explain macroeconomic policy within a general framework.
  • Appraise how monetary and fiscal policies are determined in the context of the current economic environment.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Classes

There will be some pre-recorded learning material posted on iLearn each week. This material is expected to be studied before the next class. There will also be a 2-hour face-to-face class each Thursday, 3-5pm. 

Prizes

VICTOR ARGY PRIZE FOR ECON3011

This prize commemorates Victor Argy who was Professor of Economics at Macquarie University from 1973 until his death in 1993.  The prize, to the value of $350, is awarded for proficiency in ECON3011 and is open to all candidates proceeding to the degree of Bachelor.

Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials

The prescribed text for the unit is:

Charles Jones, Macroeconomics International Student Edition,  6th edition

Up-to-date commentaries and data on the Australian economy can be found in the following:

Reserve Bank of Australia, Bulletin, published monthly: http://www.rba.gov.au Department of the Treasury, Economic Roundup, AGPS, Canberra, published quarterly (available online at http://www.treasury.gov.au/)

Data relating to Australia and other countries are also available on the Internet. Useful sites include the following:

  • ABS Time Series Service: http://www.abs.gov.au
  • Budget Papers for Australia: http://www.treasury.gov.au/
  • Reserve Bank of Australia: http://www.rba.gov.au
  • National Bureau of Economic Research: http://www.nber.org/

Unit Schedule

Tentative Unit Schedule (all updates will be available on iLearn)

Week

  Topics

1

Introduction, issues in macroeconomic policies. Trends and Cycles in Macroeconomic Data.

2

Economic Shocks and Short-Run Fluctuations in Economic Activity. Contemporary Monetary Policy. The Operating Procedures of the Reserve Bank of Australia and Inflation Targeting.

3 

Stabilization Policy and the AS/AD Framework. Policy trade-offs.

4

The Global Financial Crisis.

5

Monetary Policy: Operational Challenges.

6

Skills development:  Analytical tasks in-class assessment.
 

Mid-session Break

7 

Financial Regulation.

8

Consumption and inequality. 

9

Fiscal Policy and Government Debt.

10

Exchange Rate Regimes and Macroeconomic Policy.

11

Economic Growth and its determinants.

12

Cryptocurrencies.

13

Macroeconomic Policy: The Current Consensus and Unresolved Issues.

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.03 of the Handbook