Principles of Economics
Gain a firm grasp of the theories and tools of economics, finance, and the functioning of the international economic system.
Course Dates: June 2 – August 4, 2025
The summer version of this course is only available to incoming accepted MAIR and MAIA students.
The 9-week Principles of Economics (PoE) is a non-credit course that covers introductory micro- and macroeconomics and can be used to complete the school's two-year Master of Arts in International Relations economics admissions requirement. It can also be taken as a prerequisite to take the school’s International Economics courses.
The PoE course is organized into weekly modules with each lecture recorded on a virtual whiteboard. Each weekly module contains lectures, a problem set, a practice quiz, and a short graded quiz. Students are required to submit assignments on a weekly basis. A typical week in the PoE course will involve the following:
- A set of 6-8 video lectures, averaging 10-12 minutes in length
- Textbook readings selected to support and supplement the lectures
- Practice on both short-answer quizzes and more substantive conceptual problems
- A final assessment for each module
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Course Eligibility
This course is open to incoming SAIS MAIR and MAIA students. Admitted students who have not completed the economics admissions requirement will be automatically enrolled in the course and will receive the course for free in the summer only.