By the end of the course, students will earn official letter grades calculated from percentage, based on the following criteria:

1) Problem Sets (30%);

2) Special Topic Debates (10%);

3) A Midterm and a Final (each 30%);

4) Attendance and Participation (+ or -).

Problem Sets (30%). Problem sets will be assigned roughly every two weeks. Joint work is not permitted. You are encouraged to form study groups and help each other with material in general, but, ultimately, your homework has to be a unique written (or typed) piece. Late homework gets no credit without a valid excuse.

Special Topic Debates (10%). Two debates will be scheduled before the midterm and final exam respectively. One on “free trade or protection.” The other on “fixed or floating exchange rate regime.” See assignment page for detail.

Midterm and Final Exam (each 30%). Take home and open book. No discussion during the exams. Details will be given on the exam date on your exam paper. Exams will not be rescheduled because of travel arrangements. In the case of a valid/documented emergency on the scheduled exam date, a make-up exam will be given, or the weight of the missed midterm will be shifted to the final exam.

Attendance and Participation (+ or -). In final evaluation, students with full attendance will receive a grade enhancement while being absent or late for more than 10% of total class meetings will negatively affect your final grade. Please ensure an effective learning environment for the whole class by refraining from texting, surfing on the web, using your cell phone. Special accommodations will be given to students with disabilities.

Attendance policy

In a total of 30 class meetings, good attendance receives a final grade enhancement; 

Except for emergencies and illnesses, without any valid excuse and document,

1) more than 3 times arriving late receives a downgrade in final evaluation; 

2) more than 2 absences receives a downgrade in final evaluation; 

3) more than 3 absences receives a "W" or "F".

Student with Disabilities

If you have specific physical, psychiatric or learning disabilities and require accommodations, please let me know early in the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. 

Academic Integrity Policy Statement

Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. Copying assignments from a fellow classmate is considered cheating and will be dealt with severely. Any cheating during midterms or finals will result in your failing the course and the matter being reported to your dean. The complete text of the Academic Integrity Policy and the Yeshiva University procedure for implementing that policy can be found at this site: http://yu.edu/yeshiva-college/academic-integrity.