Distance learning in Economics provides students with advanced knowledge in key areas such as economic applications, information usage and strategic advantage. The students are enabled in specific career and professional goals and in the areas of strategy and analysis. Courses in economics that focus on the principles and techniques form the foundation for specializations in the area. The student may then acquire skills in setting and managing corporate strategy or study in depth the management of economic crimes. The program may be a certificate program, an undergraduate program, a post graduate program or a doctoral program!

Course Content

Economics is a vast subject and distance learning in economics offers a variety of basic and specialized courses for the novice and the expert in the field. The principles and techniques of economics are studied at varying levels of detail at the certificate, undergraduate, post graduate and doctoral levels. Management in commercial banks, corporations, international agencies, ministries of finance and so on require students who have a through understanding of the basic economic principles that govern markets and the basic quantitative techniques that are used to analyze them. Specializations are offered at the post graduate and doctoral levels and may be focused on environmental economics, agricultural economics, development finance or international business. The content of each of these courses will be determined by the focus area of the program.

Universities

The Bircham International University offers programs on Economic Analysis while the Universiti Sains Malaysia and Kakatiya University offers basic programs in Economics. The Akamai University offers graduate programs in Economic development that emphasize sustainable development, natural resources and environmental economics, anti poverty programs, productivity and growth economics and community action programs. The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven has a course in International Business Economics. The University of Southern Queensland has courses in Economic Studies. Closer to home, the Cardean University offers a graduate certificate program in Economics. Ellis College offers an MBA in strategy and economics. Utica College has an M.S. program in Economic Crime Management to offer. The London University, too has a number of courses at the graduate and postgraduate levels for distance learning in economics.

Registering for anyone of the courses would benefit you immensely if you are contemplating a career in economics. The online study of economics will also benefit individuals in other fields such as law or engineering. So explore your options and launch your career in this fertile field of work!

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are specific geographical regions that have economic laws different from and more liberal than a country’s typical economic laws. The goal is usually an increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country.

There is a clear understanding that a well-implemented and designed SEZ can bring about many desired benefits for a host-country: increases in employment, FDI attraction, general economic growth, foreign exchange earnings, international exposure, and the transfer of new technologies and skills. Hence, many developing countries are also developing the SEZs with the expectation that they will provide the engines of growth for their economies to achieve industrialization. But for this to be successful their governments need to enact legislation, create a focused administrative infrastructure to govern special economic zones, offer highly attractive incentives and locate zones in the best possible locations. Overall investment climate (infrastructure, governance) in a country matters in the success of its special economic zones in terms of competitiveness.

One of the earliest and the most famous Special Economic Zones were founded by the government of the People’s Republic of China under Deng Xiaoping in the early 1980s. The most successful Special Economic Zone in China, Shenzhen, has developed from a small village into a city with a population over 10 million within 20 years. Following the Chinese examples, Special Economic Zones have been established in several other countries.

In the face of fierce regional competition, South Korea is also showing strong economic performance and can boast a highly skilled labor force. It has started working strategically towards attracting investment, including the establishment of its first special economic zone, called The Incheon Special Economic Zone and so look set to transform the country into a regional hub from which foreign companies can expand into other parts of Asia.

The Incheon special economic zone in the north revolves around the international airport, the creation of an international financial services district and Songdo’s “intelligent city”, which will include a 60-storey world trade centre, 60 office buildings, deluxe hotels, shopping malls and a golf course, due to be completed by 2008.

These economic zones are a strategy to make Korea (http://korea.ixs.net/) more attractive in the eyes of foreign investors and to draw them to the country.

The project includes a technology complex to house research centers and venture start-ups alongside the Korean Institute of Technology. Two more complexes, for biotechnology and for knowledge and information will be built by 2008.

These projects, which have high-level political backing, are supported by a package of generous financial incentives. Other incentives include simplified administrative procedures, heavily subsidized land leases on government owned land, tax breaks and linguistic support.

Situated directly between Japan and China, South Korea is at the centre of a vast Asian market with a total population of two billion, including 500 million in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, with which, along with China and Japan, Korea enjoys a special commitment to economic cooperation. North-east Asia alone accounts for about 24% of the world’s population and 19% of global production.

South Korea’s gateway strategy is designed to leverage its geographic and geocultural advantages while offering a new, friendly business face to potential investors in the form of SEZs in the southern part of the peninsula. Foreigners, foreign companies, and international economic organizations can be involved in free corporate activities in these economic zones offering a range of special advantages, including tax, labor, regulatory and other incentives.

South Korea is a cheaper location than Japan and more straightforward from a regulatory point of view than China, having opened its markets decades ago.

Generally, it is argued that the special economic zone concept is attractive because it is much easier to resolve the problems of infrastructure and governance on a limited geographical area than it is to resolve them countrywide. Such economic zones cannot be insulated from the broader institutional and economic context of the country and be treated as an economy within the economy. Zones are a part of the economy and require overall improvement in the investment climate to ensure success in the long run. They should not, therefore, be viewed as an alternative to the overall development model. This is perhaps the reason why SEZs failed to fulfill the role of engines of industrialization in most countries on a sustainable basis.

For more Information About Special Economic Zone: http://eng.ifez.go.kr/guide/org/special-economic-zone.asp

The recent downturn in the economy has many people playing armchair quarterback over decisions made by the Federal Reserve during the last few years. These guys are supposed to be geniuses when it comes to economics, right? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize that there may have been errors in judgment regarding interest rates and home financing. Think you could do better than Bernanke or Greenspan? Don’t even think about being considered for such a high ranking position until you have an MBA Business Economics Degree.
An MBA Business Economics Degree goes beyond basic economics. The person in charge of making decisions regarding one of the strongest economies in the world will be required to have knowledge and expertise in the following areas: monetary policy, advanced economic theories like macro and micro economics, international markets and foreign trading, an understanding of leading economic indicators, – just to name a few. This person would need to be able to analyze economic issues quickly and accurately, as well as be able to assess and consider alternative economic policies to help achieve stability in a tumultuous economy.
Still want to pursue your dream of chairing the Federal Reserve? Then you definitely want to start looking at schools that have serious MBA Business Economics programs. There are several institutions of higher learning that offer such a degree program. Take the time to investigate several of them and the coursework they offer to ensure that their curriculum is in line with your career goals. In addition to accounting and finance coursework, they should offer courses that cover trade and finance theory, past and current trade issues, international economic organizations and their agreements and impacts on the world economy, econometrics and statistics.
The program should also offer hands-on experiences which will allow you to experience real world obstacles and challenges in the world of business and finance. It should provide opportunities for you to work with companies that will teach about corporate mergers and acquisitions, supply chain management and product development. By the time you are finished obtaining your degree, you will have knowledge and expertise in all of these areas, along with managerial skills and a firm knowledge and understanding of business ethics and economic practices and theory.
If you decide you want to focus on a particular area of economics, look for MBA programs that offer areas of specialized interest, such as the study of poverty economics, which deals with the effect that poverty has on overall economic stability or economic crime investigation and management, which prepares graduates to deal with economic fraud and corporate crime. These types of specialized programs make an MBA graduate highly marketable.
If the Federal Reserve is not high on your priority list once you have finished obtaining the MBA business economics degree, start looking in areas such as economics research in both the government and private sectors. Most advanced degree holders will find themselves in high demand for upper management positions in both the government and private sectors, as well as with non-profit organizations. A person may also decide to pursue an academic career by becoming an Economics Professor at a university.
MBA Business economics graduates are ahead of the curve in terms of earning potential too, with starting salaries around 75,000 per year, depending on the area of study.
When all is said and done, obtaining an advanced degree can definitely help your career, especially if you really do aspire to helping set economic policy on a federal or global level. An MBA Business Economics degree will set you on the right path by giving you knowledge and expertise regarding economic practices, theories and issues that can have a great impact on a corporation’s bottom line. And who knows? Maybe your expertise will eventually put you in line for Bernanke’s seat as Chairman of the Federal Reserve. After all, knowledge is power.