Central Banks and Monetary Policy

The purpose of this course is to provide you with an understanding of central bank policies and how such policies affect financial markets and the economy. The main aim of this course is to provide you with insights about the macroeconomic relationships between interest rates, inflation, and unemployment that allow you to assess central bank actions and appreciate how this action will affect the economy. The ability to extract relevant information from financial market and economic data about the macroeconomic environment and central bank actions is an important skill that will be useful for your decision-marking in your professional career and your personal financial choices.

• Course Orientation
• You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.
• Module 1: Interest Rates
• In this module we will study interest rates and financial instruments.
• Module 2: Monetary Policy
• In this module, we will study the Federal Reserve System, its functions, and its monetary policy tools.
• Module 3: Economic Impacts of Monetary Policy
• In this module, we will study the link between output, inflation, and unemployment and how monetary policy affects these macroeconomic variables.
• Module 4: Financial Crises
• In this module, we will study financial crises and policy responses to these crises.