Principles of Macroeconomics | Enroll Anytime Online Course

Learn how inflation, GDP, interest rates, and Federal Reserve policies affect the economy in UND's flexible, self-paced online macroeconomics course.

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Study Macroeconomics Online at Your Own Pace

Why do prices rise? What causes unemployment and recessions? How do interest rates, government spending, and Federal Reserve decisions affect the economy?

In ECON 202: Principles of Macroeconomics, you'll explore these questions while developing a practical understanding of how the U.S. economy operates and interacts with the global economy. This self-paced online economics course from the University of North Dakota introduces the fundamental concepts, economic indicators, and analytical tools used to understand economic conditions and evaluate public policy.

You'll begin with essential economic principles, including supply and demand, before examining how economists measure the performance of the national economy. Learn to interpret key economic indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment rates, and inflation, and understand how changes in these measurements reflect economic growth, purchasing power, and overall economic health. You'll also explore the differences between real and nominal economic values and why these distinctions matter when interpreting economic data.

As you progress, you'll investigate the causes of recessions and economic expansions, the relationship between aggregate supply and aggregate demand, and how different schools of economic thought approach economic challenges. Compare Keynesian and Neoclassical perspectives while evaluating the potential effects of government spending, taxation, budget deficits, and fiscal policy on economic stability and long-term growth.

The course also examines money, banking, and the Federal Reserve, including how monetary policy and interest rates influence borrowing, spending, investment, and inflation. You'll explore international economics through topics such as global trade, currency exchange rates, trade balances, and international finance.

Throughout the course, you'll connect economic theories to real-world developments and consider how economic policies affect households, businesses, and society. These analytical skills can support further study in economics, business, finance, public policy, and related fields while strengthening your ability to interpret economic news and make informed decisions.

 

Flexible Online Learning with Interactive Practice

ECON 202 is organized into 16 lessons and three exams, allowing you to work through the material at your own pace rather than following a traditional semester schedule.

Learning activities include interactive Smartwork homework, adaptive InQuizitive quizzes, and short written reflections that help reinforce important concepts and identify areas for additional review. Three multiple-choice exams assess your understanding, including a cumulative final exam. Exams are proctored online using Honorlock.

Whether you're completing an economics prerequisite, fulfilling a college degree requirement, preparing for additional coursework, or expanding your understanding of the economy, UND's self-paced Principles of Macroeconomics course provides a flexible way to study economics and earn university credit.

Required Textbook and Materials

Mateer, Dirk and Lee Coppock (2026). Principles of Macroeconomics 5e, W.W. Norton.

This course requires the Norton Online to complete Inquizitive and Smartwork assignments. Norton offers a bundled eBook with the online content, or you can obtain a print textbook and purchase the online platform separately. Use a link in the Blackboard course to set up access to the platform and/or textbook.

Link: Norton Online (access to InQuizitive, Smartwork Homework, and eBook)

How will the course appear on my transcript?

You may enroll at any time and have up to 9 months to complete this online course. The credits earned will be recorded on your UND transcript based on the date you registered for the course. It will appear on your transcript in the same way as a course taken during a regular semester. There is no indication that the course was taken online or that you completed it at your own pace. 

Consult the table on our How Enroll Anytime Courses Work page for a current listing of Enroll Anytime Registration Dates and the semester information that will appear on a UND transcript.

Why Take Online Classes at UND?

Here are a few reasons why you should take an online enroll anytime course at UND:

• Great customer service – Our registration team is ready to answer questions quickly so you can focus on your coursework.
• Affordable – UND's enroll anytime courses are priced at North Dakota's affordable, in-state tuition rate.
• Accredited – UND is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
• Easily transfer credits – Transferring credits is always at the discretion of the institution to which the credits are being transferred. In general, credits from schools/universities that are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission transfer to other regionally accredited institutions. UND's online courses appear on your UND transcript in the same way as other courses.

Flexible 100% Online Course

You'll take this online course at your own pace. Some students thrive in this environment, while other students may struggle with setting their own deadlines. If you have successfully taken an independent study or correspondence course previously, UND’s enroll anytime courses may be right for you. Still not sure? Take our online quiz to help determine if online enroll anytime courses are right for you.

Course information including tuition, technology requirements, textbooks, lessons and exams is subject to change without notice.