MAE266 - Black Market Economics: Exploring the Underworld of Illicit Trade
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Ching-Jen Sun |
| Cohort rule: | For Business & Law students or for students in Bachelor of Criminology (including combined Criminology awards) or students undertaking the Criminology major in A310 or students in A336 and D344. |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1 hour on-campus lecture (recordings provided) each week and 1 x 1 hour on-campus seminar (recordings provided) each week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1 hour recorded lecture each week and 1 x 1 hour online seminar each week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Content
Black Market Economics is an interdisciplinary unit that examines the economic principles that underpin the growth and ongoing development of black markets. Students will apply foundational economic concepts, such as supply and demand, cost structures, vertical supply chains and game theory to a range of black markets, including those for counterfeit goods, sex trafficking, and illicit drugs traded both via conventional trafficking routes and on the dark web. The unit concludes with a focus on the ways in which black markets and associated harms can be addressed by governments, from conventional law enforcement approaches and prohibition, through to decriminalisation and legalisation.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Explain the evolution and operation of various black markets. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Analyse black markets using foundational economic concepts. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO3 | Synthesize interdisciplinary knowledge and employ empirical research techniques to formulate evidence-driven policy recommendations addressing illicit markets and their related challenges. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Report (Research) | 1500 words | 40% | Week 6 |
| Assessment 2: Briefing Paper | 2500 words | 60% | Information not yet available. |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for MAE266 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.