Module ECON44415: Development Economics

Department: Business School (Economics and Finance)

ECON44415: Development Economics

Tied To

• L1T109: Economics
• L1T209: Public Economics
• L1T309: Experimental Economics
• L1T409: Environmental & Natural Resource Economics

Pre-requisites

Corequisites

Excluded Combinations

Aims

• To develop advanced knowledge and analytical skills in the theory and practice of development economics.

Content

• The module covers the economics and policies of development. Topics will be drawn primarily from the following:
• Poverty and inequality
• Economic growth
• International trade and development
• Foreign direct investment and growth
• Micro finance
• Finance and emerging markets
• Health and education policy
• Foreign aid
• Political economy of development
• Economics of population

Learning Outcomes

• be able to interpret scholarly literature at the frontier of research in development economics;
• have a critical understanding of the economic differences between developing and developed countries and of the policies aimed at addressing those differences
• have explored, understood and appreciated the complexity and contradictions of the current academic literature and its implications for professional practice, and be able to identify open questions for their own research in development economics.

• be able to apply advanced problem-solving and analytical skills to complex issues in development economics;
• be able to offer policy recommendations informed by the knowledge and analytical skills acquired in the module to address the differences in economic performances between developing and developed countries.

• Written Communication;
• Planning, Organising and Time Management;
• Problem Solving and Analysis;
• Using Initiative;
• Numeracy;
• Computer Literacy.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures will present the topics in detail, give suggestions for further reading, give guidance for the problems for the seminars, and give students the necessary knowledge to read and understand the relevant scholarly literature.
• In the seminars students will be encouraged to actively participate and solve problems. The seminars will train the students to solve analytical problems in theory of developments economics, critically discuss its applications as well as giving students the opportunity to identify research questions.
• The summative written examination will test students' knowledge and critical understanding of the material covered in the module, their analytical and problem-solving skills.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment

Students will receive written comments on a formative written assignment. Additional formative assessment and feedback may take a number of forms such as oral feedback on work prepared by students for seminars; answers to questions either discussed during a seminar, or posted on DUO; discussions with teaching staff during consultation hours, or via e-mail.