Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2024-2025
Module ECON41115: ADVANCED TOPICS IN PUBLIC ECONOMICS
Department: Economics
ECON41115: ADVANCED TOPICS IN PUBLIC ECONOMICS
| Type | Tied | Level | 4 | Credits | 15 | Availability | Not available in 2024/2025 | Module Cap |
|---|
| Tied to | L1T109 |
|---|---|
| Tied to | L1T409 |
| Tied to | L1T609 |
| Tied to | N3K709 |
Prerequisites
- None
Corequisites
- None
Excluded Combination of Modules
- None
Aims
- To provide students with advanced knowledge and critical analytical skills at the forefront of research and practice of public economics.
Content
- Topics are likely to include:
- Optimal commodity taxation and production efficiency with heterogeneous individuals and convex production sets
- Optimal non-linear labour income taxation with continuous skill distribution (through optimal control)
- Continuous time optimal capital income taxation and generalisations
- Introduction to political economy: existence and characterisation of Condorcet winners
- Optimal provision of public goods: first and second best.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- Have an advanced knowledge and critical understanding of research led questions in optimal taxation and public goods provision
- Have an advanced understanding of second-best analysis and problem formulation;
- Have explored, understood and appreciated the complexity and diversity of the current research literature, and be able to identify open questions for their own research.
Subject-specific Skills:
- Be able to apply their knowledge of public economics to the resolution of complex research and public policy problems.
Key Skills:
- 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
- A combination of lectures, seminars and guided reading will contribute to achieving the aims and learning outcomes of this module. 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
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 10 | 1 per week | 2 hours | 20 | |
| Seminars | 4 | fortnightly | 1 hour | 4 | ■ |
| Preparation & Reading | 124 | ||||
| Revision Session | 2 | 1 hour | 2 | ||
| Total | 150 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: Examination | Component Weighting: 100% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| One in-person written examination | 2 hours | 100% | Same |
Formative Assessment:
At least one formative assessment to prepare students for the summative exam.
■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University