Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2024-2025

Module ECON44615: NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS

Department: Economics

ECON44615: NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS

Type Tied Level 4 Credits 15 Availability Available in 2024/2025 Module Cap
Tied to L1T109
Tied to L1T409
Tied to L1T609

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To provide the students with an advanced knowledge and critical understanding of issues related to natural resource management.

Content

  • Topics are likely to include:
  • Introduction to Natural Resource Constraints.
  • Ecological Systems over Time.
  • Population Models.
  • Optimal Resource Management over Time.
  • Renewable Resource Economics.
  • Non-Renewable Resource Economics.
  • Fisheries and Forests: Optimal Harvesting, Stock Recovery, and Assessing Extinction.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • Be able to interpret scholarly literature at the frontier of research in natural resource management;
  • Have an advanced knowledge and critical understanding of the contribution of economic analysis to problems in natural resource economics.
  • Have a critical knowledge of, and be able to engage in advanced discussion of, current theoretical and empirical research in the field of natural resource economics.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • Have acquired relevant analytical techniques for own analysis of resource problems.
  • Be able to apply advanced problem-solving and analytical skills to complex issues in natural resource management.
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 seminars will train the students to solve analytical problems in natural resource management, identify and critically discuss its applications as well as giving students 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

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Lectures 10 1 per week 2 hour 20
Seminars 4 Fortnightly 1 hour 4
Revision Session 1 Once 2 hour 2
Preparation and Reading 124
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:

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