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ECON2261: MICROECONOMIC APPLICATIONS AND POLICY

Please ensure you check the module availability box for each module outline, as not all modules will run in each academic year. Each module description relates to the year indicated in the module availability box, and this may change from year to year, due to, for example: changing staff expertise, disciplinary developments, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Current modules are subject to change in light of the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19.

Type Tied
Level 2
Credits 20
Availability Available in 2023/24
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Economics

Prerequisites

  • Principles of Economics (ECON1011) OR Quantitative Methods (FINN1021)

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To develop students' awareness and understanding of the contribution which economic analysis can make to discussions of issues in microeconomics
  • To provide an understanding of theories and methods used in the analysis of microeconomic problems
  • To provide students with a good grounding for undertaking a dissertation in applied microeconomics

Content

  • The content will be topics of contemporary interest such as:
  • Education
  • Health
  • Sport
  • Culture
  • Inequality/Poverty
  • Charity
  • Crime/Conflict

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Knowledge and understanding of the theories and methods used in the analysis of microeconomics issues
  • Knowledge and understanding of market failure and the limitations of government intervention to combat it.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • The application of economic theories to microeconomic problems
  • The ability to critically evaluate microeconomic policies and their consequences

Key Skills:

  • Critical and analytical thinking
  • Problem solving
  • Written communication
  • Own learning
  • Library skills
  • Information retrieval
  • Written communication - summative assessment is a written examination
  • Planning and Organisation and time management - students plan their work to meet set deadlines
  • Adaptability - students perform under the pressure of written examinations
  • Oral communication - presenting of papers and participating in seminars.

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

  • Teaching is by lectures and seminars. Learning takes place through attendance at lectures, preparation for and participation in seminar classes, and private study. Seminar questions give students the opportunity to apply the theoretical analysis presented in lectures.
  • Formative assessment to help prepare for online exam. Summative assessment is by means of an online examination to test students' knowledge and understanding of the subject-matter worth 100% of the module mark.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures201 per week1 hour20 
Seminars4At intervals through the year2 hours8 
Revision Session21 hour2 
Preparation and Reading170 
Total200 

Summative Assessment

Component: Examination Component Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
One written online examination2 hours, 3000 words max100Same

Formative Assessment

One written piece of work to prepare students for the summative exam.

More information

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