| Unit name | Economics of Developing Countries |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ECON30071 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Siddique |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
OR
OR |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Economics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
The main aim of this unit is to present selected key areas which characterise developing economies, as well as exploring some of the major economic policy issues they face. Course material covers a range of topics, these typically include; education; health; inequality and growth; gender; land; labour; credit; risk
A large fraction of the world’s population consists of the poor who live in developing countries. What are the key economic challenges they face? How do markets (such as those for land, labour, credit and insurance) function in these settings? This unit will address these important questions and discuss policy interventions that may be used to improve the lives of the poor.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit will address these real-world problems faced by the poor in developing countries by building on micro- and macro-economic theory as well as quantitative methods from the first and second year.
Overview of content
The course material is organised around eight topics (e.g. education, health, gender, etc). For each topic, students will be introduced to key policy debates related to the topic (e.g. returns to education, health externalities, missing women, etc). Research papers using empirical methods to identify causal effects (such as differences-in-differences and Randomised Control Trials) will be used in the discussion. The second half of the unit will focus on how land, labour, credit and insurance markets function in developing countries, as well as policy interventions that may be used to address inefficiencies within these markets.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Students will develop an understanding of the main conceptual and empirical tools used by economists to study issues faced by the poor in developing countries. They will be able to critically assess state of the art economics research on topics relevant to developing countries. They will have the opportunity to develop deeper understanding, through discussion of interventions and policies that may alleviate the problems faced by developing countries using economic tools and evidence.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of large and small group classes, supported by online resources.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
There are 2 formative pieces of assessment. These are essay questions that students can submit and receive feedback on. In the past students have found this to be very useful when preparing for the summer exam which is entirely essay based. (ILO: working collaboratively in groups)
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Each assessment assesses all learning outcomes.
When assessment does not go to plan:
Normally, there are no opportunities for reassessment in final-year units. Where students are taking this unit as a non final-year unit (such as an MSci), or where there are validated exceptional circumstances:
If students fail the unit such that credit points cannot be awarded at the first attempt, they will be given a reassessment to replace the failed element(s).
These elements will be;
Each assessment assesses all learning outcomes.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ECON30071).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
