Undergraduate Course: Topics in Macroeconomics (ECNM10069)
Course Outline
| School | School of Economics |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course is designed to provide a coherent development of some important topics in macroeconomic analysis at a more advanced level than that of standard intermediate courses. It thus extends and deepens the work of Economics 1 and Economics 2, bridging the gap between intermediate and graduate level courses in economics, and providing insight into some recent areas of economic research activity. Throughout there is an emphasis on the application of economic principles.
The course has a mathematical content and knowledge of calculus is assumed. |
| Course description |
The first block is concerned with the determinants of long-run economic growth and income levels. Here we investigate the extent to which the exogenous and endogenous accumulation of physical and human capital as well as technology explain differences in GDP per worker across the world. If time permits, we will also briefly study how cross-country income differences are related to the topics of fertility and/or sectoral structural transformation.
The aim of the second block is to provide an overview of the economics of the aggregate labour market. Central issues that will be covered are the determination of aggregate employment, unemployment and wages. Topics will include the classical theory of labour supply and demand, efficiency wages, unions, and search models of unemployment.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should usually have an equivalent of at least 4 semester-long Economics courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. This MUST INCLUDE courses in Intermediate Macroeconomics (with calculus); Intermediate Microeconomics (with calculus); and Probability and Statistics. If macroeconomics and microeconomics courses are not calculus-based, then, in addition, Calculus (or Mathematics for Economics) is required. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2018/19, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 13.5,
Summative Assessment Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
158 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
100 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
A 2 hour degree examination in April/May (80%), an MCQ class examination in week 6 of Semester 2 (10%) and an MCQ class examination in week 11 of Semester 2 (10%). |
| Feedback |
Marks and generic feedback will be available on the MCQs within 15 working days of exam. |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | Topics in Macroeconomics | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- A knowledge and understanding of principles and models used in macroeconomic analysis and associated mathematical and statistical techniques, along with applications and policy implications of those models.
- Research and investigative skills such as problem framing and solving and the ability to assemble and evaluate complex evidence and arguments.
- Communication skills in order to critique, create and communicate understanding.
- Personal effectiveness through task-management, time-management, dealing with uncertainty and adapting to new situations, personal and intellectual autonomy through independent learning.
- Practical/technical skills such as, modelling skills (abstraction, logic, succinctness), qualitative and quantitative analysis and general IT literacy.
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Reading List
For the first part of the course there is no single textbook. Much of the material, however, can also be found in the following references:
Francesco Caselli, 'Accounting for Cross-Country Income Differences,' in Handbook of Economic Growth, Vol. 1A, ed. Philippe Aghion and Steven Durlauf, 679-741, North Holland, 2005.
Charles Jones and Dietrich Vollrath, 'Introduction to Economic Growth,' W.W. Norton, 2013 Third Edition.
David Romer, 'Advanced Macroeconomics,' McGraw Hill, 2010, Fourth Edition.
For the second part of the course there is no single textbook that covers this material at the undergraduate level. Having said that, students might find parts of the following books helpful for wider reading:
George Borjas, Labor Economics, McGraw-Hill. Any edition since the 3rd (2005) is fine. This is a basic undergraduate labour economics text.
Richard Layard, Stephen Nickell, and Richard Jackman, The Unemployment Crisis, Oxford University Press, (1994). An introduction to the analysis of the European unemployment problem that arose in the 1980s.
Christopher Pissarides, Equilibrium Unemployment Theory, MIT Press, (2000). For students who want to preview a graduate-level treatment of search and matching models. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
See Learning Outcomes |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
2 lectures per week lasting 1 hour, 9 weekly tutorials lasting 1.5 hours to be arranged in addition. |
| Keywords | TiMacro |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Rafael Lopes De Melo
Tel: (0131 6)51 5937
Email: Rafael.Lopes@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Mathieu Donner
Tel: (0131 6)51 5958
Email: Mathieu.Donner@ed.ac.uk |
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