THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2019/2020

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Economics : Economics

Undergraduate Course: Development Economics (ECNM10061)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Economics CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course introduces key topics that are the focus of modern discourse in Development Economics. The majority of lectures have a microeconomic focus and look at how people living in poverty make decisions. Students will also be introduced to the debate surrounding the measurement of aid effectiveness. This course will also discuss the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which highlight development targets that countries have committed to achieving by 2030.
Course description Topics covered may include poverty, health, education, nutrition, microfinance, Randomised Control Trials, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The focus will be on the modern economic literature which discusses and debates development policies and the impact of aid.
The course is taught through a programme of lectures and tutorials. Learning-by-doing, through groupwork and presentations is an important ingredient of the course.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Economics 2 (ECNM08006)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students must have an equivalent of at least 4 semester-long Economics courses at grade B or above for entry to this course. This MUST INCLUDE courses in Intermediate Macroeconomics (with calculus); Intermediate Microeconomics (with calculus); Probability and Statistics; and Introductory Econometrics. 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
Academic year 2019/20, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 20, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 3.5, Summative Assessment Hours 2.5, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 170 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 70 %, Coursework 30 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Essay (20%)
Presentation (10%)
Degree Exam (70%)
Feedback Students will receive written feedback about their presentation and essay.
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)Development Economics2:00
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. A knowledge and understanding of key concepts, issues and models in development economics, along with empirical evidence on and policy implications of those models and a deeper understanding of recent research activity in some more specialised areas.
  2. Research and investigative skills such as problem framing and solving and the ability to assemble and evaluate complex evidence and arguments.
  3. Communication skills in order to critique, create and communicate understanding and to collaborate with and relate to others.
  4. Personal effectiveness through task-management, time-management, teamwork and group interaction, dealing with uncertainty and adapting to new situations, personal and intellectual autonomy through independent learning.
  5. Practical/technical skills such as, modelling skills (abstraction, logic, succinctness), qualitative and quantitative analysis and general IT literacy.
Reading List
Banerjee, A. & Duflo, E. 2011. ¿Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty¿, PublicAffairs.

Deaton, A. 2010. ¿Instruments, randomization, and learning about development¿. Journal of Economic Literature, 48: 424-455.

Readings will be assigned for specific topics as appropriate.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills See Learning Outcomes
Additional Class Delivery Information 1 x 2:00 Hour Lecture per week for 10 weeks
Tutorials to be arranged in addition
KeywordsDevEcon
Contacts
Course organiserDr Caitriona Logue
Tel:
Email: Caitriona.logue@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Daniel Harrington
Tel: (0131 6)51 5936
Email: dan.harrington@ed.ac.uk
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