AØKA08197U Demography

Volume 2022/2023
Education

MSc programme in Economics – elective course

Bacheloruddannelsen i økonomi – valgfag på 3. år

The Danish BSc programme in Economics - elective at the 3rd year

Content

The course is an introductory course in demography focusing on developing basic demography methods related to the measurement of vital events. These methods are then applied to study empirically (and theoretically) how demographic and economic changes interact with each other over time. 

 

The course will cover the following topics:

Fertility:

  • Measures of fertility.

  • Economic/social determinants of fertility.

Mortality:

  • Measures of mortality.

  • How to construct life tables.

  • Economic/social determinants of mortality.

Demographic Transitions:

  • Macro and microeconomic causes and consequences.

Migration:

  • Measures of migration.

  • Economic/social determinants and consequences of migration.

 

Learning Outcome

After completing the course, the student is expected to be able to:

 

Knowledge:

  • Account for fundamental demographic processes and changes experienced by countries during the last two centuries.

  • Account for different economic theories of the Demographic Transition.

  • Explain empirical models used to identify causes/​consequences  of changes in e.g. fertility, mortality, and migration.

  • Discuss basic findings in the economic-demography literature with a focus on key demographic variables like fertility, mortality, and migration.

 

Skills:

  • Constructs relevant measures of fertility, mortality, and migration using population census data and vital-statistics data.  

  • Analyze how basic demographic variables 1) influence economic variables such as human capital and income, and 2) are being influenced by economic conditions and public infrastructures e.g. clean-water supply, sewerage infrastructure, or information provision.

  • Construct datasets which can be used to study basic demographic issues.

 

Competencies:

  • Master methodes to analyze the interaction between demographic and economic changes in the process of economic development.

  • Combine theory and empirical knowledge to formulate research designs with the purpose of identifying causes/consequences of demographic changes.  

 

Selected chapters in “Demographic methods” by Andrew Hinde, Arnold. 
The literature will additionally be based on various journal articles, focusing on the economic causes/consequences of demographic changes in societies.

 

Knowledge corresponding to the 2nd year on the Bachelor in Economics, Universty of Copenhagen or similar.
Lectures.
Related to the lectures, there will be in-class exercises, discussions and student presentations e.g. of journal articles, which should be prepared before class.

Changes to teaching methods due to a pandemic crisis:
The teaching in this course might be changed to either fully or partly online due to a pandemic crisis. If changes are implemented please read the study messages at KUnet or the announcements in the virtual course room on Absalon (for enrolled students).
Schedule:
2 hours lectures 1 to 2 times a week from week 6 to 16.
In week 16 there will be individual guidance of the project.

The overall schema for the Master courses and 3rd year courses can be seen at KUnet:
MSc in Economics => "courses and teaching" => "Planning and overview" => "Your timetable"
BA i Økonomi/KA i Økonomi => "Kurser og undervisning" => "Planlægning og overblik" => "Dit skema"

Timetable and venue:
To see the time and location of lectures please press the link under "Timetable"/​"Se skema" at the right side of this page. F means Spring.

You can find the similar information in English at
https:/​/​skema.ku.dk/​ku2223/​uk/​module.htm
-Select Department: “2200-Økonomisk Institut” (and wait for respond)
-Select Module:: “2200-F23; [Name of course]””
-Select Report Type: “List – Weekdays”
-Select Period: “Forår/spring”
Press: “ View Timetable”

Please be aware:
- The schedule of the lectures can change without the participants´ acceptance. If this occures, you can see the new schedule in your personal timetable at KUnet, in the app myUCPH and through the links in the right side of this course description and the link above.
- It is the students´s own responsibility continuously throughout the study to stay informed about their study, their teaching, their schedule, their exams etc. through the curriculum of the study programme, the study pages at KUnet, student messages, the course description, the Digital Exam portal, Absalon, the personal schema at KUnet and myUCPH app etc.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 42
  • Preparation
  • 134
  • Project work
  • 30
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Individual
Collective
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment, 3 weeks
Type of assessment details
Individual project.

Please be aware that:
• The students has to choose a topic within demography and find suitable data for their project.
• The writing process of the project begins with handing in a project description, that must be approved. Thereafter the student have 3 weeks to write the project paper.
• The students are allowed to communicate about the project during the writing process, but they write and submit each own project.
• The project description and the project paper must be written in English.
Exam registration requirements

To qualify for the exam the student must no later than the given deadline during the course:

  • Present one journal article in class. The presentation has to be approved by the lecturer.
Aid

All aids allowed for the written project and the project description.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
for the written exam.
Exam period

The regular exam:

The project description must be uploaded to Absalon no later than:

21 April, 2023 at 9 AM

 

The project with the project description attached must be uploaded to Digital Exam no later than:

22 May, 2023 at 9 AM

 

Exam information:

More information is available in Digital Exam from the middle of the semester. In special cases decided by the Department, the exam can change to another day and/or time than announced.

More information about examination, rules, aids etc. at Master(UK), Master(DK) and Bachelor(DK).

Re-exam

The reexam:

A new project description must be uploaded to Digital Exam no later than:

4 August 2023 at 9 AM

 

A new project with the projectdescription attached must be uploaded to Digital Exam no later than:

28 August 2023 at 9 AM

 

Exam information:

More information in Digital Exam in August. In special cases decided by the Department, the re-sit can change to another day, and/or time than announced.

More information about examination, rules, aids etc. at Master(UK), Master(DK) and Bachelor(DK).

Criteria for exam assesment

Students are assessed on the extent to which they master the learning outcome for the course.

 

In order to obtain the top grade “12”, the student must with no or only a few minor weaknesses be able to demonstrate an excellent performance displaying a high level of command of all aspects of the relevant material and can make use of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes.

 

In order to obtain the passing grade “02”, the student must in a satisfactory way be able to demonstrate a minimal acceptable level of  the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes.