LOJK10256U CANCELLED - Applied Microeconomic Analysis

Volume 2015/2016
Education

MSc Programme in Agricultural Economics
MSc Programme in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

Content

We study leading economic literature on selected advanced topics in microeconomics. The specific topics to be discussed in class will be determined at the beginning of the course and may include (but not necessarily be limited to)

• Allocation and externalities in networks

• Auctions and mechanism design

• Advanced production economics

• Contract design

• Methods for decision support

The literature will mainly be theoretical, but the curriculum may also contain surveys or applied and empirical papers. Additional topics are investigated by the students themselves guided by their own interests.

Learning Outcome

The main objective of the course is to present the students for important topics in microeconomics and make them familiar with recent advanced literature in the area. Hence, students will be trained in reading scientific articles from leading economics journals. Studying journal articles is very different from reading textbooks and may be very challenging and time consuming for the students. An important part of the course is to help students overcome these challenges and to show them how to approach such literature in a fruitful way.

Upon completing this course, the students should be able to

Knowledge:

• summarise the main contributions of the articles discussed in class as well as their individual paper.

Skills:

• study scientific journal articles with theoretical, empirical and/or applied content within the area of microeconomics and

- identify the central contributions of the article

- explain the main results in terms of assumptions, methodology, and economic intuition

- relate the article to other relevant research within the area

- identify potential questions for further analysis as well as possible strategies for addressing those questions

Competences:

• formulate a structured and coherent paper in English on a topic within the area of microeconomics

• make a short and structured presentation of scholarly work (own contributions as well as published work)

• engage in group discussions in English

• critically and constructively reflect on the work of other scholars (fellow students as well as published work)

Literature could include

d. J.L. Hougaard, (2009), 'An Introduction to Allocation Rules', Springer.

e. Journal articles

but depend on the particular topic chosen and will be announced before start of course.

Any course in microeconomics at intermediate or graduate level
Lectures by the instructor and exercises
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 3
  • Lectures
  • 40
  • Practical exercises
  • 43
  • Preparation
  • 120
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination
Written assignment
The exam takes the form of a student seminar, at which all students are assessed at a common session. Each student makes a presentation of their own paper and performs as a discussant for another student’s paper.
An individual paper must be submittet prior to the exam at a specified deadline. The topic is chosen in agreement with the teacher (max 15 pages).
The student must make a short “referee” report on another students paper as well as playing the role as a discussant

The student is evaluated on the written paper (weight 50%), the referee report and discussant performance (weight 25%) and presentation in class of paper (weight 25%).

The grade is to be set as a weighted average of the results from the part-examinations.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
One internal examiner
Re-exam

As the ordinary exam.

Criteria for exam assesment

To obtain the grade of 12 the student must fullfil the Learning Outcome