TOPICS IN DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS - 2022/3

Module Overview

The course introduces students to  modern theories of development economics and the assessment of poverty relief policies. The course places emphasis on the long run effects of different types of market failures, such as credit market imperfections and externalities. The course also reviews the recent empirical literature on the impact of institutions and property rights on growth and development, and the use of randomized controlled trials in the context of developing economies.  

Module provider

Economics

Module Leader

JAIMOVICH Esteban (Economics)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• The Neoclassical Growth Theory (Solow model)


• Coordination Failures and Technological Non-Convexities 


• Credit Market Imperfections and Poverty Traps 


• Group Lending and Microcredit 


• Institutions and Property Rights 


• Randomised Control Trials

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

NA

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the course. The mix between in-semester test and the final examination is instrumental to this. Questions on both the in-semester test will be essay and/or problem style questions.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• A class test


• A final examination

Module aims

• Make students aware of the specificities of market failures in the context of developing economics.
• Equip students of analytical tools to rationalize and answer questions related to why some nations fail to grow in the long run.
• Prepare students to be able to assess development policies in the context of its economic evaluation.
• Make students aware of the most recent empirical methods used by applied development economists.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• Achieve the module's learning outcomes by engaging students with the module's material in weekly lectures.

• Weekly lectures that are recorded and disseminated as captured content.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ECOM044

Other information

In line with the University's curriculum framework, the School of Economics is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:

Global and Cultural Intelligence

Students will be introduced to problems afflicting developing countries and social contexts with poverty.

Sustainability

The course will encourage students to focus on a long-run view of sustainable development policies and on the impact of institutions.

Employability

The course equips students with methods that are currently used by policymakers and practitioners. 

Digital capabilities

The course encourages students to get more familiarized with econometrics software.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2022/3 academic year.