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EC135-15 Topics in Applied Economics (1b)

Department
Economics
Level
Undergraduate Level 1
Module leader
Robert Akerlof
Credit value
15
Module duration
10 weeks
Assessment
100% exam
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry
Introductory description

This module provides students with an opportunity to study a variety of topics drawn from the broad field of applied economics and exposes students to teaching delivered by leading researchers in specialist fields of economics.

Module web page

Module aims

The module aims to provide students with an opportunity to study a variety of topics drawn from the broad field of applied economics. The width of the discipline implies that in any one year there will be some specialist fields of Economics which are not covered in the menu of core and optional modules; this module seeks to provide exposure to some of these fields. A complementary aim is to offer a module in which first year students can benefit from teaching delivered by leading researchers in the specialist field. Each year, the topics covered within the module are likely to change to reflect the heterogeneity of specialist research interests of teaching staff, the changing issues within the discipline and the changing topics taught elsewhere within the Economics degree programmes.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The syllabus each year will cover up to three topics selected from within the broad area of ‘Applied Economics’. The selection will be drawn from all sub-fields within the discipline, including labour, industrial, development, trade, behavioural, experimental, financial, public, health, education, history, environmental, ethics, philosophy, happiness, and auctions. This list will expand as reflecting staff interests. In years in which other first year 15 CATS optional modules do not run, one possibility will be to compress them into topics within this module. In selecting topics, the main criteria will include:
(i) scope for the topic to provide a context in which, through application, students can begin to develop their understanding of key concepts in economics and applied economics,
(ii) importance of the topic within the general field of Economics,
(iii) policy relevance of the topic,
(iv) complementing topics covered elsewhere within the degree programmes.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Subject Knowledge and Understanding:...demonstrate a familiarity with and basic understanding of research issues; familiarity with contemporary empirical debates and latest research in some specialized areas of economics; understanding of how to approach an economic problem from the perspective of a contemporary researcher in economics. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures and guided reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
  • Cognitive Skills:...demonstrate capacity of analytical thinking, reasoning and application. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures and guided reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
  • Cognitive Skills:...demonstrate capacity of critical, creative and strategic thinking. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures and guided reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
  • Cognitive Skills:...demonstrate capacity of abstraction and problem solving. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures and guided reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
  • Cognitive Skills:...demonstrate capacity of policy evaluation and the analysis of institutions. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures and guided reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
  • Subject Knowledge and Understanding:...demonstrate a familiarity with and basic understanding of economic information; knowledge of specific economic trends and patterns; understanding of particular problems and solutions in economic measurement. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures and guided reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
  • Subject Knowledge and Understanding:...demonstrate a familiarity with and basic understanding of economic principles; knowledge and understanding of core concepts and methods in micro and macroeconomics. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures and guided reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
  • Subject Knowledge and Understanding:...demonstrate a familiarity with and basic understanding of applied economics; knowledge and understanding of standard economic models and quantitative techniques with application to contemporary problems arising in public policy and the private sector. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures and guided reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
  • Subject-specific and Professional Key General Skills:...demonstrate a basic understanding of research skills such as: Data skills: use of library and internet as information sources; knowledge of how to locate relevant data, extract appropriate data, analyse and present material. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures and guided reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
  • Subject-specific and Professional Key General Skills:...demonstrate a basic understanding of research skills such as: Mathematical/Statistical skills: use/application of mathematics and diagrams in economic analysis; understanding of statistical analysis of data. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures and guided reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
  • Subject-specific and Professional Key General Skills:...demonstrate a basic understanding of research skills such as: Written communication skills. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures and guided reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Examination.
Indicative reading list

Please see Talis Aspire link for most up to date list.

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in:
Analytical thinking and communication
Analytical reasoning
Critical thinking
Strategic thinking
Problem-solving
Abstraction
Policy evaluation
Analysis of incentives
Analysis of institutions

Transferable skills

Students will have the opportunity to develop:
Research skills
Numeracy and quantitative skills
Written communication skills
Oral communication skills
Mathematical, statistical and data-based research skills

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 20 sessions of 1 hour (13%)
Private study 130 hours (87%)
Total 150 hours
Private study description

Private study will be required in order to prepare for seminars/classes, to review lecture notes, to prepare for forthcoming assessments, tests, and exams, and to undertake wider reading around the subject

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group B2
Weighting Study time
Online Examination 100%

A paper which examines the course content and ensures learning outcomes are achieved.

~Platforms - AEP


  • Online examination: No Answerbook required
  • Students may use a calculator
Feedback on assessment

The Department of Economics is committed to providing high quality and timely feedback to students on their assessed work, to enable them to review and continuously improve their work. We are dedicated to ensuring feedback is returned to students within 20 University working days of their assessment deadline. Feedback for assignments is returned either on a standardised assessment feedback cover sheet which gives information both by tick boxes and by free comments or via free text comments on tabula, together with the annotated assignment. For tests and problem sets, students receive solutions as an important form of feedback and their marked assignment, with a breakdown of marks and comments by question and sub-question. Students are informed how to access their feedback, either by collecting from the Undergraduate Office or via tabula. Module leaders often provide generic feedback for the cohort outlining what was done well, less well, and what was expected on the assignment and any other common themes. This feedback also includes a cumulative distribution function with summary statistics so students can review their performance in relation to the cohort. This feedback is in addition to the individual-specific feedback on assessment performance.

Past exam papers for EC135

Pre-requisites

Co-requisite module: EC120

Courses

This module is Optional for:

  • UECA-3 Undergraduate Economics 3 Year Variants
    • Year 1 of L100 Economics
    • Year 1 of L100 Economics
    • Year 1 of L100 Economics
    • Year 1 of L116 Economics and Industrial Organization
    • Year 1 of L116 Economics and Industrial Organization
  • UECA-LM1D Undergraduate Economics, Politics and International Studies
    • Year 1 of LM1D Economics, Politics and International Studies
    • Year 1 of LM1D Economics, Politics and International Studies
  • UPHA-V7ML Undergraduate Philosophy, Politics and Economics
    • Year 1 of V7ML Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Tripartite)
    • Year 1 of V7ML Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Tripartite)
    • Year 1 of V7ML Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Tripartite)