EC9C5-12 Topics in Labour Economics
Introductory description
EC9C5-12 Topics in Labour Economics
Module aims
The module aims to develop the skills and knowledge of advanced labour economics necessary for a career as an academic economist and in all areas where advanced research skills in labour economics are required. Specifically, it aims to teach the students to understand, appreciate, and ultimately contribute to, frontier research. It is intended to be comparable to modules taught in the best research universities in the USA and elsewhere in Europe.
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.
Illustrative topics might include:
- Productivity; labour supply (static and dynamic); labour demand (the individual firm and industry labour demand, application: the effect of the minimum wage on labour demand), retirement.
- Human capital: the basic human capital model, estimating returns to education; human capital versus signalling; education production functions; peer effects; training.
- Search and matching; search and matching theory; empirical papers on search and matching;
- Discrimination; Migration; Productivity; Crime.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Have a strategic overview and a detailed understanding of developments in advanced labour economics. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Seminars and background reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Assessment and Presentation
- Develop a critical knowledge of recent research in some key developments in advanced labour economics. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Seminars and background reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Presentation.
- Autonomously pursue their own original research agenda in the forefront of the field of labour economics. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Seminars and background reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: Assessment
Subject specific skills
Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in:
Analytical thinking and communication
Analytical Reasoning
Critical thinking
Creative Thinking
Policy Evaluation
Analysis of Institutions
Analysis of Incentives
Understanding of Uncertainty and Incomplete Information
Transferable skills
Students will have the opportunity to develop:
Research skills
Numeracy and Quantitative skills
Written communication
Oral communication
Mathematical, Statistical, data-based research skills
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 30 sessions of 1 hour (25%) |
| Private study | 90 hours (75%) |
| Total | 120 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 A5
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
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| Assessment 1 | 50% | No | |
|
Replication project based on a selected published research paper |
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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| Assessment 2 | 50% | No | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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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 Department of Economics Postgraduate 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.
Pre-requisites
Satisfactory completion of MRes year 1
Courses
This module is Core optional for:
- Year 2 of TECA-L1PL in Economics (Master of Research plus PhD)