Postgraduate
MSc, Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate in Agricultural Economics
Syllabus
C10
Agricultural trade and policy
Introduces neo-classical trade theory and examines trade theory as it
applies to a range of interventions in trade, in particular, agricultural
trade. The course also introduces standard agricultural policy analysis
tools, a review of current issues affecting international trade in agriculture,
and analysis of the major environmental influences on trade and policy.
C15
Policy and reform in
OECD and transition economies
Reviews the background, operation and
effects of the changing agricultural policies of the major OECD countries,
including economies in transition. Topics covered include the
development of agricultural policies, information used in policy making,
GATT and WTO, and evidence on protection and
effects of trade liberalisation.
C12
Political economy of public policy
Explains the political economy of policies in food and agriculture and
why developed countries tend to protect their farmers whilst developing
countries tend to protect their consumers. Built-in simulation exercise
of the policy-making process at an international level.
C116 Economics and institutions for
development
You will gain
an understanding of the economic behaviour of people and firms,
and the interactions between them, and between institutions and
national economies in development processes. Development
concepts, standard economic models and their relation with each
other are introduced. You will explore the roles of institutions
in economic exchange and resource allocation, and their
contribution (or hindrance) to more efficient and equitable
resource allocation and to development.
C02
Economic principles
A rigorous introduction to microeconomic theory covering theories and
applications of individual and market demand, as well as production
economics. The final part focuses on welfare economics and its application
to imperfect competition and factor markets.
C05
Applied econometrics
Provides the essential skills required for undertaking empirical work
in agricultural economics. It covers the estimation, inference and diagnostic
testing of linear regression models, and applies the theory using the
program MICROFIT.
C23
Natural resource economics
Examines a number of economic models of natural resource allocation
and demonstrates their application to policy making and natural resource
management to provide useful insights to both policy makers and managers.
The second part considers the economic dimension of sustainable economic
growth and development.
C134
Project planning and management
Covers the planning and management of public and private investment
in the agricultural sector. Students learn economic concepts for project
identification, preparation, appraisal, monitoring and evaluation, and
the methods of logical framework, financial and economic cost benefit
analysis, and social and environmental assessment.
C130
Rural development
Gives an economics perspective on issues and methods in rural development,
the role of rural development in poverty reduction, roles of agricultural
and non-agricultural sectors and of markets and governments in development,
impacts of new technology, agricultural research and extension policy
and methods, and rural financial markets.
C35
Socio-economics of rural livelihoods
Analyses the decisions facing smallholder farmers in managing their
activities and resources. The course examines the circumstances and
objectives of peasants and socio-economic theories that describe their
livelihood strategies, and policy implications arising from this analysis.
C126
Water resource management
Applies economics to the evaluation of water resource policy. Topics
include key economic concepts, the management and sustainability of
irrigation and water supply, user participation, and environmental,
social and political dimensions of water use.
C36
Research methods
Introduces research methods and the role of information in rural development
before addressing sampling and questionnaire design, measurement techniques,
case study and participatory approaches, and methods of data processing
and analysis.
Research
report -MSc students only
Examples of research report topics
-
using data envelopment analysis for farm productivity measurement
in Hungary
-
food consumption behaviour during economic transition; an application
of the almost ideal demand system
-
an analysis of the impact of direct payments within the Common Agricultural
Policy
-
a critical analysis of the Oman fish industry
-
determination
of protection rates in agriculture – an application to the
Nicaraguan coffee industry
-
theoretical
aspects of risk in subsistence farming in Burkina Faso
