Postgraduate
MSc, Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate in Agricultural Economics
Syllabus
C110
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.
C127
Political economy of public policy
This module takes a comparative
political economy approach to explain important differences in the way
that politics and policy making interact in different economies and
societies. Insights are applied to agricultural policies across a range
of developed and developing countries, shedding light on the question of
why observed policies so often diverge from the optimal policies that
theory would recommend.
C125
Food security and social protection
Considers in a unified
manner two highly topical policy areas that too often are treated in
isolation: food security and social protection. The basic conceptual
approach centres on the livelihoods of poor individuals and households
and their management of risk and shocks. Policies to help households
manage risk and accumulate assets are critically evaluated and
particular attention is paid to how greater complementarity can be
achieved across policies for agricultural development and social
protection.
C116 Economics and institutions for
development
Examines the
economic behaviour of people and firms, and interactions between
these, institutions and national economies in development
processes. It introduces development concepts and standard
economic models and their relation with each other. The module
explores 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
Teaches the essential skills
required for undertaking empirical work in agricultural economics. It
covers the estimation, inference and diagnostic testing of linear
regression models, with applications of theory using software supplied
with the module.
C124
Climate change and development
Provides a
multi-disciplinary understanding of climate change processes and of
their direct and indirect interactions with development. It describes
the main climate change processes, scenarios and vulnerabilities, and
international and national policy responses. Different sectors’
contributions and sensitivities to climate change (and to mitigation and
adaptation responses) are identified, with their implications for
policies and outcomes for different economies and for people’s
livelihoods within them.
C138
Marketing for Small Agribusinesses
Markets are a key
component of development. You will analyse the marketing challenges for
micro- and small enterprises within a broad range of natural resource
product and service sectors, focusing on how markets function, marketing
management, and policy measures to support small firms and business
services.
C105
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
Considers the planning and
management of public and private investment in the rural sector in the
context of sectoral and national level programme support. Concepts of
project identification, preparation, appraisal, and monitoring and
evaluation are explored. Methods such as logical framework, financial
and economic cost benefit analysis, and social and environmental
assessment are presented.
C230
Rural development
Introduces rural development,
looking at its history, key challenges, role in poverty reduction, the
agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, rural services (government
and market roles in provision of infrastructure, finance, agricultural
research and extension, and health and education) and natural resources
(notably land and water policies).
C135
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.
C119 Understanding
poverty
Introduces concepts and definitions of
poverty. It explores trends in poverty (especially rural poverty) across
and within continents, along with debates about the causes of these
trends, and introduces the national and international policy
architecture for poverty reduction.
C126
Water resource management
Explains the key themes,
concepts, and tools associated with water management. The module covers
determinants of availability and scarcity, assessment and management
from basin to user, economics and governance, the management and
sustainability of irrigated agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, and
environmental, social and political dimensions of water use.
C128
Rural finance [scheduled for 2012]
Considers the
importance of savings, insurance, credit and money transmission to poor
rural households. It examines why these services are often either
unavailable or available only on highly disadvantageous terms to such
households, despite huge advances in microfinance in recent years. It
then explores options for enhancing provision of rural financial
services in poor economies.
R106
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
