Optional modules

In addition to these mandatory course units there are a number of optional course units available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course units that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new units may be offered or existing units may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.

Year 1

International Economic Policy

In this module you will develop an understanding of how economic theory and empirical analysis are used to study problems involving several countries. You will look at the effects of alternative economic policies used to deal with economic problems that have international dimensions, considering the role of economic incetives and the difficulties involves in coordinating and enforcing these policies. You will also evaluate arguments espoused by different sides in resolving major international economics issues.

Economic Philosophy

In this module you will develop an understanding of what economics as a field is concerned with, and the subfields that exist. You will look at what sets economics apart from other social sciences, considering the scientific methods used and the extent to which they apply to economics. You will examine the difference between causation and correlation, why it matters, and how to distinguish between the two using data. You will also analyse the purpose and limitation of economics models, with special emphasis on rational choice theory.

Alternatively you may take up to one full unit from another department.

Year 2

Financial Markets and Insitutions

In this module you will develop an understanding of the economic principles underlying the working of national and international financial institutions. You will look at what a financial system is and does, and the distinct functions of each component. You will consider the key financial instruments and the relationship between assets, agents, and institutions, and learn to solve simple problems using quantitative and graphical tools. You will critically evaluate country differences and analyse the interdependencies and rapid change of the modern financial world.

Industrial Growth and Competition

In this module you will develop an understanding of the principal-agent problem, the Coase theorem, theories of the firm, the role of transaction costs, moral hazard, adverse selection, and issues surrounding organisation, investment, governance and expansion of corporations. You will look the role of incentivisation and how conflicts of interests shape economic interactions. You will consider the role of transaction costs in determining the existence, scale and scope of firms, and examine why government regulation may be inferior to market solutions when dealing with externalities. You will also analyse the developments of Anglo-American industrial and Japanese capitalism.

Personnel Economics

In this module you will develop an understanding of the basic theoretical models of personnel economics and how these can be applied to policy issues. You will look at contracts between firms and their workers, focussing on hiring, training, pay, job assignments, promotion, quits and dismissals, and pensions. You will consider the nature of labour contracts, and use statistical analysis to examine the empirical relevance of different types of contract. 

Economic Growth

In this module you will develop an understanding of the process of economic growth at the world level, and the sources of income and growth differences across countries. You will look at Piketty's work on income distribution and economic growth, Malthus' work on population and economic growth, and Solow's standard economic growth model. You will examine why some countries are rich and some are poor, and consider the differences between countries that explain economic success and failures.

Alternatively you may take up to one full unit from another department.

Year 3

Industrial Economics 1

In this module you will develop an understanding of the methods and models applied by economists in the analysis of firms and industries. You will learn how to manipulate these models and analytically solve problems relating to industrial economics. You will consider the applications of the models to important policy areas, exploring topics such as collusion, mergers, product differentiation and asymmetric information. You will also also examine the limitations of the theory.

Industrial Economics 2

In this module you will devlop an understanding of advanced topics in industrial organisation, with a special focus on the role that information plays in markets. You will explore topics such as collusion, mergers, product differentiation, and asymmetric information, and become familiar with a broad range of methods and models applied by economists in the analysis of firms and industries.

Financial Economics 1

In this module you will develop an understanding of the financial market, institutions, participants and traded assets that constitute a modern financial system. You will look at the theories of risk-factor pricing, such as the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT). You will consider the theory of, and empirical evidence on, efficient, markets and examine the process of price formation. You will also analyse the derivation and construction of efficient portfolios.

Financial Economics 2

In this module you will develop an understanding of the wide range of fixed income securities and derivatives available to investors in the financial markets. You will look at the basic institutional features of derivatives markets, as well as the pricing of bonds and of derivative instruments and using them for hedging purposes. You will consider investment and trading strategies that use bonds and derivatives, and evaluate the use of bonds in immunising portfolios based on the bond's duration. You will also explore the features and uses of the most popular types of derivatives available today, including options, futures, forwards, and swaps.

Econometrics 1

In this module you will develop an understanding of the theoretical properties of different econometric estimation and testing procedures under various modelling assumptions. You will learn to formulate, estimate, test and interpret suitable models for the empirical study of economic phenomena. You will consider how to apply regression techniques and evaluate the appropriateness of each econometric estimation method under different data limitations.

Econometrics 2

In this module you will develop an understanding of the theoretical properties of different econometric estimation and testing procedures under various modelling assumptions. You will look at regression techniquies and learn how to apply relevant econometric and statistical methods to your own research. You will also evaluate the appropriateness of each of the economic estimation methods and the impact of consider data limirations.

Understanding Financial Crises

In this module you will develop an understanding of the fragility of the financial system and its relevance to the current financial crisis. You will learn the economic meaning of the terms liquidity and solvency in the context of financial intermediaries. You will look at the models of equilibrium bank runs and consider the implications of imposing capital structure controls and liquidity control on financial intermediaries. You will also critically evaluate the links between financial crises and the macroeconomy.

Environmental Economics

In this module you will develop an understanding of how economic methods can be applied to environmental issues facing society. You will consider the difficulties arising in using economic analysis in environmental policy design and learn how to solve and manipulate a variety of diagrammatic and algebraic models in environmental economics. You will evaluate a number of real world environmental policy problems and see how economic analysis has been applied in their solution.

Experimental Economics

In this module you will develop an understanding of the use of experiments to test economic theories. You will look at how individuals make decisions in markets, how individuals decide to spend money today or save it for future spendng, the assumption of self-regarding preferences commonly made in standard economic models, and the ability to act rationally in a strategic environments. You will consider the issues raised by experimental design and critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of experimental methods.

Monetary Economics

In this module you will develop an understanding of the role of money in the economy. You will look at models where inflation show persistence, the theory of monetary policy, monetary policy operating procedures and the central banking machanisms. You will consider why inflation is persistent in the data and how the political forces affecting monetary policy making may affect inflation.

Topics in Game Theory

Advanced Economic Theory

Financial Econometrics

Labour Economics

Economic Philosophy

Topics in Public Economics

International Economic History

In this module you will develop your understanding of important topics from economic history, covering periods of economic growth and wellbeing, agricultural and urban development, globalisation and migration, banking and monetary systems, and the Great Depression and recovery.

Topics in Developmental Economics

Advanced Topics in Game Theory

Economics of Inequality

Alternatively you may take up to one full unit from another department.