ECN376 Natural Resource and Environmental Economics - Applications

Credits (ECTS):5

Course responsible:Eirik Romstad

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Engelsk

Course frequency:Annually

Nominal workload:150 hours

Teaching and exam period:This course starts in Spring parallel. This course has teaching/evaluation in Spring parallel and June block.

About this course

The course builds on ECN275, and is an edition of ECN375 (theory foundation from ECN275 and a term paper). The course involves the term paper in ECN375, where students work in groups on a self selected topic on natural resource and environmental economics. Group size 2-3 students.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Candidates shall further develop their skills from ECN 275 or equivalent courses through a group term paper on one or more of the following topics:

  • Welfare economics and environmental issues
  • Cost effectiveness and partial welfare maximization
  • Asymmetric information, principal-agent theory and resource allocation mechanisms, truthful revelation
  • Monitoring and enforcement/sanctions
  • Economic policy instruments in the management of the environment and natural resources
  • Models for state dependent management of the environment and natural resources
    • Accumulated pollution
    • Non-renewable resources
    • Renewable resources

Skills

Trough work on a group term paper:

  • Knowledge based choice of and discussion of economic policy instruments in the management of environmental issues and natural resource management
    • Handle impacts of incomplete information on the choice of economic policy instruments
    • Modeling skills, static and dynamic models
    • Knowledge based choice and discussion of economic policy instruments in the management of the environment and natural resources
    • Handle impacts of incomplete information on the choice of economic policy instruments
  • Modeling skills, static and dynamic models

General competence

  • Simplify complex problems to enable economic analysis, and discuss the implications on the original problem caused by the chosen simplifications
  • Expanded economic modeling skills
  • Cooperation in informal groups, short presentations with little time for preparations
  • Work in a formal group on a larger academic term paper
  • Critical reflection on and constructive discussion of the work of peers
  • Learning activities
    Mandatory term paper in groups of 2-4 students on a self-selected topic under the heading natural resource and environmental economics.
  • Teaching support
    Councelling on the term paper.
  • Prerequisites
    ECN275 Natural Resource and Environmental Economics - theory or equivalent.
  • Recommended prerequisites
    ECN275 Natural Resource and Environmental Economics - theory or equivalent.
  • Assessment method
    Term paper (100%). Work on the term paper takes place in the last third of the course. To be allowed to write a term paper, the student must have passed the exam in ECN275 or an equivalent course from another higher education institution. Term paper where 2-3 students work together on a self selected topic within the wider area of natural resource and environmental economics. Grade is assigned as A-F. No re-examination s being offered in this course.

    Trem paper Karakterregel: Letter grades
  • Examiner scheme
    Internal assessor (course responsible)
  • Mandatory activity
    Discussant on another term paper in connecton with presentation of a preliminary version of the term paper.
  • Notes
    The course is in English if there are one or more international students. Incoming students can contact student advisors at the School of Economics and Business (Studieveileder-hh@nmbu.no) for admission to the course.
  • Teaching hours
    None (the course builds on theory/teaching/exercises/discussions from ECN275 Natural Resource and Environmental Economics - theory).
  • Reduction of credits
    Builds on theory part from ECN275 Natural Resource and Environmental Economics - Theory.
  • Admission requirements
    ECN275 Natural Resource and Environmental Economics - theory or equivalent.