This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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Specific Topics in Applied Economics B

Code: 43793 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
4313384 Applied Research in Economics and Business OT 0

Contact

Name:
Miquel Àngel Garcia Lopez
Email:
miquelangel.garcia@uab.cat

Teachers

Riccardo Turati
David Enrique Castells Quintana

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

None.


Objectives and Contextualisation

To provide a wider understanding in advanced techniques and topics for empirical research in economics.


Competences

  • Analyse, synthesise and critically evaluate a certain matter of scientific interest and/or real problem case, considering its different perspectives and supporting the results and conclusions obtained.
  • Possess and understand knowledge that provides a basis or opportunity for originality in the development and/or application of ideas, often in a research context
  • Produce and draft projects, technical reports and academic articles in English, making use of the appropriate terminology, argumentation, communication skills and analytical tools for each context, and rigorously evaluate those produced by third parties.
  • Select and apply different and adequate models and/or theoretical frameworks, methodologies and techniques for scientific research, data sources and IT tools for research applied to business and economics.
  • Student should possess an ability to learn that enables them to continue studying in a manner which is largely self-supervised or independent
  • Understand, analyse and evaluate the main scientific advances and existing lines of research in the fields of contemporary applied and public economics in a globalised context in order to integrate this in scientific research, projects and/or public or private policy. (Speciality in Research in Applied Economics)
  • Work in international and inter-disciplinary teams.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse, synthesise and critically evaluate a certain matter of scientific interest and/or real problem case, considering its different perspectives and supporting the results and conclusions obtained.
  2. Possess and understand knowledge that provides a basis or opportunity for originality in the development and/or application of ideas, often in a research context
  3. Produce and draft projects, technical reports and academic articles in English, making use of the appropriate terminology, argumentation, communication skills and analytical tools for each context, and rigorously evaluate those produced by third parties.
  4. Recognise and discern theoretical and empirical knowledge regarding territory-wide economic dynamics, together with the links to related disciplines.
  5. Recognise and discern theoretical and empirical knowledge related to the study of market competitiveness, including the design and application of policies to defend competition and regulate markets.
  6. Recognise and distinguish the theoretical and empirical knowledge associated to questions of efficiency and equity in economics, and how they can contribute to the economic development of societies.
  7. Resolve global socio-economic problems and challenges in a context of the increasing integration of the global economy by applying economic analysis.
  8. Student should possess an ability to learn that enables them to continue studying in a manner which is largely self-supervised or independent
  9. Understand the mathematical, statistical and econometric fundaments and instruments required for statistical inference.
  10. Work in international and inter-disciplinary teams.

Content

Development Economics

1. Concepts and challenges.

2. The persistence of poverty.

3. The process of development.

4. Cities, urbanisation and development.

5. Frontier topics in development economics.

 

Economics of Migration

1. International Migration - Facts, Determinants and Migrants Selection.

2. Identification Issues in Economics of Migration.

3. Labor Market Impact of Immigration.

4. Political Economy of Immigration.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Directed 37.5 1.5 1, 9, 3, 2, 8, 5, 4, 6, 7, 10
Type: Supervised      
Supervised 22.5 0.9 1, 9, 3, 2, 8, 5, 4, 6, 7, 10
Type: Autonomous      
Autonomous 82.8 3.31 1, 9, 3, 2, 8, 5, 4, 6, 7, 10

Classes, essay writing, tutorials, study and research activities.

The proposed teaching methodology may undergo some modifications according to the restrictions imposed by the health authorities on on-campus courses.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Class attendance 5% 0 0 1, 9, 3, 2, 8, 5, 4, 6, 7, 10
Exams 70% 3.2 0.13 1, 9, 3, 2, 8, 5, 4, 6, 7, 10
Presentation and discussion of essays and problems 15% 2 0.08 1, 9, 3, 2, 8, 5, 4, 6, 7, 10
Presentation and discussion of readings 10% 2 0.08 1, 9, 3, 2, 8, 5, 4, 6, 7, 10

Continuous evaluation
Class attendance, presentation and discussion of essays and problems, presentation and discussion of readings, exams.

Calendar of evaluation activities
The dates of the evaluation activities of the module (final exams, exercises in the classroom, assignments,...) will be announced well in advance during the semester."The dates of evaluation activities cannot be modified, unless there is an exceptional and duly justified reason why an evaluation activity cannot be carried out. In this case, the degree coordinator will contact both the teaching staff and the affected student, and a new date will be scheduled within the same academic period to make up for the missed evaluation activity." Section 1 of Article 115. Calendar of evaluation activities (Academic Regulations UAB). Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, who in accordance with the previous paragraph need to change an evaluation activity (mainly final exam/s) date must process the request by filling out an Application for exams' reschedulehttps://eformularis.uab.cat/group/deganat_feie/application-for-exams-reschedule

Module grade and retake
The overall grade for the module will be determined as the average of the final grades obtained for the individual units of the module, weighted by their ECTS, under the condition that:

  • None of the final grades for the individual units is less than 3.5;
  • Not more than one of the final grades for the individual units is less than 5.0.

In case any of these conditions are not fulfilled, the student will be given the option to recover the corresponding units. Also in the case that the conditions are fulfilled but the overall, weighted-average grade for the module is less than 5.0, the student will be given the option to recover the individual unit graded with less than 5.0.
The format of the recovery of a unit will be determined by its professors and the maximum grade that can be obtained for each recovered subject is 5.0. 

Evaluation of Economics of Development
40% Presentation of an academic paper
60%
Written exam

Evaluation of Economics of Migration
40% Presentation/Written report of an academic paper
60% Written exam

Grade revision process
After all grading activities of the module have ended, students will be informed of the date and way in which the module grades will be published. Students will be also be informed of the procedure, place, date and time of grade revision following University regulations.

Retake Process
"To be eligible to participate in the retake process of the module, it is required for students to have been previously evaluated for at least two thirds of the total evaluation activities of the module." Section 3 of Article 112 ter. The recovery (UAB Academic Regulations). Additionally, it is required that the student to have achieved an average grade of the module between 3.5 and 4.9
The date of the retake exam will be duly announced by the coordination of the program. Students who take this exam and pass, will get a grade of 5 for the module. If the student does not pass the retake, the grade will remain unchanged, and hence, student will fail the module.

Irregularities in evaluation activities
In spite of other disciplinary measures deemed appropriate, and in accordance with current academic regulations, "in the case that the student makes any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an evaluation activity, it will be graded with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that can be instructed. In case of various irregularities occur in the evaluation of the same module, the final grade of this module will be 0" Section 10 of Article 116. Results of the evaluation. (UABAcademic Regulations).

Not Assessed Grade  
A student can obtain "Not Assessed" grade in the module only when he/she has not participated in any of the evaluation activities within it. Therefore, students who perform even only one evaluation component cannot obtain "Not Assessed" grade in the module.

Comprehensive evaluation
This module does not offer the option for comprehensive evaluation.

The proposed evaluation activities may undergo some changes according to the restrictions imposed by the health authorities on on-campus courses.


Bibliography

Economics of Development

  • Cypher & Dietz, J. 2020. The Process of Economic Development. Routledge
  • Janvry de A. Sadoulet, E. 2017. Development Economics. Routledge 
  • Banerjee A., Duflo, E. 2011. Poor economics. New York, Public Affairs.
  • Acemoglu, D., Robinson, J. 2012. Why Nations Fail. Penguin Random House.
  • Castells-Quintana, D. 2021. Our Elusive Quest for Prosperity. Ediciones UAB

Economics of Migration

  • Ozden, C ̧., Parsons, C. R., Schiff, M., and Walmsley, T. L. (2011). Where on earth is everybody? The evolution of global bilateral migration 1960–2000. The World Bank Economic Review, 25(1):12–56
  • Grogger, J. and Hanson, G. H. (2011). Income maximization and the selection and sorting of international migrants. Journal of Development Economics, 95(1):42–57
  • Dao, T. H., Docquier, F., Parsons, C., and Peri, G. (2018). Migration and development: Dissecting the anatomy of the mobility transition. Journal of Development Economics, 132:88–101
  • Card, D. (1990). The impact of the Mariel boatlift on the Miami labor market. Ilr Review, 43(2):245–257.
  • Edo, A. (2020). The impact of immigration on wage dynamics: Evidence from the Algerian independence war. Journal of the European Economic Association, 18(6):3210–3260
  • Goldsmith-Pinkham, P., Sorkin, I., and Swift, H. (2020). Bartik instruments: What, when, why, and how. American Economic Review, 110(8):2586–2624
  • Borusyak, K., Hull, P., and Jaravel, X. (2022). Quasi-experimental shift-share research designs. The Review of Economic Studies, 89(1):181–213
  • Beine, M., Bertoli, S., and Fernández-Huertas Moraga, J. (2016). A practitioners’ guide to gravity models of international migration. The World Economy, 39(4):496–512
  • Edo, A. (2019). The impact of immigration on the labor market. Journal of Economic Surveys, 33(3):922–948
  • Borjas, G. J. (2003). The labor demand curve is downward sloping: Reexamining the impact of immigration on the labor market. The quarterly journal of economics, 118(4):1335–1374.
  • Peri, G. and Sparber, C. (2009). Task specialization, immigration, and wages. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 1(3):135–169
  • Bernstein, S., Diamond, R., Jiranaphawiboon, A., McQuade, T., and Pousada, B. (2022). The contribution of high-skilled immigrants to innovation in the United States. NBER WP 30797
  • Alesina, A., & Tabellini, M. (2024). The political effects of immigration: Culture or Economics? Journal of Economic Literature, 62(1), 5-46.
  • Card, D., Dustmann, C., and Preston, I. (2012). Immigration, wages, and compositional amenities. Journal of the European Economic Association, 10(1):78–119.
  • Moriconi, S., Peri, G., and Turati, R. (2022b). Skill of the immigrants and vote of the natives: Immigration and nationalism in European elections 2007–2016. European Economic Review, 141:103986.
  • Giuliano, P. and Tabellini, M. (2020). The seeds of ideology: Historical immigration and political preferences in the United States. Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 20-118, May 2020.

Software

  • Text editors (Word, Pages, LaTeX, ...).
  • Spreadsheets (Excel, Numbers, LaTeX, ...).
  • Slide show presentation (PowerPoint, Keynote, LaTeX, ...).
  • Statistical/Econometric software and/or for data management - (Stata, R, Eviews, Python, ...).

Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(TEm) Theory (master) 30 English second semester morning-mixed