DV490      Half Unit
Economic Development Policy I: Applied Policy Analysis for Macroeconomic Development

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Availability

Requisites

Additional requisites:

DV490 is designed to be taken in tandem with Foundations of Applied Econometrics for Economic Development Policy (DV494). The methodological complexity and sophistication of DV490 evolves through the term in synchrony with DV494.  In turn, the empirical material in DV490 is designed to enhance and reinforce methodological lessons from DV494.

The combination of DV490 and DV494 is designed to be accessible and challenging for students from a range of backgrounds, from those with no economics or statistics training to those with fairly strong backgrounds in both. We approach economic theory and quantitative causal inference from an applied perspective to enable students to understand and critically engage with the frontier of applied research in development economics. 

This course explores the theory and empirics of long-run economic growth in developing countries. Lectures provide analytical but non-technical overviews of themes such as growth theory, institutions and history, economic geography, trade and globalization, inequality, inflation and financial crises, debt, and international aid. There is a strong emphasis on how the body of knowledge has evolved over time via the synthesis of theoretical advances and rigorous empirical testing.

Seminars are primarily designed around critical engagement with applied quantative analysis in macroeconomic development. In tandem with methodological lessons taught in DV494, students in DV490 build analytical skills to critically engage with academic development research and appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence base for macroeconomic policies.

While some background in economics and/or statistics is helpful, when taken in tandem with DV494 the course is designed to be engaging and challenging for students from a broad variety of backgrounds, from those with no economics and statistics to those with more advanced skills in either one or both areas.  Strong analytical skills (whether quantitative or not) and a sturdy work ethic are the best predictors of success.

20 hours of lectures and 15 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

Students on this course will have a reading week in Week 6.

Weekly online quizzes provide formative feedback on student progress. In addition students are expected to complete weekly unassessed problem sets and come prepared to discuss them in seminars.

The bulk of the course will be taught using journal articles and a reading list will be handed out at the beginning of the Autumn Term sessions. We also refer to The Quest for Growth by W. Easterly, MIT Press (2001)

Problem sets (30%)

Written test (70%)

 The written test (70%) is a 48 hour online exam.