HP423      Half Unit
Advanced Health Economics

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Dr Miqdad Asaria

Availability

This course is compulsory on the MSc in International Health Policy (Health Economics). This course is available on the MSc in Health Data Science, MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Financing and MSc in International Health Policy. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.

How to Apply

To be eligible, students must have completed HP420 – Health Economics or an equivalent economics course. By applying, you confirm that you meet all prerequisite requirements.

Application opens: 10am on Thursday 25 September 2025
Do not apply before this time. Please submit your selection as soon as possible after the application window opens.

Offers will begin by: 12pm (noon) on Monday 29 September 2025.

For queries, contact:
The Programmes Team: healthpolicy@lse.ac.uk
Dr Miqdad Asaria (Course Leader): m.asaria@lse.ac.uk

Requisites

Pre-requisites:

Students must have completed HP420 before taking this course.

Additional requisites:

Students enrolling on this course will be expected to have taken advanced undergraduate courses in microeconomics and calculus.

Course content

The course will cover: international comparisons of health care expenditure, individual health-seeking behaviour, health care insurance, contract theory applied to the health care sector (including principal-agent theory and incentive payment mechanisms), and equity in health care.

Students may find material from the half unit HP426 Applied Health Econometrics, to be beneficial to studying this course. See the HP426 course guide for further detail. 

Teaching

1.5 hours of lectures in the Spring Term.
30 hours of workshops in the Winter Term.

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

Workshops will take place every week (aside from Reading Week). 

Formative assessment

Students will give a presentation in seminars and receive feedback from seminar leads

 

Indicative reading

Culyer, A.J., and Newhouse, J.P., (eds.), 2001, Handbook of Health Economics Volumes 1A &1B, (North-Holland, Amsterdam); Zweifel, P. and Breyer, F., 1997, Health Economics, (OUP, Oxford).

Assessment

Exam (100%), duration: 120 Minutes in the Spring exam period


Key facts

Department: Health Policy

Course Study Period: Winter and Spring Term

Unit value: Half unit

FHEQ Level: Level 7

CEFR Level: Null

Total students 2024/25: 43

Average class size 2024/25: 14

Controlled access 2024/25: No
Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Course selection videos

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.

Personal development skills

  • Problem solving
  • Application of information skills
  • Communication
  • Application of numeracy skills
  • Specialist skills