MSc HEALTH ECONOMICS SENSS

Code  MED-7006D   (20 Credits)

This module aims to equip you with an understanding of health economics, its value and limitations. It is suitable for students with and without an economics background as the course covers fundamental economic principles and their application to health care. These will include concepts of opportunity cost, supply and demand, efficiency and equity. The module uses these principles to explore relevant topics in health and healthcare. The following topics are covered:

• The application of economic principles to system level health policy issues such as health care priority setting

• Alternative models of health care financing and organisation

• Inequity and inequalities in health and healthcare

• The use of economic evaluation of health care interventions using techniques such as cost effectiveness analysis and cost benefit analysis

• The determinants and consequences of health, and the economics of health behaviour

Code  MED-7008E  (20 Credits)

On this module you will understand and critically appraise the economic studies of health care interventions; understand the range of evaluation techniques and appropriate circumstances for application; and appreciate the links between economic evaluation and economic theory, health service research and decision making and to have confidence to conduct further economic evaluation studies.

Code ECO-7003A  (20 Credits)

This is an advanced module in microeconomic theory, designed for postgraduate students with a strong background in economics. The topics covered in this module include the duality approach to demand theory, firm theory, general equilibrium theory, game theory, choice under uncertainty, agency theory and the economics of asymmetric information. The rational-choice foundations of microeconomics are also critically examined.

Code ECO-7019B - (20 Credits)

The module is about modern macroeconomic theory where economies and not their parts are studied. The focus is consequently on the overall performance of the economy rather than on the functioning of particular parts of the economy. The module uses dynamic general equilibrium models where consumers, firms and governments are modelled as forward-looking agents who make the best of the economic environment they live in.

Code  ECO-7001B  (20 Credits)

This module builds on econometrics material covered in earlier modules and is divided into two parts:

1) Time series methods (including ARIMA modelling, stationarity testing, ARCH/GARCH models, Volatility Spillover, VARs , Cointegration and VECMs)

2) Microeconometrics (including panel data methods, and models for binary response variables)

There is an emphasis on the practical application of common estimation techniques, with the specialist econometric software package Stata used extensively.

Code  MED-7007X  (60 Credits)

The purpose of this module is to illustrate the depth of skills and knowledge that have been developed through the MSc programme. The skills to be developed further include being able to: 

1. Gain practical experience in conducting research in an area of self-chosen content or subject material

2. Gain practical experience of presenting their research in a written format

3. Apply their knowledge of qualitative and/or quantitative methodologies to their own area of self-chosen content or subject materia

Students will be encouraged to consider their dissertation work for publication either within the University or in refereed academic journals.