Course summary

The MSc in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics is one of three specialist Masters in Economics programmes available at Durham. The programme provides the opportunity to fully explore the economic realities of environmental challenges, whilst taking an in-depth look at the crucial issue of the management of its natural resources. Your programme is comprised of a set of core and optional modules, culminating in a research-based dissertation. Core learning covers key models of advanced macroeconomics and microeconomics, and tools of econometric analysis. Two field-specific core modules include environmental and climate economics and natural resource economics, covering topics such as ecological systems over time, natural resource constraints and fisheries and forests. Offering the flexibility to tailor your programme, you will then be able to choose from a selection of optional modules. The dissertation then enables you to develop your research skills, through an in-depth investigation at an advanced level of a topic relevant to your degree. The programme is delivered by the Department of Economics, renowned internationally for its research and teaching excellence and is one of four departments at Durham University Business School. The Business School is one of the an elite group of institutions accredited by all three major business education accrediting bodies: the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA), and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). Course structure Core modules You will study the following core modules: Advanced Macroeconomics features selected topics from contemporary business cycle theory, models of long-run economic growth, and macroeconomic policy analysis. Advanced Microeconomics enhances your knowledge and analytical skills in areas such as consumer theory, producer theory, decision-making under risk and uncertainty, incentives and strategic behaviour, general equilibrium and information economics. Econometric Analysis provides the econometrics skills necessary to pursue empirical research in economics and/or finance and provides a grounding for understanding the more advanced econometric techniques to be taught in the second term of the course. Environmental and Climate Economics provides advanced knowledge and critical understanding of the economic aspects of environmental problems, with a particular focus on climate change and the specialist economic tools used to analyse and solve those problems. Natural Resource Economics examines issues related to natural resource management including an introduction to the constraints and will offer in-depth analysis of ecological systems over time, population models, renewable and non-renewable resources and fisheries and forests. You will then choose one of the two modules below: Microeconometrics provides the tools required to conduct policy evaluation using microeconomic cross section and panel datasets. OR Times-Series Analysis provides the tools required to model stationary and non-stationary time series data and obtain forecasts from econometric models.