In this course we will apply the tools of economic analysis to understand the issues of developing countries. We will go over select topics in applied research in micro development economics including the role of institutions, intra-household decision making, poverty traps, labour markets, consumption and savings, human capital investment in health and education, the changes in poverty, demography, impact of early-life shocks on human capital formation and policies. The course aims to equip students with an understanding of a range of empirical methods in development. The course gives you an overview about how economic models can provide insights into understanding behaviour and subsequently illustrate how to assess the empirical implications of the models with appropriate choice of research design and econometric methods. By the end of the course students should have a basic understanding of the major papers in the related literature and be in position to apply the economic framework and econometric tools to conduct a research problem of their choice in development economics.
Prerequisite: ECO 5401 (Econometrics I)