Spring 2009
Click here to email the Doctoral Advisor
Syllabi are available in Adobe PDF format - DOWNLOAD ADOBE PDF READER
BPUB 900: Research Seminar
Prerequisites: None
This course is designed to teach the craft of applied economic research to students of any Wharton doctoral program by providing a venue at which students can present their research as it progresses and get both student and faculty feedback. Students will gain a hands-on understanding of the research process through presenting their own work and through seeing the research of other students as it progresses through various stages from early ideas to completed papers. The course is appropriate for doctoral students with microeconomic interests who have completed at least two years of their doctoral program, although students in their first or second years of the program are welcome (and encouraged) to sit in even if they do not take the course for credit. The course meets weekly (currently Thursdays at noon), with one of the following items on the agenda: 1) a student research presentation (for example, all BPUB students are required to give such presentations at least annually); 2) a post mortem discussion of the previous day’s applied economics seminar; or 3) a faculty guest speaker introducing students to a research approach or a set of researchable topics.
Professor Janet Pack
Sec 301 (2nd year) T 12-1:30PM
Sec 302 (3rd year) T 12-1:30PM
BPUB 911: Empirical Public Policy
Prerequisites: None
This course examines empirical research methods on topics related to public policy, with the goal of preparing students to undertake their own empirical research. This is not a course in statistical or econometric theory, but rather a workshop in empirical research design and methods for applied research. Each class sessions will review one or more important papers in the literature, on topics including (but not limited to) public economics, labor economics, law and economics, industrial organization, and related areas. These papers are chosen to study two major areas of empirical research: (1) problems and methods for measuring causal relationships in observational data, including statistical endogeneity, instrumental variable methods, research designs using panel data, and selection problems; and (2) structural (behavioral) statistical models. Students are required to prepare a research proposal or empirical research paper that is related to the student's (actual or intended) dissertation.
Course Syllabus
Professor Matthew White T 1:30-4:30PM
BPUB 961: Risk Analysis and Environmental Management
Prerequisites: None
This course is designed to introduce students to the role of risk assessment, risk perception and risk management in dealing with uncertain health, safety and environmental risks including the threat of terrorism. It explores the role of decision analysis as well as the use of scenarios for dealing with these problems. The course will evaluate the role of policy tools such as risk communication, economic incentives, insurance, regulation and private-public partnerships in developing strategies for managing these risks. A project will enable students to apply the concepts discussed in the course to a concrete problem.
Professor Howard Kunreuther MW 10:30-12NOON
BPUB 962: Applied Economics Seminar
Prerequisites: None
The goal of this course is to help doctoral students develop critical thinking skills through both seminar participation and writing of referee reports. To this end students will attend the Wharton Applied Economics each Wednesday at noon seminar when it meets; prepare two written referee reports on WAE papers per semester, due before the seminar is presented; after attending the seminar - and the ensuing discussion of the paper - students will prepare follow-up evaluations of their referee report reports, due one week after the seminar.
Professor Joel Waldfogel W 12-1:30PM