Entry requirements

General entry requirements + Civics 1b or Civics 1a1 +1a2 and English 6.

Progression level in relation to degree requirements

The course is included in the main area Environmental Science at the 1-60 credit level. This course is included in the Bachelor programme Environmental Science.

Course contents

The aim of the course is for the student to develop basic knowledge in environmental economics. The student will develop an understanding of the relationship between sustainable use of resources and economic driving forces and the relationship between environmental economics and sustainable development.

The course contents include:

• basic economic theory with a focus on microeconomics
• introduction to environmental economics
• analysis of financial resources
• methods used for environmental economic analysis
• environmental policy instruments
• sustainable development from an environmental science perspective

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

After finishing the course the students shall be able to demonstrate:

1. account for basic concepts, theories and relationships in the environmental economy
2. identify and explain the economic driving forces and its implications for the economy and ecological balance
3. account for how different economic institutions and actors affect the environment
4. account for and use tools to determine the goals of sustainable resource management
5. account for different environmental policy instruments and their effect on sustainable resource allocation

Skills and abilities

After finishing the course, the student shall be able to:

6. analyze environmental problems from an environmental economic perspective
7. use and apply environmental economics models and theories on environmental problems

Assessment skills and approach

After finishing the course, the student shall be able to:

8. critically assess sustainable development from an environmental economic perspective
9. evaluate and critical review environmental financial documents as the basis for environmental policy decisions and putting these in an ethical perspective
10. reflect independently about their own work and reflect on the results of this work as well as reflect independently on their own development of knowledge and take responsibility for the use of the results of this knowledge

Learning activities

The course learning activities are based on lectures, compulsory seminar with active oral participation and own work. In addition to the scheduled teaching time, students are expected to work independently and in groups with information retrieval and knowledge acquisition.

Assessment

Individual written exam (6 hp) (all learning outcomes) (grading scale A-E,U)

Literature seminar with written submission (1,5 hp) (learning outcomes 1-6 and 8) (grading scale UG)

To pass the course total at least the grade pass (E) respectively G is necessary.

The course grade will be determined by the individually written exam.

Course literature

• Dixit, A. (2014). Microeconomics: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• Hussen, A, (latest edition), Principles of Environmental Economics and Sustainability, Routledge, Milton Park.

Additional readings (articles etc.) to be determined by the principal course instructor and made available on the course website or equivalent. About 500 pages.

Course evaluation

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

Interim rules

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

Additional information

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format.

The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text