Energy Management

Energy & Resource Economics

Objectives

• To enable students to apply economic reasoning to issues in energy and resource management;
• To equip students to understand how energy and resource markets work;
• To enable students to think about energy and resources policy in a consistent and creative manner.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding of:

• optimal renewable and non-renewable resource use;
• market structure effects on optimal use;
• optimal electricity pricing;
• the basic market structure for fossil fuels;
• economic reserves and what sustainability means in this context;
• where to find basic data on energy supply and consumption.

Division: ECN

Coordinator: Dr Ian Lange

This module information is representative of what is included in the module in a given year. Details of actual reading, lectures and coursework may vary year to year and will be available at the beginning of the semester.

Financial Economics

Objectives

• To discuss financial instruments and how they are traded.
• To introduce the key tools used by financial economists.
• To cover the major topics in financial economics including portfolio theory, diversification and mean variance analysis; asset-pricing models, efficient market hypothesis, and market anomalies.
• To discuss the pricing of bonds, stocks, and other financial instruments.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding of:

• financial instruments;
• risk and return relationship;
• diversification and mean-variance analysis;
• asset-pricing models;
• efficient market hypothesis;
• market anomalies;
• security prices and yields;
• investment performance evaluation. 

Division: ECN

Coordinator: Dr Paul Alagidede

This module information is representative of what is included in the module in a given year. Details of actual reading, lectures and coursework may vary year to year and will be available at the beginning of the semester.

Environmental Economics

Objectives

• to enable students to understand and apply economic theory and methodologies to the better understanding of environmental problems;
• to enable students to become competent in applying economic analysis to improving the design of environmental policy.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding of:

• how economics and the environment are two interlinked systems;
• the market: how it works, when it works, when it doesn't;
• the economics of pollution control: pollution taxes and tradeable permits;
• values and the environment - concepts and methods, environmental cost-benefit analysis;
• the economics of sustainable development;
• growth and the environment: the Environmental Kuznets Curve;
• trade and the environment;
• the economics of renewable resources: fisheries and forests. 

Division: BIO

Coordinator: Professor Nick Hanley

This module information is representative of what is included in the module in a given year. Details of actual reading, lectures and coursework may vary year to year and will be available at the beginning of the semester.

Management Research Methods

The module will provide an understanding of

• how, creatively, to identify research and development questions and prioritise these in relation to contemporary managerial and business need as reflected in current student perceived situations, expert opinion and peer reviewed sources.
• how, creatively, to design and carry out elements of research and development projects, thereby acquiring skills needed for the realistic production of an appropriate dissertation and for subsequent postgraduate life roles.
• library research (including literature review) and the craft of writing short reports, essays, long reports and dissertations.
• tensions between perspectives on types of research (quantitative, qualitative and action), purposes for generating knowledge (enhanced control / incrementalism versus radical change) and the ethics of research.
• the principles and practice of quantitative and qualitative research (including interpretation of data) and action research with an overview of the whole process from idea to required output.

Students will be able to

• identify the disciplines, key assumptions and validity claims of published research generally.
• generate, clarify and prioritise practical research questions and refine these into tractable scope and form and engage in constructive and creative discussions.
• use creativity tools and design practical projects addressing specific questions and problems making use of appropriate methods, instruments and techniques with appropriate levels of stakeholder participation and facilitation.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding of:

• the major paradigms, purposes and current themes of management research as reflected in recent peer review publication (in fields of specific student interest).
• the nature of and relationships between research, problem solving, decision making, decision implementation and evaluation.
• the ability to design a practical quantitative, qualitative or action research project.
• the ability to use creativity methods in designing and carrying out research and development projects. 

Division: B&O

Coordinator: Dr Mike Walsh

This module information is representative of what is included in the module in a given year. Details of actual reading, lectures and coursework may vary year to year and will be available at the beginning of the semester.

Energy Markets & Policy

Objectives

• To study the function of the major markets for energy: oil, coal, natural gas, electric power, and alternative/renewable energy in a national and international context.
• To understand the technologic structure and parameters of energy supply and use.
• To understand the principle drivers of supply and demand for energy
• To apply basic econometric forecasting of supply or demand for energy.
• To understand the environmental issues related to energy use and consumption.
• To understand the effect on energy markets of national and international environmental policy.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding of:

• Global energy flows
• National energy flows
• Security of supply
• Oil markets
• Natural gas markets
• Electricity markets
• Coal markets
• Alternative/renewable energy markets
• Quantitative analysis of energy demand and supply
• Energy policy and market instruments

Division: ECN

Coordinator: Dr Ian Lange

This module information is representative of what is included in the module in a given year. Details of actual reading, lectures and coursework may vary year to year and will be available at the beginning of the semester.

Seminar on Energy Management

Objectives

• To deepen the understanding of energy issues by writing essays, presenting the work at a workshop and actively participating in scholarly discussions.
• To prepare students for their dissertation.

Learning outcomes

The ability to

• search relevant literature to analyze a topic;
• understand the essential message and conclusions of sophisticated scholarly publications;
• identify the most relevant literature on a topic and to extract the essential points relevant to your own work;
• write a seminar paper in terms of style, precision, development and presentation of arguments and correct citations;
• present your work at a workshop so that others can follow your arguments and that you can answer questions;
• participate actively in discussions during workshops and present your ideas concicely and easy accessible to others;
• abstract and simplify in order to i27.11.2008ns on which an analysis is based and how assumptions drive results;
• understand the essence of a model;
• compare different models and settings and put them in a broader perspective;
• develop logical arguments;
• marshal and evaluate qualitative and quantitative evidence;
• assimilate, structure and analyse qualitative and quantitative data;
• apply general principles to a specific case;
• think critically about the limits of an analysis;
• draw policy conclusions and recognise the potential constraints on their implementation;
• evaluate alternative research strategies;

 

Division: ECN

Coordinator: Dr Frans de Vries

This module information is representative of what is included in the module in a given year. Details of actual reading, lectures and coursework may vary year to year and will be available at the beginning of the semester.

The Economics of Climate Change

Objectives

• To enable students to apply economic reasoning to issues in climate change;
• To enable students to think about climate policy in a consistent and creative manner.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding of:

• the main economic arguments which help explain why human-induced climate change has arisen;
• estimation of damage costs from climate change
• evaluation of climate change mitigation options
• problems of international cooperation on climate change policy
• distributional implications of climate change and climate change policy
• resource use within sustainable development strategies. 

Division: ECN

Coordinator: Professor Nick Hanley

This module information is representative of what is included in the module in a given year. Details of actual reading, lectures and coursework may vary year to year and will be available at the beginning of the semester.

Dissertation in Energy Management

In the summer you complete a dissertation on a topic approved by the Programme Director.

Division: ECN

Coordinator:

This module information is representative of what is included in the module in a given year. Details of actual reading, lectures and coursework may vary year to year and will be available at the beginning of the semester.

Quantitative Methods in Finance

Objectives

• To provide students with the statistical and computing skills which are necessary to fully understand modern banking and finance operations.

Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding of:

• simple probability
• statistical testing
• the linear model
• least squares estimation and its properties
• the causes of failure in the linear model
• the concepts of time-series analysis
• the use of Excel to manipulate statistical data
• the use of Excel to estimate linear models. 

Division: ECN

Coordinator: Professor David Bell

This module information is representative of what is included in the module in a given year. Details of actual reading, lectures and coursework may vary year to year and will be available at the beginning of the semester.