Spring 2008 Course Description
Advanced Policy Economics
| Section Title: |
Human Capital Theory & Applications |
| Instructor(s): |
Christopher King |
| Course: |
P A 393L - Advanced Policy Economics
(previously Political Economy II) |
| Unique Number: |
64445 |
| Day & Time: |
Wednesdays, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Room: |
SRH 3.111 |
| Waitlist Information: | For LBJ Students: UT Waitlist Information |
This course fulfills requirements for the following specialization(s):
Description: The primary purpose of this course is to provide students with a thorough grounding in human capital theory and its applications to contemporary policy issues and problems. The course will be run as a seminar with heavy reliance on weekly student presentations and discussions, as well preparation of a major paper on a human capital topic?e.g., financing postsecondary education, employer/worker investments in job training?to be determined. Successful course completion should prepare students to perform advanced human capital analysis and pursue further study in related courses.
Required textbooks will include:
- Burt S. Barnow & Christopher T. King, Eds., Improving the Odds: Increasing the Effectiveness of Publicly Funded Training (Washington, DC: The Urban Institute Press, 2000)
- Robert H. Haveman, Andrew Bershadker & Jonathan A Schabish, Human Capital in the United States from 1975 to 2000: Patterns of Growth and Utilization (Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 2003)
- James J. Heckman & Alan B. Krueger, Inequality in America: What Role for Human Capital Policies? (Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003)
- Christopher J. O?Leary, Robert A. Straits & Stephen A. Wandner, Eds., Job Training Policy in the United States (Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 2004)
Extensive additional readings from published reports and economics and policy journals will be assigned as well.
Grades will be based on class participation and presentations (30%), a midterm exam (35%), and a term paper (35%).Return to Spring 2008 Course Schedule