Agricultural and Resource Economics (A,RESEC)

This is an archived copy of the 2014-15 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu/.

Courses

A,RESEC 201 Production, Industrial Organization, and Regulation in Agriculture 4 Units

Basic concepts of micro and welfare economics: partial and general equilibrium. Industrial organization: monopolistic competition, vertical integration, price discrimination, and economics of information with applications to food retailing, cooperatives, fishing, and energy.

A,RESEC 202 Issues and Concepts in Agricultural Economics 4 Units

History, institutions, and policies affecting agriculture markets and environmental quality. Producer behavior over time and under uncertainty. Asset fixity and agricultural supply models.

A,RESEC 210 Probability and Statistics 3 Units

This is an introduction to probability theory and statistical inference. It is primarily intended to prepare students for the graduate econometrics courses 212 and 213. The emphasis of the course is on the principles of statistical reasoning. Probability theory will be discussed mainly as a background for statistical theory and specific models will, for the most part, be considered only to illustrate the general statistical theory as it is developed.

A,RESEC 211 Mathematical Methods for Agricultural and Resource Economists 4 Units

The goal of this course is to provide entering graduate students with the basic skills required to perform effectively in the graduate program and as professional economists. The lectures place heavy emphasis on intuition, graphical representations, and conceptual understanding. Weekly problem sets provide the opportunity to master mechanical skills and computational techniques. Topics covered include real analysis, linear algebra, multivariable calculus, theory of static constrained optimization, and comparative statics.

A,RESEC 212 Econometrics: Multiple Equation Estimation 4 Units

Introduction to the estimation and testing of economic models. Includes analysis of the general linear model, asymptotic theory, instrumental variable, and the generalized method of moments. In addition, a survey of time series, analysis, limited dependent variables.

A,RESEC 213 Applied Econometrics 4 Units

Standard and advanced econometric techniques are applied to topics in agriculture and resource economics. Techniques include limited dependent variables, time series analysis, and nonparametric analysis. Students will use computers to conduct statistical analyses.

A,RESEC 214 New Econometric and Statistical Techniques 4 Units

Theory and application of new and emerging approaches to estimation and inference. Bayesian, maximum entropy,and other new applications to economic problems will be emphasized. Students will use computers to conduct statistical analyses.

A,RESEC 219A Econometric Project Workshop 2 Units

Techniques for preparing econometric studies, including finding data sources, the reporting of results, and standards for placing research questions with existent literature. With faculty guidance, students prepare approved econometric projects, present projects to the class, provide comments on other student projects, and revise projects in response to faculty and student comments.

A,RESEC 219B Econometric Project Workshop 2 Units

Techniques for preparing econometric studies, including finding data sources, the reporting of results, and standards for placing research questions with existent literature. With faculty guidance, students prepare approved econometric projects, present projects to the class, provide comments on other student projects, and revise projects in response to faculty and student comments.

A,RESEC 232 Empirical International Trade and Investment 2 Units

Empirical aspects on international trade, foreign investment, and the environment. Issues related to testing various trade models. Topics include: testing trade models (HO, Ricardo, Specific Sector); gravity models; linkages between openness and growth; trade orientation and firm performance; pattern of trade; trade and the environment; labor markets and trade. New topics in international trade with empirical applications, such as trade models with heterogeneous firms, outsourcing and foreign investment.

A,RESEC 241 Economics and Policy of Production, Technology and Risk in Agricultural and Natural Resources 3 Units

This course covers alternative models of production, resource and environmental risk management; family production function; adoption and diffusion; innovation and intellectual property rights; agricultural and environmental policies and their impact on production and the environment; water resources; pest control; biotechnology; and optimal control over space and time.

A,RESEC 242 Quantitative Policy Analysis 3 Units

Production versus predatory government behavior, rent seeking, social waste, and their trade-offs with the provision of growth-promoting public goods. Three failure types are distinguished: market, government, and organizational. The roles of public versus special interests are modeled to determine degree and extent of organizational failures in collective group behavior. Alternative frameworks are used to evaluate various types of policy reform.

A,RESEC 249 Agricultural, Food, and Resource Policy Workshop 1 Unit

Presentation and criticism of ongoing research by faculty, staff and students. Not necessarily offered every semester.

A,RESEC C251 Microeconomics of Development 3 Units

Theoretical and empirical analyses of poverty and inequality, household and community behavior, and contract and institutions in the context of developing countries.

A,RESEC C253 International Economic Development Policy 3 Units

This course emphasizes the development and application of policy solutions to developing-world problems related to poverty, macroeconomic policy, and environmental sustainability. Methods of statistical, economic, and policy analysis are applied to a series of case studies. The course is designed to develop practical professional skills for application in the international arena.

A,RESEC 259 Rural Economic Development Workshop 1 Unit

Presentation and criticism of ongoing research by faculty, staff and students. Not necessarily offered every semester.

A,RESEC 261 Environmental and Resource Economics 3 Units

Theory of renewable and nonrenewable natural resource use, with applications to forests, fisheries, energy, and climate change. Resources, growth, and sustainability. Economic theory of environmental policy. Externality; the Coasian critique; tax incidence and anomalies; indirect taxes; the double dividend; environmental standards; environmental regulation; impact of uncertainty on taxes and standards; mechanism design; monitoring, penalties, and regulatory strategy; emissions markets.

A,RESEC 262 Non-market Valuation 3 Units

The economic concept of value; historical evolution of market and non-market valuation; revealed preference methods: single site demand, multi-site demand, corner solution models, and valuation of quality changes; averting behavior; the hedonic method; contingent valuation; other stated preference methods: ranking, choice, conjoint analysis; the value of life and safety; sampling and questionnaire design for valuation surveys.

A,RESEC 263 Dynamic Methods in Environmental and Resource Economics 3 Units

This course studies methods of analysis and optimal control of dynamic systems, emphasizing applications in environmental and natural resource economics. Continuous-time deterministic models are studied using phase plane analysis, the calculus of variations, the Maximum Principle, and dynamic programming. Numerical methods are applied to discrete time stochastic and deterministic dynamic models.

A,RESEC 264 Empirical Energy and Environmental Economics 3 Units

This course is designed to help prepare graduate students to conduct empirical research in energy and environmental economics. The course has two broad objectives. The first is to develop an in-depth understanding of specific empirical methods and research designs that are routinely used in the field of energy and environmental economics. The second is to familiarize students with some of the economic theories and institutions that are most relevant to empirical work in this area.

A,RESEC 269 Natural Resource Economics Workshop 1 Unit

Presentation and criticism of ongoing research by faculty, staff, and students. Not necessarily offered every semester.

A,RESEC 298 Special Study for Graduate Students 1 - 6 Units

All properly qualified graduate students who wish to pursue a special field of study may do so if their proposed program of study is acceptable to the member here of the staff with whom they work.

A,RESEC 299 Individual Research 1 - 12 Units

A,RESEC 375 Professional Preparation: Teaching of Environmental Economics and Policy 1 - 6 Units

Discussion, problem review and development, guidance of discussion classes, course development, supervised practice teaching.

A,RESEC 400 Professional Training in Research Methodology 1 - 6 Units

Individual training for graduate students in planning and performing research under the supervision of a faculty adviser, intended to provide academic credit for the experience obtained while holding a research assistantship.

A,RESEC 602 Individual Study for Doctoral Students 1 - 12 Units

Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required for candidates of the Ph.D. May not be used for unit or residence requirements for the doctoral degree.

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