Economics of Education

The course includes the role and significance of human capital for the individuals and for the economy. It will be discussed how globalization and technological progress affect the demand for human capital. The main part of the course will include theories for individual educational choice, educational production, and the role of the design of the educational system. How should the educational system be designed to secure an adequate supply of highly competent labour?

Knowledge

You learn

• about supply of and demand for human capital
• about the importance of human capital for earnings and economic growth
• about the effects of educational policies on school quality and hence, the amount of human capital in the society
• about characteristics of effective schools and high quality leadership

Skills

You should be able to

• criticize and evaluate the findings in relevant journal articles and reports
• explain and evaluate different types of governing systems in education
• discuss how governing systems influence the behavior of actors within the educational sector

General competence

You should be able to

• read and understand reports and research articles dealing with issues discussed in the course
• use the content of the course in your own academic work like your master thesis

4 hours of lectures every week. The course has compulsory activity. Specific requirements will be announced at the beginning of the term. The term papers can be written as a joint project. The course is an optional master's course, and is not taught every semester. Check www.ntnu.edu/econ.

Students enrolled in ISØ's master programs can take the course any semester. Contact the department (kontakt@econ.ntnu.no) to get access to learning resources in Blackboard.