Applied Economic Modelling for the Veterinary Sciences

Course goals

ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL BE PLACED ON THE WAITING LIST UNTIL TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE START OF THE COURSE

GRADUATE STUDENTS:
Please be aware that you can only select a course option that shows the academic year and is offered Face-to-Face (F2F)

POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS:
Please be aware that you can only select a course option that shows the academic year and is offered Face-to-Face (F2F)  or online (depending on your registration)

(FYI: the other options are options for Continuing Education (onderwijs voor professionals))

Learning outcomes
After studying this unit you will be able to:
• analyse economic problems using basic methods such as partial budgeting, cost-benefit
analysis and decision analysis
• describe the critical steps in system analysis and choose appropriate modelling types and
techniques
• describe the use of more advanced methodologies such as linear programming, and
Markov chain and Monte Carlo simulation
• describe the uses of social cost-benefit analysis and multi criteria analysis
• discuss the importance of Animal Health Economics in decision making, implementation
and evaluation of animal health programs, and policy development and implementation
processes.

Content

Contact details: Educational Office Epidemiology
E-mail: msc-epidemiology@umcutrecht.nl

Course coordinator:
Dr. ir. W. (Wilma) Steeneveld, UU Utrecht, Veterinary Medicine, Farm Animal Health, Utrecht, the Netherlands

Registration:
Online courses are only available for Epidemiology Postgraduate students and can register via Osiris Student. More information about the registration procedure can be found here on the Students' site.

Course description:
Diseases play an important role in animal production and animal trade. The economic consequences of diseases on an animal, herd and national level can be considerable and need to be investigated to successfully implement and evaluate animal health programs and policies. Animal Health Economics play an important role in the often risky decisions that need to be made about disease control. Many economic tools have been developed and are being applied to support decisions in the field of animal health.
 
The aim of this course is that you will become familiar with basic issues and tools involved in economic decision making. Please remember that you will not become an expert in animal health economics. After studying this unit you should be able to contribute in an informed manner to economic decision making discussions and evaluate the economic decisions of others.

Learning approach
In this course several learning approaches will be used:
• reading materials (chapters from textbooks, scientific papers and other prescribed readings
• practicing some parts of the material during the computer labs
• completing the formal test
• making a research report

Literature/study material used:
Dijkhuizen AA, Morris RS. Animal health economics: principles and applications. Post Graduate Foundation in Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, 1997, 306 pp.
  
Mandatory for students in own Master’s programme:
Might be for a specialization programme of Epidemiology & Epidemiology Postgraduate
 
Optional for students in other GSLS Master’s programme:
No.
 
Prerequisite knowledge:
Economic Principles and Concepts for the Veterinary Sciences
Assumed knowledge
For people with a finished education as veterinarian or animal scientist, there are no
additional requirements. We do expect that you have some knowledge:
• a basic understanding of veterinary epidemiology, statistical and mathematical
applications.
• some understanding of economics (at least in broad terms) from your previous education
or professional experience. Terminology such as fixed and variable costs, supply and
demand, depreciation and interest should be familiar. If you are interested in additional
information economic basics, there are many internet sources (besides Wikipedia.org).
about Microeconomics, look at the following website, which has an online book:
o http://www.freeeconomicsbooks.com/
o http://www.mcafee.cc/Introecon/
o http://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&tbo=1&q=economics
• skills in using MS Excel. In particular you will need to be able to do some basic
calculations with the MS Excel functions. If you miss skills in MS Excel,
o there are all kinds of tutorials on the internet, for example on
www.youtube.com or on this site: http://www.baycongroup.com/el0.htm
o you can use the “help” functions of Microsoft Excel.