Earth and Environmental Sciences - Senior

Course # ECON 4901

Course Description 

This course provides an overview of the issues and methods involved in measuring the impact of policies, programs, and interventions, with a focus on developing countries. Through lectures, case studies, and real-world examples, you will learn how to quantify the causal effect of interventions by carefully understanding attribution and the practical applications of methodologies. The course will explore the steps involved in designing an evaluation, including conceptualization, developing a theory of change, understanding the different methodologies for conducting impact evaluation and choosing the most appropriate methodology given the set of circumstances. You will learn about four methods of impact evaluation (randomized controlled trials (RCTs), instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, and difference-in-differences), and the weaknesses and strengths, as well as their appropriateness to real life evaluation scenarios.  The goal of this course is to equip you with the skills to design and conduct rigorous evaluations and so that you can make a real positive impact in the world, whether it be in academia, non-profit work, social entrepreneurship, private philanthropy or government.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course the students will be able to:

• Explain the theory of change underlying the causal relationship between an intervention and its outcomes.
• Develop evaluation questions that effectively measure the impact of a program or policy.
• Evaluate and select appropriate comparison groups that approximate the counterfactual in various real-life scenarios.
• Apply experimental and quasi-experimental designs to evaluate the impact of interventions.
• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different impact evaluation methodologies and make informed decisions on the most appropriate methodology for a given situation.

Course Assessment and Grading

Course # EAES 2013

TBA

Course # EAES 4049E

Course Description

This course introduces mineral associations, economic resources, and the environmental implications of resource extraction. Different processes leading to ore formation and ore classification are considered. The tectonic settings for major mineral deposit types and their global distribution are investigated. Major deposit types and the geological models for deposit formation including magmatic, igneous and sedimentary ore deposits are discussed, with an emphasis on mineral resources in Central Asia. Basic concepts of ore genesis and temporal and spatial distribution, along with exploration techniques, environmental impacts and recovery cycles for key mineral resources are explored.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course the students will be able to:

• Describe the main ore forming processes in different geological environments
• Describe the main classification of ore deposits based on formation processes and tectonic setting.
• Analyse hand specimens of common ore and gangue minerals, and associated mineral assemblages.
• Predict where certain mineral deposits might be found based on the current and past plate tectonic setting of an area.
• Evaluate the ways different exploration methods may be used when looking for different deposit types.
• Discuss the social and environmental impact of mining
• Describe the basic resource cycle of exploration, development, mining and reclamation from a Central Asian and a global perspective.
• Describe ore deposits and economic geology of Central Asia.

Course assessment and grading

Course # EAES 4045E

Course Description

Welcome to Sedimentary Geology and Stratigraphy. This course covers one of the most widespread type of rocks on the Earth’s surface – sedimentary rocks.  It includes classification of different types of sedimentary rocks, their composition, their structures and textures, sediment production, transport and deposition processes, sedimentary environments and systems, and stratigraphic patterns. The goal of this course is to provide students with theoretical and practical knowledge to distinguish sedimentary rocks in the field, to observe and document the lithological composition of sedimentary rocks, their macroscopic and microscopic textures and structures, and to interpret the origin of sedimentary rocks based on facial analysis of sedimentary deposits.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Acquire and interpret data from sedimentary deposits to recreate the mechanisms responsible for their formation and evolution.
• Collect or use existing data at many scales (outcrop to grain) to construct and evaluate a hypothesis about the type and spatial distribution of sedimentary environments or facies.
• Interpret changes in a depositional environment across time (stratigraphic change) at many geographical and temporal scales, using data from sedimentary rocks and successions, and provide a plausible reason for these changes.

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # HUSS 3001E

TBA

Course # EAES 4881

TBA