Courses SPRING 2024

This course studies the multiple links between the economy and the environment, and analyzes theoretically and empirically the set of policy instruments normally used to address modern environmental problems. It also considers environmental policy through a political economy lens, namely it analyzes political and societal factors that affect what policy instruments governments tend to choose. Typical questions that will be answered are: What are the most pressing environmental problems? How and why does economic activity create these problems? What are the policy instruments that governments and other relevant decision makers can use to protect the environment? What are the economics costs of environmental regulation and is there a case for a ‘’double dividend” from environmental policy? How do we determine the optimal level of environmental protection at the societal level? What are the economic effects of climate change and why does it prove particularly difficult to pass and implement climate policies?

Instructor: Pamela Campa & guest lecturer Elena Paltseva
Credit: This 300-level course is typically given credit by Economics Departments.
Prerequisites: Two courses in microeconomics, two courses in macroeconomics, and one course in calculus.

This course deals with the economics of European integration. After a brief introduction and history of the European Union, we start with the microeconomics of European integration and examine the effects of moving towards a Europe outlined in the Treaty of Rome (1957) with free flow of goods and services, capital and people. We then turn to the macro-economics of European integration and examine benefits and costs of monetary integration and the adoption of the Euro. The course will give you the theoretical tools to understand various policy issues, ranging from the recent Greek crises to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) currently negotiated by the EU and the US.

Instructor: Pehr-Johan Norbäck
Credit: This 300-level course is typically given credit by Economics Departments.
Prerequisites: Two courses in macroeconomics, two courses in microeconomics, and one course in calculus. Students lacking one of these prerequisites in economics may be able to enroll with permission from the Executive Director. We recognize that courses at your home institution may be organized and titled differently but cover the same content suggested by our prerequisites. If you need help determining whether your prior coursework fulfills our prerequisites, please contact us at info@swedishprogram.org.

In this course, the students will learn the basics of Econometrics (for cross-sectional data) and receive an introduction to Machine Learning (ML). This course also includes further essential mathematical methods that are used in economic and financial analysis. The importance of data science to businesses and economic analysis is discussed. Guest lectures will include relevant professionals from the Swedish industry. The course covers important econometric concepts such as: random sample, central limit theorem, estimation, inference (hypothesis testing), regression models, causality, randomized experiments, as well as the ML concepts: supervised learning (prediction and classification), unsupervised learning (clustering). This course also introduces some mathematics: integration, topics in financial mathematics, and matrices. In this course, the program R is used to facilitate the learning of Econometrics and ML. The students will use different R-packages for the analysis of regression models, causality, randomized experiments, prediction, classification, clustering, etc., and students will also learn how data and results can be visualized.

Instructor: Rickard Sandberg
Credit: This 300-level course is typically given credit by Economics Departments.
Prerequisites: One course in both macroeconomics and microeconomics, one course in calculus, one course in statistics, and working knowledge of the statistical software R. Students lacking one of these prerequisites in economics may be able to enroll with permission from the Executive Director. We recognize that courses at your home institution may be organized and titled differently but cover the same content suggested by our prerequisites. If you need help determining whether your prior coursework fulfills our prerequisites, please contact us at info@swedishprogram.org.
Enrollment Limit: Limited to the first ten Swedish Program students who register. Interested students are encouraged to apply early.

In order to tackle economic and social challenges, we need to understand how individuals and firms behave and how they respond to policy changes. Economic theory provide ways to think about how agents act. Data allow us to quantify these relationships and test competing hypotheses. This course teaches how economic theory can be used to deepen our understanding economic and social problems, and how data can be used to test the predictions derived from theory. The core part of the course covers the most common methods economists use in empirical research, with a particular focus on causal inference. The empirical methods will be organized around a number of economic and social problems. For each problem, the basic theoretical apparatus required to form testable hypotheses are introduced followed by the econometric techniques used to test the hypotheses. Seminars will focus on applying the theory and econometric techniques using real data.

Instructor: Robert Östling
Credit: This 300-level course is typically given credit by Economics Departments.
Prerequisites: One course in microeconomics, one course in statistics, working knowledge of the basics of econometrics, working knowledge of the statistical software R, and a GPA of at least 3.3 in prior economics courses. Students lacking one of these prerequisites in economics may be able to enroll with permission from the Executive Director. We recognize that courses at your home institution may be organized and titled differently but cover the same content suggested by our prerequisites. If you need help determining whether your prior coursework fulfills our prerequisites, please contact us at info@swedishprogram.org.
Enrollment Limit: Limited to the first five Swedish Program students who register. Interested students are encouraged to apply early.

** This is a Direct Enrollment course offered by SSE. Students may register for only one direct enrollment course per semester. Click here to learn more.

This is a 300 level direct enrollment course. The field of Behavioral Finance deals with how psychological factors influence consumers’ decision making and its implications for financial markets. The goal of the course is to provide students with sufficient understanding of both optimal and actual decision making by individuals and how this impacts markets. We will analyze predictable decision errors, and discover where we are most susceptible to them. Students will examine a case study and use interactive games to enhance interactive learning.

Instructor: Marieke Bos
Credit: This 300-level course is typically given credit by Economics Departments.
Prerequisites: Two courses in both macroeconomics and microeconomic, and one course in statistics.
Enrollment Limit: Limited to the first five Swedish Program students who register. Interested students are encouraged to apply early.

** This is a Direct Enrollment course offered by SSE. Students may register for only one direct enrollment course per semester. Click here to learn more.

During the Cold War, the existence of a trans-Atlantic civilization was more or less given—no one questioned that the countries of Western Europe had more in common with the countries of North America than with their immediate neighbors behind the Iron Curtain. In the past several years, however, there has arisen a small cottage industry devoted to puncturing the post-Marshall Plan consensus. In other words, we are now told that Europe and America not only do not form a common civilization, but that they are fundamentally, irretrievably different.

This course will evaluate these competing claims, investigating the similarities and differences between Europe and America from the perspective of public policy. The course will be divided into three major sections. The first section, This is Europe, is an overview of the European Union and its most important policy areas and challenges. The second section, Farewell to the Welfare State?, is an overview of the past, present, and future of the European-style strong welfare state, with a focus on developments in Sweden. The final section, Multiculturalism and its Discontents, is a discussion of Europe’s, and in particular Sweden’s, perhaps greatest challenge: how to deal with a rapidly diversifying population and the resulting conflict between competing sets of values.

Instructor: Jonas Brodin
Credit: This course is typically given credit by Sociology, Political Science, and History Departments.

* This Swedish Program course is also open to SSE students, so you may share the classroom with Swedish and international students.

Health care systems are embedded in economic, political, and social structures and reflect a country’s cultural values. This class will look at the historical development of health care systems in Sweden and the U.S., medical education, and the type of institutional settings in which health care is provided. We will also look at the role of the health care consumer in each country and how factors such as race, class, and gender impact citizens’ access to and experience in the health care system.

Instructor: Jonas Brodin
Credit: This course is typically given credit by Sociology and Political Science Departments.

People move from one place to another—and always have. Migration might be voluntary and economic—in search of a better life—or forced and political—simply to save one’s life. Whatever the nature of the migration, it always has consequences that go far beyond the simple increases and decreases in population—for example, the current migrant crisis in Europe has strengthened far-right populism and isolationism, seen most dramatically in Britain’s decision to withdraw from the EU. It should come as no surprise, then, that migration is perpetually at the center of our political discourse. In this course, we will investigate migration and its consequences from a number of different perspectives. The first section of the course will take a historical perspective, looking at past migration flows and the many ways in which those flows have transformed the places that migrants leave, pass through, and settle in. The next section examines the migrant experience from multiple angles—from how the rhetoric surrounding immigration influences public policy, to the barriers and policies related to the integration of immigrants in different areas—culture, the labor market, and criminal justice. The final section of the course will critically examine current migration debates and case studies. At the end of this section—and the course—students should be able to analyze those debates and case studies and understand the consequences of migration more fully.

Instructor: Jonas Brodin
Credit: This course is typically given credit by Sociology and Political Science Departments.

* This Swedish Program course is also open to SSE students, so you may share the classroom with Swedish and international students.

Social innovation can offer new and innovative solutions to meeting societal needs. It therefore offers the opportunity to respond to societal challenges and improve well-being and the
quality of life for communities and societies aross the word. The purpose of this course is to integrate ideas related to social innovation in all sectors of social life to address global challenges. Students will be expected to engage in a project that links social innovation to one or more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well-being; quality education; gender equality; clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; life on land; peace, justice, and strong institutions; and partnerships for the goals.

The group project will be carried out in teams of 5-6 students. Each team will be part of a larger Tutoring Group (TG) consisting of 4 teams. The aim is to advance each project in a collaborative process, where groups give constructive and supportive feedback to each other. In this process, the teachers will serve the role of facilitators, rather than experts. Consequently, active participation and contribution to other project groups is an important part of the learning process.

Instructor: Sarah Jack
Credit: This course is typically given credit by Sociology and Political Science Departments.
Prerequisites: One course in either political science or sociology.
Enrollment Limit: Limited to the first five Swedish Program students who register. Interested students are encouraged to apply early.

** This is a Direct Enrollment course offered by SSE. Students may register for only one direct enrollment course per semester. Click here to learn more.

The nature of prejudice has been a topic of study in psychology, sociology, anthropology and other sciences for over a century. The understanding of prejudice has changed drastically. It was first considered an unnatural anomaly and pathology, a form of ‘social cancer.’ It is now thought to arise from processes as common and normal as the general human tendency to categorize and simplify in an attempt to make sense of experiences and observations. In this course, we will look at prejudice, its origins and consequences (discrimination), focusing on the emperical research in cognitive and evolutionary psychology, as well as on the social mechanisms that contribute to bias against others. At the end of the course, students should have a deeper understanding of how prejudice is born and promoted at both the individual (micro) level and at the (macro) level of societies and organizations. The course will also address current research on the topic of prejudice prevention.

Instructor: Marta Zakrzewska
Credit: This course is typically given credit by Psychology Departments.
Prerequisite: One course in psychology.

During this course, we will examine selected topics in health and social psychology with a main focus on work and organizational psychology. In our discussions, we will be moving from a person-oriented to an organization-oriented perspective. The course consists of two modules:

1. A person and a situation: work environment, stress, burnout, motivation and goals of an individual, and how are these influenced by the work environment.
2. A team and an organization: leadership, teamwork, climate, culture, organizational processes, and how to initiate a change.

The goal of this course is to examine and reflect on questions about human behavior at work. You will become familiar with current research findings in organizational psychology, and based on this knowledge, you will be asked to form your own evidence based arguments and recommendations for solving real-life problems at the workplace. We will also examine relevant case studies in the field of work and organizational psychology.

Instructor: Marta Roczniewska
Credit: This course is typically given credit by psychology departments.
Prerequisite: One course in psychology.

* This Swedish Program course is also open to SSE students, so you may share the classroom with Swedish and international students.

Instructor: Marta Roczniewska
Credit: This course is typically given credit by Psychology Departments.
Prerequisite: One course in psychology.

* This Swedish Program course is also open to SSE students, so you may share the classroom with Swedish and international students.

This course is an examination of the cultural history of modern Scandinavia with a unique focus on art and architecture. We will look at how cultural forces, such as religion, geography, and views of community and nature have shaped the ways in which Swedes have created urban space and other images of their society, i.e., art. The class will incorporate visits to Stockholm’s well-known museums into the structure and methodology of the course.

Instructor: Peder Fallenius
Credit: This course is typically given credit by Art History Departments.

* This Swedish Program course is also open to SSE students, so you may share the classroom with Swedish and international students.

The purpose of the course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of the tradition of Swedish crime fiction, and to stimulate interest and critical reflection on this subject. A selection of acclaimed Swedish crime novels is the main material of the course, but the students will also get acquainted with famous film adaptations in the genre, as well as critical analyses of important works and discussions of the genre in the book market.

The course takes its starting point in the influential author-duo of Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, creators of emblematic character Martin Beck. The works of Sjöwall & Wahlöö can be seen as the incitement to the way many Swedish authors use crime fiction as a genre where societal problems and political issues can be highlighted. The genre of Swedish crime fiction will be discussed from several points of view, but special attention will be directed towards the relationships of literature to society (e.g. issues concerning class, gender, and how Sweden as a nation is (re)presented in these texts).

Instructor: Tim Berndtsson
Credit: This course is typically given credit by English and Comparative Literature Departments.

Swedish Language 1

Study of the Swedish language for beginners. The course contains the following: pronunciation, reading and listening comprehension, descriptive grammar, semantics, written and oral practice. The emphasis will be on communicative and conversational skills, listening comprehension and pronunciation. The content is based on the course literature as well as authentic texts, songs, games, study visits and other activities related to Swedish culture and everyday life.

Swedish Language 2

Study of the Swedish language for students with a background in Swedish. The aim is to raise the student’s level of oral and written proficiency in Swedish and the course is adjusted to the individual student’s language skills and needs. The course contains the following: pronunciation, reading and listening comprehension, descriptive grammar, semantics, written and oral practice. The content is based on the course literature as well as authentic texts, songs, games, study visits and other activities related to Swedish culture and everyday life.

Swedish Language, Advanced

Study of the Swedish language for students with a strong background in Swedish. The aim is to raise the student’s level of oral and/or written proficiency in Swedish and the course is adjusted to the individual student’s language skills and needs. The content is based on the course literature as well as novels, articles, poems, songs, movies, study visits and other activities related to Swedish culture and everyday life.

Instructor: Erik Cardelus

This course option is only open to full-year students in their second (spring) semester.

Independent studies can be arranged in most disciplines. Past topics have included medical ethics, theater, statistics, philosophy, and photography. Your independent study must be approved by the chair of the relevant department at your home institution and our Executive Director. Please download our Independent Study Proposal Form for more information.

There is an additional course fee of $950 to arrange an independent study. If you receive financial aid but your aid doesn’t cover this expense, you can request a fee waiver during registration.