Economics: Health Economics
Source: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/study/economics-health-economics-NEKG61 Parent: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/about-university/university-glance/mission-vision-and-values/sustainability/sustainability-education-lund-university
Course • Bachelor's level • 7.5 credits
Population health is improving globally, but many health systems face serious challenges, such as rising costs and socioeconomic inequalities in access to care. In this course, you explore these issues and potential solutions using economic theory and insights from empirical research.
Start
Autumn 2026
Level
Bachelor's
Language
English
Place of study
Lund
Course code
NEKG61
- Overview
- Teaching and learning
Overview
You are introduced to the economic analysis of health and health care. Topics covered include the demand for health, health care and health insurance, frictions in insurance markets, socio-economic disparities in health, health care labor markets and health policy design. Illustrations come from the Swedish and international contexts. We will draw on concepts from theoretical microeconomics and discuss empirical studies.
By the end of the course, you will:
- understand the core concepts in health economics and health policy
- be able to analyse problem areas in health economics using modern microeconomic theory
- understand today’s biggest challenges for health care systems and formulate potential solutions
- be able to outline empirical designs for the study of questions within health economics
- understand key empirical studies in health economics and how their findings relate to economic theory
The course is aimed at those of you who are interested in working in the health or health care sectors as economists, researchers, administrators, managers, or policymakers. It prepares you for careers in health organisations – local or global, public or private.
Course syllabus
The syllabus contains the formal and legal details of the entire course. It’s a legal document outlining the course structure and requirements, intended mainly for administrative use.
Course literature
The course literature listed may be updated up to eight weeks before the course begins.
Course literature NEKG61 (PDF, New tab)
Teaching and learning
Teaching consists of lectures and exercise sessions. In the lectures, you are introduced to relevant microeconomic methods and discuss applications associated with a particular topic in health economics. During the exercise sessions, you discuss analytical problems that are related to the material covered in the lectures.
Your final grade consists of homework assignments and a written exam at the end of the course.
- Dates
- Requirements and selection
- Tuition fees
Dates
Autumn Semester 2026
Apply via Antagning.se (in Swedish) by 15 April.
Lund - Part time 50%
Start
2 November 2026
2 Nov 2026
End
17 January 2027
17 Jan 2027
Form
Normal learning
Pace
Part time
Language
English
City
Lund
Requirements and selection
Prerequisites
General and at least 20 ECTS basic economics, of which at least 7.5 ECTS basic microeconomics. (The course Econometrics or 15 ECTS statistics is recommended)
Selection criteria
Seats are allocated according to the following: The general average (GPA) of your higher secondary school leaving certificate: 34 %, The Swedish national university aptitude test: 34 %, number of previous ECTS at the application deadline (up to 165): 32 %.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens
Citizens of countries outside:
- The European Union (EU)
- The European Economic Area (EEA) and
- Switzerland
are required to pay tuition fees. You pay an instalment of the tuition fee in advance of each \ semester.
Tuition fees, payments and exemptions
Full programme/course tuition fee: SEK 16,250 \ First payment: SEK 16,250
Note that you may also need to pay an application fee, or provide proof of exemption.
No tuition fees for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland
There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.
Overview
You are introduced to the economic analysis of health and health care. Topics covered include the demand for health, health care and health insurance, frictions in insurance markets, socio-economic disparities in health, health care labor markets and health policy design. Illustrations come from the Swedish and international contexts. We will draw on concepts from theoretical microeconomics and discuss empirical studies.
By the end of the course, you will:
- understand the core concepts in health economics and health policy
- be able to analyse problem areas in health economics using modern microeconomic theory
- understand today’s biggest challenges for health care systems and formulate potential solutions
- be able to outline empirical designs for the study of questions within health economics
- understand key empirical studies in health economics and how their findings relate to economic theory
The course is aimed at those of you who are interested in working in the health or health care sectors as economists, researchers, administrators, managers, or policymakers. It prepares you for careers in health organisations – local or global, public or private.
Course literature
The course literature listed may be updated up to eight weeks before the course begins.
Course literature NEKG61 (PDF, New tab)
Teaching and learning
Teaching consists of lectures and exercise sessions. In the lectures, you are introduced to relevant microeconomic methods and discuss applications associated with a particular topic in health economics. During the exercise sessions, you discuss analytical problems that are related to the material covered in the lectures.
Your final grade consists of homework assignments and a written exam at the end of the course.
Dates
Autumn Semester 2026
Apply via Antagning.se (in Swedish) by 15 April.
Lund - Part time 50%
Start
2 November 2026
2 Nov 2026
End
17 January 2027
17 Jan 2027
Form
Normal learning
Pace
Part time
Language
English
City
Lund
Requirements and selection
Prerequisites
General and at least 20 ECTS basic economics, of which at least 7.5 ECTS basic microeconomics. (The course Econometrics or 15 ECTS statistics is recommended)
Selection criteria
Seats are allocated according to the following: The general average (GPA) of your higher secondary school leaving certificate: 34 %, The Swedish national university aptitude test: 34 %, number of previous ECTS at the application deadline (up to 165): 32 %.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens
Citizens of countries outside:
- The European Union (EU)
- The European Economic Area (EEA) and
- Switzerland
are required to pay tuition fees. You pay an instalment of the tuition fee in advance of each \ semester.
Tuition fees, payments and exemptions
Full programme/course tuition fee: SEK 16,250 \ First payment: SEK 16,250
Note that you may also need to pay an application fee, or provide proof of exemption.
No tuition fees for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland
There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.
Contact us
Programme administrator
Azra Padjan
Email: azra.padjan@nek.lu.se
Academic advisor
Mårten Wallette
Email: studievagledare@nek.lu.se
Director of studies
Pontus Hansson
Email: pontus.hansson@nek.lu.se