Empirical Economics

Catalog description

The main purpose of the course is to equip students with the quantitative foundations for conducting empirical research in economics. Additionally, students will learn how to understand, interpret and effectively critique empirical economic analysis by exposing them to scientific papers that effectively use a variety of econometric tools. We will generally focus on understanding the different contexts and methods that allow us to obtain causal effects. Distinguishing which correlations between economic variables represent a causal relationship is crucial for policy analysis. Finally, students will gain experience in the process of conducting research by selecting a question of interest, sourcing the relevant data, selecting the appropriate econometric tools for analysis, and writing up and presenting the findings of their project to a research-oriented audience.