2023-2024 Descriptions
ECON 490 (Seminar in Applied Economics) is the capstone course for BA Economics students. It is an opportunity to showcase everything you’ve learned in your degree, and one of the most valuable learning experiences in the economics program. It’s also a signature of the VSE experience. However, to get the most out of this course, you should pay close attention the differences between the sections of ECON 490:
- Section topic and focus: each section of ECON 490 has a different topic, chosen by the instructor, based on their interests and expertise. It is a good idea to choose a section that matches your interests! Some sections allow you to be more independent, while others guide you more closely along the way: being thoughtful about the skills and time you bring to the course will help you to choose a section that’s right for you.
- Section format: some sections of ECON 490 are offered in different formats, ranging from individual thesis-style projects, to group-learning, to community-engaged learning. Choose a section that matches the kinds of skills you want to demonstrate and learn.
You can learn more about both of these types of ECON 490 sections below.
Please note that it is your exclusive responsibility to verify that you meet the prerequisites for every course you register in. In particular, it is very important to note that UBC’s online graduation-check tools, as well as Arts Advising, will only verify whether you will satisfy your graduation requirements if you complete all of your courses successfully. They will not check if your intended order will cause a prerequisite conflict.
Example: Suppose you need to take courses A and B to graduate, and A is a prerequisite for B. You register in course B in term 1 and in course A in term 2. In this case, the graduation check will say that you satisfy the graduation requirements. However, you will not be allowed to complete course B in term 1, because you are missing course A as prerequisite. As a result, you will not be able to graduate on time.
It is therefore essential that you verify that you will satisfy the prerequisites for each course you intend to register in, in the sequence you intend to take them.
Please also note that all upper-level economics courses have prerequisites (including 490), which you must complete before you can start the upper-level course. You may not complete any prerequisite at the same time as the relevant course – you need to satisfy them in advance. This is particularly important as you plan your ECON 490 registration.
For reference, all of ECON 301, 302, 325 and 326 are prerequisites for ECON 490. They must all be successfully completed before enrolling in ECON 490. They may not be taken concurrently with ECON 490.
ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
ECON 490 Section Formats
In order to accommodate different student goals and needs, the VSE offers ECON 490 in two different formats. Please familiarize yourself with the features of each ECON 490 format in order to select the one most appropriate for your academic background and objectives.
Most sections of ECON 490 are offered in the course’s traditional format, with sections containing approximately 20 students. The first weeks of the course will include a brief econometrics refresher and a general discussion of research methods. Each student will then design and carry out an individual empirical research project, with guidance provided by the instructor in one-on-one meetings.
Students then usually present their research projects to the class prior to submitting their individual final papers. Many traditional format sections have a predetermined theme (e.g., development economics, labour economics, international finance, etc.). Students who choose to register in traditional format sections should:
- Be comfortable with the material taught in ECON 326, and familiar with econometric software (STATA or R). A grade of 75 or above in ECON 326 is recommended.
- Be interested in the theme of the section, and expect to conduct a project in that field of economics.
- Be prepared to work independently, with occasional guidance from the instructor
In 2023, these are ECON490 sections 001 - 010
In the group learning sections, students conduct their research project in a small group setting (max 4 members), rather than individually. The instructor provides a research direction and guidance on how to work in a group. The group learning section will have a higher enrolment than traditional ones.
However, the structure of this format allows the instructor to spend twice as much time meeting with a given group than would normally be available to an individual student in traditional format sections. The group learning section also features a more thorough review of econometric concepts and the use of statistical software at the beginning of the course. Students who feel they need a stronger refresher of the concepts taught in ECON 326, who are not comfortable with independent research, or who would like to build their teamwork skills should strongly consider registering in the group learning section.
In 2023, this is ECON490 section 011
ECON 490 Section Descriptions
In addition to the formats described above, each section of ECON 490 has a different topic, chosen by the instructor. You can find the current list below, separated by term.
Important Note
Term 1
In this course, students will familiarize themselves with the study of economic inequality from the perspective of applied economics, development economics and economic history. Among other things, they will get to know about relevant dimensions of inequality and explore how inequality changes along different stages of development of a country. We will look at the impact of inequality on both developing and developed countries, as well as the intrinsic and functional aspects of this phenomenon. An important part of the course will be devoted to uncover the historical origins of inequality. Next to developing their understanding of econometric tools, students are expected to learn how to measure inequality in the data and compare the degree of economic inequality across countries and time. Most importantly, they will look at the drivers and multifaceted consequences of inequality. The ultimate goal of this research module is to give students a solid foundation for selecting their own research topic in this area.
The goal of this course is to create and offer an environment in which challenges associated with applied research can be experienced by the participating students. The significant challenges for the participating students in this course are: choosing a research topic on your own, learn, choose and apply appropriate econometric methods to answer your research question, and successfully use a statistical package for regression and analysis. Students in this course will enjoy quite a bit of freedom choosing their own research topic; however, focus will be on cross section or panel data estimations only; we will avoid time series estimation, except for co-integration involving non-stationary data.
The goal of this course is to create and offer an environment in which challenges associated with applied research can be experienced by the participating students. The significant challenges for the participating students in this course are: choosing a research topic on your own, learn, choose and apply appropriate econometric methods to answer your research question, and successfully use a statistical package for regression and analysis. Students in this course will enjoy quite a bit of freedom choosing their own research topic; however, focus will be on cross section or panel data estimations only; we will avoid time series estimation, except for co-integration involving non-stationary data.
The course is meant to facilitate the development of research skills. Focus will be on producing new research and learning how to give feedback on research by others. We will overview practical aspects such as accessing useful data sources, editing documents, using software for data work, providing comments on other students' papers and actively participating in class presentations. Students will present their work to each other and in a class setting. Learning how to provide feedback and help each other will be an integral part of the course. While students will have a choice of topics to work on, the instructor will provide an overview of topics related to his own research, including current work on the distribution of income and consumption using microdata.
This course is built around a key problem: how do we take a question and use our economic tools to answer it? This may seem elementary, but it can be surprisingly challenging! We tackle this problem in the context of applied economic research. We will do four things in this course:
- Explore the tools, models, and skills necessary for answering questions
- Discover how to formulate a good question about a topic that inspires you.
- Learn how to answer your question in a convincing way.
- Practice communicating your results through writing and speaking.
Along the way we tackle a number of important topics, like the connection between theory and applied work, causality, and building economic models. However, the focus always will be on taking an idea you care about and building a research topic around it; a process your instructor will guide you through in 1-on-1 meetings. The best ideas come about because you are passionate about them!
This section emphasizes methodology (how do we conduct and carry out research) as opposed to topic (studying economic development economic, for example). This gives you, the student, a great deal of flexibility in terms of the question and topic you tackle. Emphasis in-class will be on microeconomic applications, but students with broader interests are also encouraged to attend.
The course format will be a mixture of lectures, small-group discussions, computer labs, and presentations. We will review some necessary background in early lectures, then learn some new and commonly used models specific to your topics. We will get also get hands-on practice with real data through interaction in computer labs, and learn how to use statistical software (R in class, but STATA or Python are also OK). We will also learn how to communicate our results clearly both in written form, and in presentations.
Evaluation will be primarily based on (i) in-class participation, (ii) oral presentations, and (iii) your research paper. The paper itself has several, smaller, “lead-up” assignments to help you build up to the final paper while getting feedback and assistance along the way. This semester may also have a community engaged learning (CEL) option, in which students undertake a project motivated by a community partner, in lieu of completing their own project. This option is will include the opportunity for a group format this term; interested students should contact the instructor for more details early in the term.
The goal of this course is to provide students the tools necessary to write an independent empirical research paper. I will provide a discussion of recently published papers that illustrate the empirical methods used in current research. The course will also provide you with an introduction/refresher of STATA coding along with some assignments that will help you familiarize yourself with common empirical techniques. The course will also provide one-on-one meetings to discuss your work in progress. Possible topics for your research projects include education, health, gender, labor markets, immigration, racial bias, urban economics, and voting, though you are free to choose any applied microeconomics topic that interests you.
Term 2
The goal of this course is to create and offer an environment in which challenges associated with applied research can be experienced by the participating students. The significant challenges for the participating students in this course are: choosing a research topic on your own, learn, choose and apply appropriate econometric methods to answer your research question, and successfully use a statistical package for regression and analysis. Students in this course will enjoy quite a bit of freedom choosing their own research topic; however, focus will be on cross section or panel data estimations only; we will avoid time series estimation, except for co-integration involving non-stationary data.
The main goal of this course is to help students write a research paper in public economics and policy. To do so, the course is divided into two parts: (1) it will expose students to a set of topics in public economics, and (2) it will provide them with econometric tools to analyze data and make statistical inference. Students will learn necessary tools to evaluate a research paper, and will have individual meetings to discuss how to apply these tools to pursue their own research ideas. Near the end, students will have a chance to present their research paper. Possible topics include local public finance, innovation policies, taxes and transfer programs.
This section of Econ 490 will focus on empirical issues in Financial Economics.
There will be lectures and computer labs in the first weeks of the course. The lectures will introduce some of the foundational material in financial economics as well as cover empirical methods that can be of particular use in finance. The computer labs will familiarize students with data collection and coding of statistical software and specific labs will focus on portfolio finance, measuring the cost of capital, and event study methodologies. During this time students will also be formulating their own research question. Following the structured lectures and labs, students will work independently to complete their own research project. In the final weeks of the course, students will present the results of the research in both a formal paper and an in-class presentation.
As the gap between the world's richest and poorest countries continues to widen, economic growth and development are among the most pressing challenges facing the world today. In this section of ECON 490, students will engage in an exploration of the factors that drive long-term economic growth, using panel data analysis to investigate the determinants of economic outcomes across nations. Through collaborative learning in small teams of three or four, students will conduct a long-run growth accounting exercise focusing on one possible determinant of economic growth. Emphasizing the use of statistical software and team research skills, this course is designed to provide students with hands-on experience in data analysis and economic research that will position them to succeed in a variety of research-focused careers and programs. For more information on the course objectives, structure and assessments, you can find the syllabus here.