Fundamentals of Graduate Economics (Online 7-11 April 2025, In-Person 21-25 July 2025)

Join us in Oxford or online for a unique and enriching experience. On successful completion of the programme, you will receive a PDF version of a certificate of completion. By the end of the course, you'll have a strong foundation in the essential skills of mathematics and econometrics, and the confidence to take the next step in your studies or career. Don't miss this chance to explore the world of Economics with some of the brightest minds in the field!

TOPICS COVERED - Introduction to Mathematical Methods:

Objective: This course will introduce students to elements of mathematical analysis and of probability theory with a special emphasis on methods that are important in economics.

• Structure: Divided into mathematical analysis and probability theory sections.
• Mathematical Analysis Topics: Logic, proofs, sets, relations, functions, sequences and limits, continuity, and differentiability. Emphasis on understanding key results and their application to economic questions, with examples from decision theory and game theory.
• Probability Theory Topics: Probability axioms, independence, conditional probability, Bayes’ rule, discrete and continuous distributions, expectations, moments, correlation, law of large numbers, and central limit theorem. Examples cover decisions under risk and risk mitigation.

TOPICS COVERED - Introduction to Econometrics:

Objective: To introduce students to two of the fundamental statistical methods used in applied economic research: regression analysis and instrumental variables.

• Statistical Inference Introduction: Learn about economic theories from data. Introduction to hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and uncertainty measurement.
• Linear Regression Introduction: Understand causal effects in observational data. Utilize linear regression for disentangling multiple influencing factors.
• More on Regression: Inference and Nonlinearities: Enhance precision in regression estimates through inference methods. Extend the model to account for nonlinear relationships. Application example: University and degree choices' impact on mid-career earnings.
• Dealing with Endogeneity: Address limits and challenges of linear regression in estimating causal effects. Discuss issues like unobserved factors and reverse causation (endogeneity).
• Solutions using randomized control trials. Application example: Effect of class size on test scores.
• Introduction to Instrumental Variables: Explore instrumental variables as an alternative method for estimating causal effects when regression may fail. Application example: Returns to schooling.

Watch Webinar

Check out our webinar recording for insightful introduction to the Fundamentals of Graduate Economics courses. The session was led by our Academic Director, Associate Professor Banu Demir Pakel, along with Associate Professors James Duffy and Inés Moreno De Barreda, who provided an overview of the courses.

Course delivery

The Summer School will be held in two formats and you can sign up to one of them. The online course will be live streamed via Zoom and the in-person course will be held in Oxford. Lectures will be held in the morning and there will be tutorials in the afternoon.

Online course: 7 - 11 April 2025
In-person course: 21 - 25 July 2025

Fees:

• Online course: £1,350
• In-person course: £2,700

Who can attend:

This course is designed for undergraduate students with a mathematics A-level who are considering a graduate programme in Economics, as well as graduate students looking to strengthen their skills and professionals seeking to advance their expertise.

Accommodation:

The course fees do not include accommodation, however, please contact summerschools@economics.ox.ac.uk for help and assistance. We are able to help you book hotel accommodation, college accommodation and homestays. Please get in touch if you have any questions!