Econometrics

Oct 31, 2022

A teacher stands before students in a classroom

Associate Professor of Economics Logan Lee says that many students report that Econometrics was where they learned the skills that allowed them to secure their current job.

Econometrics (ECN 286) is a challenging, higher-level economics course that will prepare you for two seminars required for the major. You’ll also have the chance to put your knowledge to work.

Invaluable Knowledge and Experience

Associate Professor Logan Lee teaches before a classroom full of students. — Associate Professor Logan Lee in the classroom.

The goal of the course is to help students understand applied economic research, carry out their own research projects, and to establish relationships within the field, says Associate Professor of Economics Logan Lee. You’ll gain practical knowledge and experience that will be invaluable as you continue your studies and research in economics. In ECN 286, you will also become familiar with software commonly used in the discipline.

ECN 286 will prepare you for jobs in a wide range of fields that involve data analysis. It will also help you gain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in whatever career you ultimately choose. That’s the beauty of a Grinnell education: the liberal arts ethos means you’ll learn new ways of thinking, learning, and problem-solving that can be applied to virtually any career. Embracing this ideal, Lee allows students to explore any topic of their choice for their research paper.

Opportunities Beyond the Classroom

ECN 286 offers an innovative combination of theoretical work and immediate application that is groundbreaking, Lee says. In addition, the field of econometrics is quite dynamic; new techniques are continuously being developed and old techniques improved. ECN 286 spends a significant amount of time on new techniques, allowing students to use the latest and best tools in their research projects and beyond.

Econometrics is a challenging course with a significant workload. That said, students report learning a great deal in the class, Lee says. Many students say that Econometrics was where they learned the skills that allowed them to secure their current job — ranging from summer researchers at prestigious institutions to analysts at firms such as Morningstar, Analysis Group, and NERA. Many ECN 286 students have presented their empirical research at regional, national, and international academic conferences, including the Midwest Economics Association annual meetings and the Western Economics Association International Meetings (most recently in Tokyo in 2019).