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2023/2024  BA-BHAAV1016U  Quantitative Methods

English Title
Quantitative Methods

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Max. participants 200
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Morten Lau - Department of Economics (ECON)
Main academic disciplines
  • Methodology and philosophy of science
  • Statistics and quantitative methods
  • Economics
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 08-02-2023

Relevant links
Learning objectives
  • Demonstrate knowledge of concepts, models, methods and tools in econometrics, corresponding to the course syllabus
  • Evaluate an empirical study which another has produced
  • Implement a reasonably simple econometric analysis in practice
Examination
Quantitative Methods:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Written sit-in exam on CBS' computers
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Assignment type Written assignment
Duration 4 hours
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Winter
Aids Limited aids, see the list below:
The student is allowed to bring
  • USB key for uploading of notes, books and compendiums in a non-executable format (no applications, application fragments, IT tools etc.)
  • Any calculator
  • In Paper format: Books (including translation dictionaries), compendiums and notes
The student will have access to
  • Access to Canvas
  • Access to the personal drive (S-drive) on CBS´ network
  • basic IT application package
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
The number of registered candidates for the make-up examination/re-take examination may warrant that it most appropriately be held as an oral examination. The programme office will inform the students if the make-up examination/re-take examination instead is held as an oral examination including a second examiner or external examiner.
Description of the exam procedure

Part of the test is based on a previous data analysis (48-hour preparatory period). Results from the previous data analysis will be used in the 4-hour written exam.

 

It is the student’s own responsibility to submit and incorporate the results from the previous data analysis along with answers to the exam paper.

 
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

How do you measure and elicit individual attitudes to financial risk and time delay of income? Are women more patient and more averse to taking risk in financial matters than men? Are men more likely to become problem gamblers than women? Are women more likely to smoke cigarettes than men, and if so do they smoke more per day than men? How do you elicit and estimate predictions about the likelihood of future events?

The main objective of the course is to provide students with the necessary statistical tools to answer such questions by introducing a range of statistical models and methods. The course will focus on applied aspects of econometrics, as opposed to theoretical aspects. We will use data from surveys and experiments that are designed to answer the questions above. The course is designed to target students who intend to conduct empirical analysis during their undergraduate and graduate study programs.

The course will focus on various applications of basic regression models. Throughout the course emphasis will be placed on the qualitative and quantitative understanding of statistical models. That is, how can you translate a qualitative research question into a quantitative model and make inferences? A recurring theme during the course is the distinction between correlation and causation. Despite this simple distinction much of the difficulty in econometrics stems from the desire to make causal inferences from observational data. 

 

 

 
Description of the teaching methods
The course is based on a blended learning approach with a combination of PC-based lectures and exercise classes as well as online teaching using pre-recorded videos on selected topics and assignments. The course is split evenly between lectures and exercises.

The statistical models and methods are presented and discussed in class, as well as survey and experimental data to illustrate the quantitative methods. We will use the statistical software program Stata to estimate the statistical models, which is a professional tool used by many government agencies and private companies.
Guest lecturers may be invited to discuss empirical examples of their own work that are relevant to the topics that we discuss in class.
Feedback during the teaching period
The course seeks to offer feedback whenever possible. Lectures and exercise classes provide opportunities for questions and discussions and students are also encouraged to make use of staff office hours for further feedback
Student workload
Preparation / exam 170 hours
Lectures 24 hours
Exercises 24 hours
Expected literature

Stock, J. H. and Watson, M., Introduction to Econometrics, Global Edition, 4th edition (Pearson Education, 2019)

 

 The textbook is supplemented with a few scientific articles that are relevant to some of the course examples.
Last updated on 08-02-2023