ECON 1200 - Big Data & Social Issues

Goals: This course introduces students to research in applied economics and social science and does not require or assume any prior coursework in economics or statistics. Students learn how researchers are analyzing data to make progress on issues such as upward mobility, racial disparities, health inequities, and climate change policy, and each student develops their own ability to explore and analyze data in the context of a social issue they choose to study.

Content: Students in this class examine pressing social and economic issues and discover how “big data” can be used to understand these issues. Topics include equality of opportunity, education, health care, climate change, and criminal justice. In the context of these topics, the course will also provide an introduction to basic statistical methods and data analysis techniques using R (statistical software).

Credits: 4