First Year Courses

Courses

ECON-601 Microeconomics I

This is the first semester of the microeconomic theory sequence for Ph.D. students. The topics covered are Consumer and Producer Theory, Choice Under Uncertainty, General Equilibrium, and General Equilibrium with Asset Markets.

ECON-602 Microeconomics II

This is the Game Theory part of the compulsory Micro sequence. The course begins with Normal Form Games, rationalizability and Nash equilibrium. It then covers Extensive Form Games and a variety of refinements of Nash equilibrium, including Sequential Equilibrium. A module of the class is spent focusing on Auction Theory, before moving to finitely and infinitely Repeated Games. Both Nash Bargaining and alternating-offers bargaining are covered in some depth, while Principal-Agent theory is covered as time permits from year to year.

ECON-605 Macroeconomics I

This course provides an introduction to the techniques of modern macroeconomic analysis that are needed by all graduate students in economics. Intertemporal frameworks are developed to discuss modern theories of consumption, saving, and growth. Other applications include the analysis of business cycles, models of the labor market and search frictions, theories of asset pricing and fiscal policies. Dynamic programming will be emphasized as a method for formulating and solving problems with these features.

ECON-606 Macroeconomics II

This course presents the standard frameworks used in the literatures on consumption, asset pricing and growth. These literatures feature decision making over time and under uncertainty. Dynamic programming will be emphasized as a method for formulating and solving decision problems with these features. Dynamic programming will also influence how we define notions of equilibrium. Several homeworks will involve using standard programming languages (e.g. Matlab) to compute equilibria or solutions to dynamic programming problems. You should get to know one of these languages quickly. Prerequisite ECON-605

ECON-611 Math for Economics

This is a front-loaded class that introduces advanced mathematical techniques used in first year PhD courses. These include, topics in Logic, Real Analysis, Optimization, Matrix Algebra, Differential Equations, Probability Theory and Stochastic Processes.

ECON-612 Econometrics I

The first part of this course is devoted to fundamental ideas and results from probability and statistics. The second part applies these ideas and results to the linear regression model and the ordinary least squares estimator, the two workhorses of empirical work in economics. It also addresses some of the problems that arise when the standard assumptions of the linear regression model are violated.

ECON-613 Econometrics II

This course covers the classical statistical methods of estimation and inference for econometrics: nonlinear methods (M-estimation, MLE, GMM), systems of equations (OLS, GLS, IV, simultaneous equations), linear panel data models (fixed effects, random effects), binary response models. Prerequisite: ECON 612