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Econometric Analysis 1 Spring 2023
ECON 322

Published Apr 25, 2023

Class Schedule

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Instructor & TA (Teaching Assistant) Information

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Course Description

ECON 322:

This course covers the core topics needed to estimate linear models using ordinary least squares and to interpret estimates for cross-sectional data. Students will learn to interpret the coefficients of linear models for continuous and discrete regressors, to conduct reliable inference for different specifications of the error term, and to determine which model is the most suitable among the class of linear models. Students will be introduced to a statistical software package and will be required to complete regular computer-based assignments throughout the course using economic data.

Prereq: ECON 221; or for Mathematics students ECON 101, 102 or ECON 100/COMM 103 and one of STAT 220, 230, 240; or for Accounting students ECON 101, 102, STAT 211. Antireq: ECON 321

Learning Outcomes

No explicit learning outcomes defined for this course.

Tentative Course Schedule

Week 1: Introduction (Appendix  B and C). Overview of important statistical concepts

Week 2: The Simple Regression Model (Chapters 1 and 2). Discussion on the different types of data, estimation of models with 1 regressor,

and the interpretation of a regression.

Week 3: Multiple Regression model (Chapter 3). Issues regarding data and model selection.

Week 4: Inference (Chapter 4). Tests of single and multiple linear restrictions

Week 5: Asymptotic properties of the OLS estimators (Chap. 5). Analysis of the properties of the estimators when the sample size increases

Week 6: Functional forms and forecasting (Chap. 6). Discussion on how to choose the functional form, and the forecasting of the dependent

variable.

Week 7: Regression with dummy variables (Chap. 7) Including unquantifiable information in a regression: the qualitative variables

Week 8: Generalized linear models: Heteroscedasticity ( Chap: 8). The properties of OLS with heterogenous error terms, and the weigthed least quares (WLS) method

Week 9: Misspecification ( Chap: 9). Measurement errors, missing data, and functional form misspecification

Texts / Materials

Title / Name Notes / Comments Required
Laptop You'd need R for the class Yes
Wooldridge, Jeffrey M. Introductory Econometrics A Modern Approach, 7th Edition Optional Textbook No
Heiss, Florian, Using R for Introductory Econometrics, CreateSpace 2016 It is available online for free at http://www.urfie.net/read.html, or it can be purchased at Amazon.ca) No

Student Assessment

Component Value
Assignments 25% (weekly)
Midterm Exam 1 20% (week of June 5th)
Midterm Exam 2 20% (Week of July 3rd)
Final Exam 35% (TBD)

Assignment Screening

None

Administrative Policy

 

Intellectual Property

Students should be aware that this course contains the intellectual property of their instructor, TA, and/or the University of Waterloo. 

Intellectual property includes items such as:

  • Lecture content, spoken and written (and any audio/video recording thereof);
  • Lecture handouts, presentations, and other materials prepared for the course (e.g., PowerPoint slides);
  • Questions or solution sets from various types of assessments (e.g., assignments, quizzes, tests, final exams); and
  • Work protected by copyright (e.g., any work authored by the instructor or TA or used by the instructor or TA with permission of the copyright owner).

Course materials and the intellectual property contained therein, are used to enhance a student’s educational experience. However, sharing this intellectual property without the intellectual property owner’s permission is a violation of intellectual property rights.  For this reason, it is necessary to ask the instructor, TA and/or the University of Waterloo for permission before uploading and sharing the intellectual property of others online (e.g., to an online repository).

Permission from an instructor, TA or the University is also necessary before sharing the intellectual property of others from completed courses with students taking the same/similar courses in subsequent terms/years.  In many cases, instructors might be happy to allow distribution of certain materials. However, doing so without expressed permission is considered a violation of intellectual property rights.

Please alert the instructor if you become aware of intellectual property belonging to others (past or present) circulating, either through the student body or online. The intellectual property rights owner deserves to know (and may have already given their consent).

Chosen/Preferred First Name

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Why? Starting in winter 2020, your chosen/preferred first name listed in WatIAM will be used broadly across campus (e.g., LEARN, Quest, WaterlooWorks, WatCard, etc). Note: Your legal first name will always be used on certain official documents. For more details, visit Updating Personal Information.

Important notes

  • If you included a preferred name on your OUAC application, it will be used as your chosen/preferred name unless you make a change now.
  • If you don’t provide a chosen/preferred name, your legal first name will continue to be used.

Mental Health Support

All of us need a support system. The faculty and staff in Arts encourage students to seek out mental health support if they are needed.

On Campus

Due to COVID-19 and campus closures, services are available only online or by phone.

  • Counselling Services:  counselling.services@uwaterloo.ca / 519-888-4567 ext. 32655
  • MATES:  one-to-one peer support program offered by the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) and Counselling Services

Off campus, 24/7

  • Good2Talk:  Free confidential help line for post-secondary students. Phone: 1-866-925-5454
  • Grand River Hospital: Emergency care for mental health crisis. Phone: 519-749-4300 ext. 6880
  • Here 24/7: Mental Health and Crisis Service Team. Phone: 1-844-437-3247
  • OK2BME: set of support services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning teens in Waterloo.  Phone: 519-884-0000 extension 213

Full details can be found online on the Faculty of Arts website

Download UWaterloo and regional mental health resources (PDF)

Download the WatSafe app to your phone to quickly access mental health support information.

Territorial Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that we are living and working on the traditional territory of the Attawandaron (also known as Neutral), Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes ten kilometres on each side of the Grand River.

For more information about the purpose of territorial acknowledgements, please see the CAUT Guide to Acknowledging Traditional Territory.

Academic freedom at the University of Waterloo

Policy 33, Ethical Behaviour states, as one of its general principles (Section 1), “The University supports academic freedom for all members of the University community. Academic freedom carries with it the duty to use that freedom in a manner consistent with the scholarly obligation to base teaching and research on an honest and ethical quest for knowledge. In the context of this policy, 'academic freedom' refers to academic activities, including teaching and scholarship, as is articulated in the principles set out in the Memorandum of Agreement between the FAUW and the University of Waterloo, 1998 (Article 6). The academic environment which fosters free debate may from time to time include the presentation or discussion of unpopular opinions or controversial material. Such material shall be dealt with as openly, respectfully and sensitively as possible.” This definition is repeated in Policies 70 and 71, and in the Memorandum of Agreement, Section 6

Cross-listed courses

Please note that a cross-listed course will count in all respective averages no matter under which subject code it has been taken. For example, a PHIL/PSCI cross-list will count in a Philosophy major average, even if the course was taken under the Political Science subject code.

Economics Department Deferred Final Exam Policy

All deferred Final Exam requests for economics courses are administered by the Economics Undergraduate Office. Please consult the Deferred Exam Policy at 

https://uwaterloo.ca/economics/undergraduate/resources-and-policies/deferred-final-exam-policy.

University Policy

Academic integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.]

Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of their university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt, please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.

Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take responsibility for their actions. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.] A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate associate dean. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline. For typical penalties, check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.

Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes they have a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals.

Note for students with disabilities: AccessAbility Services, located in Needles Hall, Room 1401, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with AccessAbility Services at the beginning of each academic term.

Turnitin.com: Text matching software (Turnitin®) may be used to screen assignments in this course. Turnitin® is used to verify that all materials and sources in assignments are documented. Students' submissions are stored on a U.S. server, therefore students must be given an alternative (e.g., scaffolded assignment or annotated bibliography), if they are concerned about their privacy and/or security. Students will be given due notice, in the first week of the term and/or at the time assignment details are provided, about arrangements and alternatives for the use of Turnitin in this course.

It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor if they, in the first week of term or at the time assignment details are provided, wish to submit alternate assignment.