Causal Inference for Microeconometrics (ECON3360)

Course overview

The purpose of the course is to offer advanced students in Economics, Commerce and Business an understanding of the econometric tools that apply to microeconomic data. The approach is from an applied perspective. Lectures will introduce specific cross-sectional and panel models and the techniques required to estimate/predict with the model. The course will make use of the econometric package, Stata, for purposes of analysing of the data. Core content includes the analysis of individual-level data on the economic behaviour of individuals or firms using regression methods for cross section and panel data. Skills and Perspective provided by applications in the area of labour economics, consumer choice, health and education.
Assumed Background: Students are expected to have an intermediate knowledge (second year undergraduate at least) of economic theory and econometrics or statistics and mathematics (see prerequisites).

The course covers concepts and methods that are widely employed in contemporary applied microeconomics. It will be centred around the estimation of causal or treatment effects using regression-based analysis. Empirical examples will be drawn from recent research in labour, development, education, and health.

Course requirements

Assumed background

Students are expected to have an intermediate knowledge (second year undergraduate at least) of economic theory and econometrics or statistics and mathematics (see prerequisites).

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

ECON2300 + (ECON2010 or ECON2011)

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

ECON3300

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Tutorials commence in week 1. Students are required to log their preferences for a tutorial group through My Timetable and attend their allocated timeslot. It is essential that you attend the tutorial class you have signed to, as classes are held in computer labs where numbers are strictly limited in each group. If your tutorial is scheduled on a public holiday, you may attend another tutorial in that week.

Students should refer to the timetable prior to the commencement of classes to ensure that they have the most up-to-date information, as from time to time late room changes may occur.

Public Holidays: Wed 14 August (Royal Queensland Show), Mon 7 October (King's Birthday).

In-Semester Break: 23 - 29 September. Semester 2 classes recommence Mon 30 September.

Aims and outcomes

This course aims to (i) provide students with an advanced understanding of microeconometric models and estimation methods; (ii) enable students to program and analyse econometric models using the software Stata; and (iii) allow students to read and understand advanced econometric work in academic journals.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

2 online quizzes

Mode

Written

Category

Quiz

Weight

30% (15% each)

Due date

30/08/2024 2:00 pm

20/09/2024 2:00 pm

- The first quiz will be open (online) in week 6 from 14:00 on the Thursday to 14:00 on the Friday.

- The second quiz will be open (online) in week 9 from 14:00 on the Thursday to 14:00 on the Friday.

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03

Task description

Submission guidelines

Quizzes will be submitted via BB.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The online quizzes have a maximum extension of 3 days (excluding weekend days) to ensure timely feedback to other students. 

Requests for the granting of extensions must be submitted through my.UQ: Applying for an extension - my.UQ - University of Queensland with supporting documentation before the submission due date and time. If an extension is approved, the new agreed date for submission will be noted on the application and the student notified through their student email. Extensions cannot exceed the number of days you suffered from a medical condition, as stated on the medical certificate.

Late submission

Where an extension has not been previously approved, the below penalties apply to late or non-submission of a quiz:

• Less than 5 minutes late: 5% 
• From 5 minutes to less than 15 minutes late: 20% 
• More than 15 minutes late: 100% 

If students experience interruptions to their quiz and need to apply for an extension, they must collect and provide suitable evidence that the late submission was beyond their control. Such evidence may include: screenshots, photos, or emails from AskUs.

Article review and research idea

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

35%

Due date

4/10/2024 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Submission guidelines

The assignment must be submitted via BB by the due date and time.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Limitations to the duration of the extension apply to ensure all grades can be finalised. 

Requests for the granting of extensions must be submitted through my.UQ: Applying for an extension - my.UQ - University of Queensland with supporting documentation before the submission due date and time. If an extension is approved, the new agreed date for submission will be noted on the application and the student notified through their student email. Extensions cannot exceed the number of days you suffered from a medical condition, as stated on the medical certificate.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Penalties will be applied unless an extension has been granted.

Problem set in Stata

Mode

Written

Category

Computer Code, Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

35%

Due date

25/10/2024 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submit via Blackboard by the due date and time.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Limitations to the duration of the extension apply to ensure all grades can be finalised. 

Requests for the granting of extensions must be submitted through my.UQ: Applying for an extension - my.UQ - University of Queensland with supporting documentation before the submission due date and time. If an extension is approved, the new agreed date for submission will be noted on the application and the student notified through their student email. Extensions cannot exceed the number of days you suffered from a medical condition, as stated on the medical certificate.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Penalties will be applied unless an extension has been granted. 

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

A student’s final overall end of semester percentage mark will be rounded to determine their final grade. For example, 64.5% rounds to 65%, while 64.4% rounds to 64%.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Additional assessment information

Plagiarism

The School of Economics is committed to reducing the incidence of plagiarism. Further information on plagiarism and how to avoid an allegation of plagiarism is available in this course profile under Policies & Guidelines. Please refer to the Academic Integrity Module (AIM). It is strongly recommended that you complete the AIMﾠif you have not already done so.

Referencing and Citing

APA is the required referencing style in this course.

Assignments must be substantially your own work. If you wish to report another author’s point of view you should do so in your own words, and properly cite the reference in accordance with the school style. Direct quotations should be used sparingly, form a small part of your work, and must be placed in quotation marks and duly referenced.

Any material taken from texts and other references, including electronic resources, CD‐ROMS, and the Internet, must be acknowledged using the accepted School style.

Students are encouraged to discuss issues that arise in this course together. However, the written work you submit must be entirely your own. Similarly, you must not help another student to cheat by lending assignments (present or past).

For more information on referencing styles, visit the library.

If you do not reference the materials used in your assignment correctly, you could be found guilty of academic misconduct.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Own copy required

You'll need to have your own copy of the following reading resources. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Additional learning resources information

Learning resources (Angrist Pischke (2009) and Wooldridge (2020)) are available free of charge from the library at: ECON3360 St Lucia | University of Queensland (talis.com).

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.