EC-150 Big Data in Economics and Society
This course introduces students to the role of data in identifying and addressing socioeconomic challenges, requiring no prior coursework in statistics or econometrics. Using real-world economic data, students will learn to uncover patterns and relationships, interpret results, and translate them into informed, data-driven decisions. Regression analysis serves as the course's central analytical tool, giving students hands-on practice estimating and interpreting relationships in real data using Excel. Students will develop practical, broadly applicable data-analysis skills — increasingly valuable across economics, business, and public policy — while laying a foundation for more advanced coursework in statistics and econometrics.