Course page

PROGRAMMING

provided by University of Sussex

Course Details

(last updated: September 2024)

• Instructor (main contact person): Dr. George MacKerron (a few sessions will be run by invited faculty members) 

• Term in which taught: September – December 2024

• Schedule: 10am – 1pm Mondays at Sussex or on Zoom

• Application deadline: none

• Pre-requisites: none, beyond acceptance to an economics or related PhD

• Summary course description: This module introduces a range of practical quantitative tools for data collection and analysis.

Provisional syllabus:

• 23-Sep: Programming for researchers: a roadmap

• 30-Sep: Regular Expressions and inexact matching

• 07-Oct: Using the Terminal or UNIX shell

• 14-Oct: Version control, typesetting and reference databases (Git, LaTeX, Zotero)

• 21-Oct: Numpy (Python) programming

• (28-Oct: reading week, no session)

• 04-Nov: Stata programming I

• 11-Nov: Stata programming II

• 18-Nov: R and Julia programming

• 25-Nov: SQL and relational databases

• 02-Dec: Using the High-Performance Computing (HPC) cluster at Sussex (this one is probably useful only to Sussex students)

Aims: This module is deliberately broad and shallow. It aims to map the landscape of programming tools for quantitative research, to help students identify the ones that may be of use to them and target their own exploration more effectively. For most of these tools, students can use online tutorials, guides and references to build deeper knowledge. In many cases there are staff members in a student’s department with the expertise to help if and when a student gets stuck.

Teaching and learning methods: Teaching is blended, with sessions conducted simultaneously in-person and via Zoom. Sessions will usually combine a short lecture with practical exercises. 

Contact time: There will be a live 3-hour Zoom session from 10am – 1pm each Monday over the 10 weeks of the module.  

Assessment: Sussex students will be asked to carry out a programming task, due in week 7, and a replication exercise, due in week 11. Module credits are not available for students joining from outside Sussex. 

Administration: Live sessions via Zoom.

Materials and slides: We have not yet been able to open the Canvas site to students outside Sussex. Relevant links and materials will be shared by email for now.

Enrolment information: For University of Sussex students, this module is compulsory in the first year of registration (or part-time equivalent). For others: please contact george.mackerron@sussex.ac.uk. 

Maximum class size: There is a soft cap on this module of 20 students per year.

How to Apply

In order to apply for this course, you need to (1) send an Application Email to the Instructor and to (2) fill the Confirmation Form at the bottom of this page.  Please complete both steps according to the instructions reported below.