During the training phase, the students take a three-credit course in McCombs that focuses on the fundamentals of economics, programming, and applied mathematics/statistics that are necessary for policy research. Then, over the following year, the students will be actively engaged in research projects with faculty members associated with the center to both apply the skills they have learned in the training and to gain more experience in the specific field of research in which they choose to work.

The training will be a rigorous course in which the students will attend lectures for three hours a week, a TA help session for one hour a week, and work together for 15 to 20 hours a week to complete homework assignments and coding lab projects. Near the end of the course, faculty associated with the Center will present research that they would like research help on, and the students will be attached to projects for the following school year. These assignments and updates on the students’ progress on their research will be posted on the Salem Center’s Website.

Click here to view sample lectures.