134 Economics Thesis Topics: Ideas for Outstanding Writing

thesis in economics

Writing a thesis is not an easy task. For most of the students, it can be even intimidating, especially when you do not know where to start your research.

Here, we have provided an economics thesis topics list. After all, everyone knows that choosing the right idea is crucial when writing an academic paper. In economics, it can combine history, math, social studies, politics, and numerous other subjects. You should also have solid foundations and a sound factual basis for a thesis. Without these elements, you won’t be able to master your research paper.

The issue is:

It is not always clear what could be seen as an excellent economics thesis topic. Our experts can assist you with this challenge. This list contains some outstanding examples to get you started.

  • ⭐ Thesis in Economics
  • 🔥 Supreme Thesis Topics
  • 👍 Bachelor’s Thesis
  • 😲 Master’s Thesis

📊 Microeconomics

📈 macroeconomics.

  • 🤔 Developmental
  • 👨‍💼 Behavioral
  • 💼 Financial
  • 🌱 Agricultural
  • 🤝‍ Sociology
  • 📚 Ph.D. Topics
  • 📝 How to Pick a Topic

⭐ What Does a Thesis in Economics Look Like?

A good thesis in economics is a blend between an empirical paper and a theoretical one. One of the essential steps in choosing a topic in economics is to decide which one you will write.

You may write, research, analyze statistical data and other information. Or build and study a specific economic model.

Or why not both!

Here are some questions you can ask when deciding what topic to choose:

  • What has already been written on this topic?
  • What economic variables will my paper study?
  • Where should I look for the data?
  • What econometrics techniques should I use?
  • What type of model will I study?

The best way to understand what type of research you have to do is to write a thesis proposal. You will most probably be required to submit it anyway. Your thesis supervisor will examine your ideas, methods, list of secondary and primary sources. At some universities, the proposal will be graded.

Master’s thesis and Bachelor’s thesis have three main differences.

After you get the initial feedback, you will have a clear idea of what to adjust before writing your thesis. Only then, you’ll be able to start.

🔥 Supreme Economics Thesis Topics List

  • Fast fashion in India.
  • The UK housing prices.
  • Brexit and European trade.
  • Behavioral economics.
  • Healthcare macroeconomics.
  • COVID-19’s economic impact.
  • Global gender wage gap.
  • Commodity dependence in Africa.
  • International trade – developing countries.
  • Climate change and business development.

👍 Economics Bachelor’s Thesis Topics

At the U.S. Universities, an undergraduate thesis is very uncommon. However, it depends on the Department Policy.

The biggest challenge with the Bachelor’s Thesis in economics concerns its originality. Even though you are not required to conduct entirely unique research, you have to lack redundant ideas.

You can easily avoid making this mistake by simply choosing one of these topics. Also, consider visiting IvyPanda essays database. It’s a perfect palce to conduct a brainstorming session and come up with fresh ideas for a paper, as well as get tons of inspiration.

  • The impact of the oil industry on the economic development of Nigeria. The oil industry is vital for the economic development of Nigeria. In this thesis, students can discuss the notion of the resource curse. Analyze the reasons why general people are not benefiting from the oil industry. Why did it produce very little change in the social and economic growth of the country?
  • Sports Marketing and Advertising: the impact it has on the consumers.
  • Economic opportunities and challenges of investing in Kenya .
  • Economic Development in the Tourism Industry in Africa. Since the early 1990s, tourism significantly contributed to the economic growth of African countries. In this thesis, students can talk about the characteristics of the tourist sector in Africa. Or elaborate on specific countries and how their national development plans look like.
  • Globalization and its significance to business worldwide .
  • Economic risks connected to investing in Turkey .
  • The decline in employment rates as the biggest American economy challenge .
  • The economics of alcohol abuse problems. In this thesis, students can develop several essential issues. First, they can examine how poverty is connected to alcohol abuse. Second, they can see the link between alcohol consumption and productivity. To sum up, students can elaborate on the economic costs of alcohol abuse.
  • Causes and solutions for unemployment in Great Britain.
  • Parallel perspective on Global Economic Order: China and America. This thesis can bring a comparative analysis of the economies to a new level. China and The US are the world’s two largest economies. These two countries have a significant impact on the global economic order. So, looking at the set of institutions, policies, rules can be constructive.
  • The new international economic order after COVID-19
  • Financial stability of the banking sector in China.
  • New Electronic Payment Services in Russia.
  • The influence of culture on different entrepreneurial behaviors.
  • The impact of natural cultural practices on entrepreneurial activity.
  • The relationships between national culture and individual behavior.
  • The main reasons for salary inequalities in different parts of the U.S.

😲 Economics Master’s Thesis Topics

Student life can be fascinating, but it comes with its challenges. One of which is selecting your Master’s thesis topic.

Here is a list of topics for a Master’s thesis in economics. Are you pursuing MPhil in Economics and writing a thesis? Use the following ideas as an inspiration for that. They can also be helpful if you are working on a Master’s thesis in financial economics.

  • The impact of visual aid in teaching home economics.
  • The effect of income changes in consumer behaviors in America.
  • Forces behind socio-economic inequalities in the United States. This thesis can explore three critical factors for socio-economic differences in the United States. In the past 30 years, social disparities increased in the United States. Some of the main reasons are technology, trade, and institutions.
  • The relationships between economic growth and international development.
  • Technological innovations and their influence on green and environmental products.
  • The economics of non-solar renewable energy .

Renewable energy is beneficial for various economic reasons.

  • The economic consequences of terrorism . Terrorism not only takes away lives and destroys property but also widely affects the economy. It creates uncertainty in the market, increases insurance claims, slows down investment projects, and tourism. This thesis can address all of the ways in which terrorism can affect economies.
  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) implementation in the Oil and Gas Industry in Africa.
  • Use of incentives in behavioral economics.
  • Economic opportunities and challenges of sustainable communities .
  • Economics of nuclear power plants.
  • Aid and financial help for emerging markets. This topic is very versatile. Students can look at both the positive and the adverse effects that funding has on the development. There are plenty of excellent examples. Besides, some theories call international help a form of neocolonialism.
  • Multinational firms impact on economic growth in America .
  • The effect of natural disasters on economic development in Asia.
  • The influence of globalization on emerging markets and economic development.

📑 More Economics Thesis Topics: Theme

For some students, it makes more sense to center their search around a certain subject. Sometimes you have an econ area that interests you. You may have an idea about what you want to write, but you did not decide what it will be.

If that’s the case with you, then these economics thesis topics ideas are for you.

  • An analysis of the energy market in Russia.
  • The impact of game theory on economic development.
  • The connection between minimum wage and market equilibrium.
  • Gender differences in the labor market in the United States. This topic can shed light on gender differences in the labor market in the United States. In the past years, the overall inequality in labor in the markets decreased. However, there is still a lot of work that can be done.
  • Economic reasons that influence the prices of oil .
  • Relationship between the Lorenz curve and the Gini coefficient.
  • Challenges of small businesses in the market economy.
  • The changes in oil prices: causes and solutions . Universal economic principles do not always apply to the sale and purchase of the oil. The same happens with its cost. In the thesis, talk about what affects the prices. What are the solutions that can be implemented?
  • The economic analysis of the impact of immigration on the American economy.

Immigration has a little long-run effect on Americans’ wages.

  • Economic inequality as a result of globalization . Economic inequality becomes even more apparent on the global level. There is a common belief that globalization is the cause of that. Discuss what can be the solutions to these problems. This topic is vital to minimize the gap between the rich and the poor.
  • The economic explanation of political dishonesty .
  • Effect of Increasing Interest rates costs in Africa .
  • The connection between game theory and microeconomics.
  • Marketing uses in microeconomics.
  • Financial liability in human-made environmental disasters.
  • Banks and their role in the economy. Banks are crucial elements of any economy, and this topic covers why. You can explain how banks allow the goods and services to be exchanged. Talk about why banks are so essential for economic growth and stability.
  • Inflation in the US and ways to reduce its impact.
  • The connection between politics and economics.
  • Income Dynamics and demographic economics.
  • US Market Liquidity and macroeconomics.
  • Macroeconomics and self-correction of the economy .
  • The American economy, monetary policy, and monopolies .
  • The importance of control in macroeconomics. One of the central topics in macroeconomics is grouped around the issue of control. It is quite reasonable that control over money and resources should become a topic of discussion.
  • Analysis of Africa’s macroeconomics and its performance.
  • Economics of education in developing markets.
  • Problems and possible solutions for Japan macroeconomics .
  • Comparative analysis of British macroeconomics concerning the US .
  • Public policies and socio-economic disparities.
  • The world problems through macroeconomic analysis. Indeed, macroeconomics is very complicated. There are many influences, details, and intricacies in it. However, it allows economists to use this complex set of tools to examine the world’s leading problems today.

There are four main problems in macroeconomics.

  • The connection between employment interest and money.

🤔 Development Economics

  • Economics of development . This topic is very rich in content. First, explain what it is. Then pay particular attention to domestic and international policies that affect development, income distribution, and economic growth.
  • The relation between development and incentive for migration.
  • The impact of natural disasters on the economy and political stability of emerging markets.
  • The economic consequences of population growth in developing countries.
  • The role of industrialization in developing countries . The industrialization has been connected with the development. It promotes capital formation and catalyzes economic growth in emerging markets. In this thesis, you can talk about this correlation.
  • Latin American economic development.
  • Gender inequality and socio-economic development .
  • Problems of tax and taxation in connection with economic growth.
  • The economic impact of terrorism on developing markets.
  • Religious decline as a key to economic development. Not everyone knows, but a lot of research has been done in the past years on the topic. It argues that decreased religious activity is connected with increased economic growth. This topic is quite controversial. Students who decide to write about it should be extra careful and polite.

👨‍💼 Behavioral Economics

  • Risk Preferences in Rural South Africa.
  • Behavioral Economics and Finance .
  • Applied behavioral economics in marketing strategies. If you want to focus your attention on marketing, this topic is for you. Behavioral economics provides a peculiar lens to look at marketing strategies. It allows marketers to identify common behaviors and adapt their marketing strategies.
  • The impact of behavioral finance on investment decisions.
  • Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs in North Texas.
  • Guidelines for Behavioral Economics in Healthcare Sector.
  • Cognitive and behavioral theories in economics .
  • Cross-cultural consumer behavior and marketing communication. Consumers are not only affected by personal characteristics, but also by the culture they are living in. This topic focuses on the extent it should determine marketing strategy and communication.
  • Behavior implications of wealth and inequality.

The richest population holds a huge portion of the national income.

  • Optimism and pessimism for future behavior.

💼 Financial Economics

  • Financial Economics for Infrastructure and Fiscal Policy .
  • The use of the economic concept of human capital. Students can focus on the dichotomy between human and nonhuman capital. Many economists believe that human capital is the most crucial of all. Some approach this issue differently. Therefore, students should do their research and find where they stand on this issue.
  • The analysis of the global financial crisis of 2020s. Share your thoughts, predictions, ideas. Analyze the economic situation that affects almost everyone in the world. This thesis topic will be fresh and original. It can help to start a good and fruitful conversation.
  • The big data economic challenges for Volvo car.
  • The connection between finance, economics, and accounting.
  • Financial economics: Banks competition in the UK .
  • Risk-Taking by mutual funds as a response to incentives.
  • Managerial economics and financial accounting as a basis for business decisions.
  • Stock market overreaction.

🌱 Agricultural Economics

  • Agricultural economics and agribusiness.
  • The vulnerability of agricultural business in African countries.
  • Agricultural economics and environmental considerations of biofuels .
  • Farmer’s contribution to agricultural social capital.
  • Agricultural and resource economics. Agricultural and resource economics plays a huge role in development. They are subdivided into four main characteristics which in this topic, students can talk about: – mineral and energy resources; – soil resources, water resources; – biological resources. One or even all of them can be a focus of the thesis.
  • Water as an economic good in irrigated agriculture.
  • Agriculture in the economic development of Iran.
  • The US Agricultural Food Policy and Production .
  • Pesticides usage on agricultural products in California.

The region of greatest pesticide use was San Joaquin Valley.

  • An analysis of economic efficiency in agriculture. A lot of research has been done on the question of economic efficiency in agriculture. However, it does not mean there is no place for your study. You have to read a lot of secondary sources to see where your arguments can fit.

🤝‍Economic Sociology

  • Theory, approach, and method in economics sociology.
  • Economic sociology of capitalism. While economists believe in the positive effect capitalism has on the economy, the social effect is quite different. The “economic” part of the issue has been studied a lot. However, the sociology of it has been not. This thesis can be very intriguing to read.
  • Political Economy and Economic Sociology.
  • Gender and economic sociology .
  • Progress, sociology, and economics.
  • Data analysis in economics, sociology, environment .
  • Economic sociology as a way to understand the human mind.
  • Economic sociology of money.
  • Economics, sociology, and psychology of security.
  • Major principles of economic sociology. In the past decade, economic sociology became an increasingly popular field. Mainly due to it giving a new view on economics, human mind, and behavior. Besides, it explores relationships between politics, law, culture, and gender.

📚 The List of Ph.D. Topics in Economics

If you decide to go to grad school to do your Masters, you will likely end up getting a Ph.D. as well. So, with this plan in mind, think about a field that interests you enough during your Masters. Working with the same topic for both graduate degrees is easier and more effective.

This list of Ph.D. Topics in Economics can help you identify the areas you can work on.

  • Occupational injuries in Pakistan and its effect on the economy. Injuries are the leading cause of the global burden of disability. Globally, Pakistan was ranked 9th populated country with a large number of unskilled workers. In this dissertation, consider the link between occupational injuries and their effects on the economy.
  • The study of the Philippines’ economic development.

The Philippine economy is projected to continue on its expansionary path.

  • Financial derivatives and climate change .
  • Econometric Analysis of Financial Markets.
  • Islamic Banking and Financial Markets .
  • Health economics and policy in the UK.
  • Health insurance: rationale and economic justification. In this dissertation, students can find different ways to explain and justify health insurance. Starting to philosophical to purely economic grounds. In the past years, there was a lot of discussion regarding the healthcare system for all. What are some of the economic benefits of that?
  • Colombian economy, economic growth, and inequality.
  • Benefits of mergers and acquisitions in agribusiness.
  • Methods to measure financial risks when investing in Africa.
  • The significance of financial economics in understanding the relationship between a country’s GDP and NDP.
  • Network effects in cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies are not new anymore. However, it is still an original subject for a dissertation. Students can decide to choose several crypto coins and evaluate the importance of the network effect. This effect is particularly significant for Bitcoin. Explain why.
  • The comparison of the Chinese growth model with the American growth model.
  • An economic justification versus political expediency.
  • Pollution Externalities Role in Management Economics .

📝 How to Select an Economics Thesis Topic

As your academic journey is coming to an end, it’s time to pick the right topic for your thesis. The whole academic life you were preparing to undertake this challenge.

Here is the list of six points that will help you to select an economics thesis topic:

  • Make sure it is something you are genuinely interested in. It is incredibly challenging to write something engaging if you are not interested in the topic. So, choose wisely and chose what excites you.
  • Draw inspiration from the previous student’s projects. A great place to start is by looking at what the previous students wrote. You can find some fresh ideas and a general direction.
  • Ask your thesis advisor for his feedback. Most probably, your thesis advisor supervised many students before. They can be a great help too because they know how to assess papers. Before meeting with your professor, do some basic research, and understand what topic is about.
  • Be original, but not too much. You do not want to spend your time writing about a project that many people wrote about. Your readers will not be interested in reading it, but your professors as well. However, make sure you do not pick anything too obscure. It will leave you with no secondary sources.
  • Choose a narrow and specific topic. Not only will it allow you to be more original, but also to master a topic. When the issue is too broad, there is just too much information to cover in one thesis.
  • Go interdisciplinary. If you find yourself interested in history, philosophy, or any other related topic, it can help you write an exceptional thesis in economics. Most of your peers may work on pure economics. Then, the interdisciplinary approach can help you to stand out among them.

Some universities ask their students to focus on topics from one discipline.

Thank you for reading the article to the end! We hope this list of economics thesis topics ideas could help you to gather your thoughts and get inspired. Share it with those who may find it useful. Let us know what you think about it in the comment section below.

🔗 References

  • Economics Thesis Topics List: Seminars Only
  • How To Pick A Topic For Your Economics Research Project Or Master’s Thesis: INOMICS, The Site for Economists
  • What Do Theses and Dissertations Look Like: KU Writing Center, the University of Kansas
  • Writing Economics: Robert Neugeboren with Mireille Jacobson, University of Harvard
  • Economics Ph.D. Theses: Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School, IDEAS_RePEc
  • World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018: United Nations
  • Undergraduate Honors Theses: Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley
  • Economics Department Dissertations Collection: Economics Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Topics for Master Theses: Department of Economics, NHH, Norwegian School of Economics
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The dilemma I faced in getting Thesis proposal for my M Phil programme is taken away. Your article would be a useful guide to many more students.Thank you for your guidance.

Thanks for the feedback, John! Your opinion is very important for us!

I wants it for msc thesis

These are very helpful and concise research topics which I have spent days surfing the internet to get all this while. Thanks for making research life experience easier for me. Keep this good work up.

Thank you, Idris!

Glad to hear that! Thank you for your feedback, Idris!

Excellent research

For research

A very well written, clear and easy-to-read article. It was highly helpful. Thank you!

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thesis in economics

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Examples of honors theses written by economics undergraduate students.

Posted with permission of the author. © 2019-2022 by the individual author. All rights reserved.

  • "The Causal Effect of ACA Subsidies on Insurance Coverage Status Among California Adults"  - William Vereyken
  • "Economic Impacts of Immigration Detention Centers Built Between 1990-2016 on U.S. Commuting Zones"  - Ekaterina Yudina

Spring/Summer 2022

  • "The Impact of Indiv. Mandate on High-Income, Non-elderly Indiv. Health Insurance Coverage Rates and Racial/Ethnic Disparities"  - YeJin Ahn
  • "An Economic Analysis of the 1997 Amhara Land Redistribution in Ethiopia"  - Ezana Anley
  • "Affirmative Action's Effect on Educational and Wage Outcomes for Underrepresented Minorities"  - Vishnu G. Arul
  • "Are the Effects of Racism Really That Black and White? A Study on the Effect Racism Has on the Productivity of Black   Footballers in the Premier League"  - Advik Banerjee
  • "An Empirical Analysis of Industrial Concentration and Prices: Can We Blame Inflation on Corporate Greed?"  - Anton Bobrov
  • "Tax Revenue Cyclicality and Income Inequality: Evidence from U.S. Counties From 1989 to 2019"  - Yiyang Chen
  • "The Impact of Economic Opportunities on African American Migration Patterns in Oakland"  - Fernando Cheung
  • "Impact of Tech Companies on Wages in the Local Economy"  - Niki Collette
  • "Warm Welcome: Evidence for Weather-based Projection Bias in College Choice"  - Maria Cullen
  • "Impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on Bilateral Trade with China"  - Pedro de Marcos
  • "Renaissance of the Black Homeowner: Impact Evaluation of Michigan's Renaissance Zones"  - Rupsha Debnath
  • "Lockdown Blues: The Effect of Social Norms on the Psychological Cost of Unemployment During the COVID-19 Pandemic"  - Dylan Hallahan
  • "How Education Affects Health Outcomes Across Genders"  - Jessica Li
  • "Is Increasing Diversity Inclusion Effective in Improving Companies' Performance in the Financial Services Industry?"  - Miranda Li
  • "The Future Financial Status of the Social Security Program"  - Chloe Manouchehri
  • "Does Recreational Marijuana Legalization Affect Hard-Drug Use? - Evidence from Cocaine Prevalence and Treatment Admissions"  - Arthur Weiss
  • "Relationship Between Economic Status and Money Spent on Private Education Leading to Economic Inequality in South Korea"  - Jiho Lee
  • "The Impact of Migrant Remittances on Rural Labor Supply: Evidence from Nepal"  - Amanda Wong
  • "Confirmation Bias: The Role of Messages and Messengers"  - Hongyu (Randol) Yao

Spring 2021

  • "Gender Equality and Economic Growth: Solving the Asian Puzzle"  - Zoya Ali
  • "Women in STEM: Moving Up or Falling Off the Academic Career Ladder?"  - Sophia J. Bai
  • "Time Dependence in Okun's Law at the State Level" - Sarah Baig
  • "Labor Regulation and the Impact on Firm Behavior in India" - Vatsal Bajaj
  • "Gender Representation in Academia: Evidence from the Italian Education System Reform" - Oyundari Batbayar
  • "Money & Marriage on the Elementary Mind: A High-Level Analysis of Inequitable Child Development in LA County" - Matthew J. Chang
  • "Unanticipated Unemployment Rate News on the Stock Market" - David Chi
  • "Should Physicians Be More Collaborative? Determining the Relationship Between Patient Participation and Treatment Plan Confidence Across a Spectrum of Illness Severity in the State of California" - Saif Chowdhury
  • "Modeling Optimal Investment and Greenhouse Gas Abatement in the Presence of Technology Spillovers" - Sabrina Chui
  • "Understanding the Influence of Marginal Income Tax Rates on Retirement Investment Habits"  - Daniel Cohen
  • "Infrastructure in India's Internal War: A District-Level Analysis of the Naxalite-Maoist Conflict" - Krunal Desai
  • "Do Eucalyptus Trees Increase Wildfires?"  - Lila Englander
  • "Understanding the Labor Outcomes of Hurricane Sandy" - Kevin Fang
  • "Does TikTok Show Viewers the Content Relevant to them?" - Ekaterina Fedorova
  • "The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Dependent Care Provision on Long-term Young Adult Labor Market Choices" - Anne Fogarty
  • "Orchestra Sex Disparity: Experimental Evidence from Audience Members" - Richard Gong
  • "The Big Three Medical Price Indexes: A Comparative Review and Analysis"  - Robert Hovakimyan
  • "Effect of Value-Added-Services on Customer Reviews in a Platform Marketplace" - Shankar Krishnan
  • "COVID19 Recession: Gender Layoff Gap Explodes" - Ember Lin-Sperry
  • "The Gender Wage Gap in China: Learning from Recent Longitudinal Data" - Donghe Lyu
  • "Local Graduation Policies as a Tool for Increasing College Eligibility: Evidence from Los Angeles" - Dan L. Ma
  • "Trust in Government and Lockdown Compliance in Sub-Saharan Africa" - Charles McMurry
  • "I Do (or Don't): The Impact of Same-Sex Marriage Laws on International Tourism" - Oliver McNeil
  • "International Shipping Consequences of a Navigable Arctic" - Jack Melin
  • "Investigating Dollar Invoicing Trends Using United Kingdom Export Data" - Aneesh Nathani
  • "Micro-Level Impact of Initial Public Offerings on Bay Area Housing Inflation" - Mina Nezam-Mafi
  • "Explaining EU's Oil Dependency Through the Response of the Portuguese Sector Indexes to Brent Oil Prices Fluctuations" - Pedro S. Nunes
  • "Dynamic Incentives and Effort Provision in Professional Tennis Tournaments" - Ruiwen Pan
  • "Examining the Effects of Minimum Wage Laws on Part-Time Employment" - Odysseus Pyrinis
  • "The Great Indian Identity Crisis? Exclusions & Intersectionality in the Indian Aadhaar System" - Aditi Ramakrishnan
  • "The 'Clutch Gene' Myth: An Analysis of Late-Game Shooting Performance in the NBA"  - Can Sarioz
  • "Estimating the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Jobs Within the Healthcare Industry" - Sidharth Satya
  • "Factors Influencing Telehealth Utilization: Evidence from California" - Emily Schultz
  • "Cash and Conflict: Evidence from the Indian Banknote Demonetization" - Nachiket Shah
  • "Determinants of the Number of Anti-Government Demonstrations: Evidence from OECD Countries" - Nina Singiri
  • "Hygiene Heroes: A Process Evaluation of Promoting Hygiene Practices in Tamil Nadu Schools" - Malika Sugathapala
  • "Exploring the Labour Patterns of Women and Mothers Through the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Impact of School Closures and a New Kind of Recession"  - Renee Isabel Utter
  • "How Have Socioeconomic Achievement Determinants Changed in the Past Decade for First-Generation Chinese Immigrants in the U.S." - Haolin Wang
  • "The Impact of Quarantining on School Enrollment: Evidence from the Ebola Epidemic in Sierra Leone" - David Willigrod
  • "Weeding out Needy Households and Welcoming the Better Off? Impacts of Transactional Barriers on SNAP Participation Rates" - Kevin Woo
  • "Are Soccer Teams Being Inefficient? An Analysis of Sunk Cost Fallacy and Recency Bias Using Transfer Fee" - Junru Lyu
  • "The Effects of Access to Family Planning Facilities on Female Labor Market Outcomes"  - Marcus Sander
  • "Macroeconomic Volatility at the Zero Lower Bound: Evidence from the OECD" - Anthony Swaminathan
  • "How are Society's Conditions and Demographics Related to the Popularity of Chief Executive Carrie Lam  and the Hong Kong Government"  - Peter To

Spring/Summer 2020

  • "Parental Involvement: The Differential Impacts of Consent and Notice Requirements for Minors' Abortions" - Angela Ames
  • "Examining Local Price Levels and Income Distribution Over Time" - Josh Archer
  • "Estimating the Effect of Grandparent Death on Fertility" - Jason Chen
  • "Democracy in the Face of COVID-19: Have Less Democratic Countries Been More Effective at Preventing the Spread of This Pandemic ?" - Yi Chen
  • "Understanding the Effects of Conditional Cash Transfers on Indigenous People in Mexico" - Arushi Desai
  • "Microfinance and Payday Lending: Are they Solving a Problem or Creating One?" - Sophia Faulkner
  • "The Risk-Taking Channel of Monetary Policy and Foreign Banks" - Noah Forougi
  • "Ride of Die? Metropolitan Bikeshare Systems and Pollution" - Sean Furuta
  • "Internet's Important Involvement in Information Industry Integration in Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana (and others): How the emerging internet affected the economic geography of the information industry" - Keming (Alex) Gao
  • "The Relationship between Economic Crises and Long-Run Wealth Inequality" - Renuka Garg
  • "Voter Bias in the Associated Press College Football Poll : Reconducting a 2009 study with new data in a $1 Billion-dollar industry that has seen significant changes in the past decade"  - Brent Hensley
  • "Monopsony Exploitation in Major League Baseball: Using Wins Above Replacement to Estimate Marginal Revenue Product" - Jacob C. Hyman
  • "The Relationship Between Currency Substitution and Exchange Rate Volatility" - Jewon Ju
  • "Efficiency, Bias, and Decisions: Observations from a Sports Betting Exchange" - Alexander Kan
  • "The Effect of Medicaid Expansion on Substance Use Disorder Treatment Utilization: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act" - Christy Kang
  • "Analyzing the Relationship between Personal Income Tax Progressivity and Income Inequality" - Gevorg Khandamiryan
  • "The Effects of Occupancy Taxes on the Short-Term Rental Market: Evidence from Boston" - Alan Liang
  • "Corporate Types and Bank Lending in Contractionary Era: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies" - Zishen Liu
  • "Financial Constraints on Student Learning: An Analysis of How Financial Stress Influences Cognitive Function in Children" - Simone Matecna
  • "The Effect of Workplace Inspections on Employment and Sales - A Regression Discontinuity Analysis" - Jeseo Park
  • "Lending Sociodynamics, Economic Instability, and the U.S. Farm Credit Crisis" - Erfan Samaei
  • "The Effect of Intangible Assets on Value Added: Evidence from microdata across small and large firms in Europe" - Tamara Sequeira
  • "Price Efficiency Differences Between Public and Private Utilities: An Empirical Analysis of US Electric Utilities" - Yechan Shin
  • "Effect of Campus Shootings on Academic Achievement: Examination of 2014 Isla Vista Killings" - Min Joo (Julie) Song
  • "First-Degree Price Discrimination: Evidence from Informal Markets in India" - Rishab Srivastava
  • "Who Benefits From Gentrification? A Case Study of Oregon Public High Schools" - Namrata Subramanian
  • "Estimating the Economic Impacts of Wealth Taxation in France" - Jeffrey Suzuki
  • "Transit-Oriented Development or Transit-Oriented Displacement? Evaluating the Sorting Effect of Public Transportation in Los Angeles County" - Yeeling Tse
  • "How State Abortion Policy Restrictiveness is Associated with Unintended Pregnancy Outcomes in the United States from 2014-2018" - Ruhee Wadhwania
  • "Global Food Security and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation"  - Aidan Wang
  • "The Relationship Between Pharmaceutical R&D Spending and NME Development" - Taylor Wang
  • "The Role of Individual Risk Attitude in Occupational Inheritance" - Yi Wang
  • "Labor Market Segmentation: Evidence from U.S. Janitorial Jobs Advertised in English and Spanish" - Zijun Xu
  • "Bias on the Brain: How Patient Gender Influences Use of Emergency Room Diagnostic Imaging" - Abigail Zhong
  • "Age Effects, Irrationality and Excessive Risk-Taking in Supposedly Expert Agents" - William Aldred
  • "Pricing Disparities for Minority Communities in Chicago: Rideshares and Taxis" - Matthew Cleveland
  • "Where My Negros At? Evaluating the Effects of Banning Affirmative Action on Black College Enrollment" - Ellie Koepplinger
  • "Race and Recession: How Minorities May Affect Downturns" - Alexander Szarka
  • "Understanding the Effects of Canadian International Food Aid on Production and Trade" - Patrick D. Tagari
  • "Urban Property Rights and Labor Supply in Peru: Heterogeneity Analysis by Gender and Educational Attainment" - Juan Sebastián Rozo Vásquez
  • "Effect of High-Speed Rail on City Tourism Revenue in China: A Perspective on Spatial Connectivity" - Lingyun Xiao

Archives (2009-2019)

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > Economics > Theses and Dissertations

Economics Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Natural Disasters and Human Capital: Empirical Evidence from Indonesia , Lei Lv

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Two Essays in Applied Microeconomics: Retirement, Income Inequalities, and other Economic Indicators of Health and Life Satisfaction , Zahra Akbari

The Impact of Critical Illness Insurance among Older Adults in China , Jiaosi Li

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Essays on SNAP Participation, BMI, and Food Purchasing Decisions , Samaneh Ghadyani

Reference-Dependent Choice on Digital Platforms , Joshua K. Kaisen

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Effects of the 340B Drug Pricing Program on Hospitals’ Prescribing Behavior, Patient Mix, and Quality of Care , Yilu Dong

Does Hedging Success Matter? An Empirical Study of Jet Fuel Hedging in the U.S. Airline Industry , Brian Hornung

Essays in Applied Public Policy and Health Economics , Stephen W. Poteet

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Essays in Applied Microeconomics , Lijuan Feng

Essays on Health, Healthcare, Job Insecurity and Health Outcomes , Ichiro Nakamoto

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Essays in Applied Microeconomics , John Hartman

Essays on Family-Friendly Policies, Child Planning and Children’s Early-Age Outcomes , Stefani Milovanska-Farrington

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Education and Health Impacts of an Affirmative Action Policy on Minorities in India , Robin Dhakal

Testing the Medical Arms Race Hypothesis: a Spatial Approach , Robyn M. Kibler

Essays in Health Economics , Olga Petrova

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Impact of Health Insurance for the Poor on Labor Market Out comes: Evidence from Indonesia. , Youssef Fassi Fehri

Essays in Health and Development Economics , John Bosco Oryema

Assessing Property Value Impacts of Access to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): Case Study of the Cleveland HealthLine , Victoria A. Perk

An Exploration of Adolescent Obesity Determinants , Anastasia King Smith

The Impact of Criminal Justice Interventions and Social Policies on Family Violence: Theory and Evidence , Sianne Diana Vijay

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Two Essays Examining Organizational Performance , Stacey Alexis Gelsheimer

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Generic Competition and Price Regulation in the European Union Pharmaceutical Market: The Case of Cardiovascular Medicines , Berna Colak

Social Interactions In Breast Cancer Prevention Among Women In The United States , Natallia Gray

Discrepancies in Labor Market Outcomes From Migration Evidence From Colombia , Liza Beatriz Pena

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Bayesian Estimation of Panel Data Fractional Response Models with Endogeneity: An Application to Standardized Test Rates , Lawrence Kessler

Essays in Happiness Economics , Boris Nikolaev

Measuring Technical Efficiency of the Japanese Professional Football (Soccer) League (J1 and J2) , Dan Zhao

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Essays in Sports Economics , Daniel Mark Chin

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Modeling Endogenous Treatment Eects with Heterogeneity: A Bayesian Nonparametric Approach , Xuequn Hu

Internet Use and Economic Development: Evidence and Policy Implications , Joseph J. Macdougald

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

The Interaction Between Urban Form and Transit Travel , Sisinnio Concas

The Effect of Land-Use Controls on Urban Sprawl , Marin V. Geshkov

The Role of Rater Motivation in Personnel Selection Validation Studies , Dan Ispas

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Globalization, Migration and the U.S. Labor Market for Physicians: The Impact of Immigration on Local Wages , Finnie B. Cook

Medicare Part D Program: Prescription Drug Plan Copayment Structure and Premium Sensitivity , Rui Dai

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

The Effects of Depressed Mood on Academic Outcomes in Adolescents and Young Adults , Robert Christopher Jones

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

Malaria, Labor Supply, and Schooling in Sub-Saharan Africa , Taiwo Abimbola

Determinants of female labor force participation in Venezuela: A cross-sectional analysis , Betilde Rincon de Munoz

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thesis in economics

Honors Theses

Curriculum and Thesis

In their first and second years, PhD students are required to complete a series of core classes, coursework in their major and minor fields of study, and an advanced research methods course before proceeding to the thesis-writing stage.

Core courses

Students must satisfy the requirements in at least 10 of 12 half-semester first-year core courses (14.384 and 14.385 are considered second-year courses). The requirements can be met by earning a grade of B or better in the class or by passing a waiver exam.

Waiver exams are offered at the start of the semester in which the course is offered and graded on a pass-fail basis. Students who receive a grade of B- or below in a class can consult the course faculty to determine whether to take the waiver exam or re-take the course the following year. These requirements must all be satisfied before the end of the second year.

Course list

  • 14.121: Microeconomic Theory I
  • 14.122: Microeconomic Theory II
  • 14.123: Microeconomic Theory III
  • 14.124: Microeconomic Theory IV
  • 14.380: Statistical Methods in Economics
  • 14.381: Estimation and Inference for Linear Causal and Structural Models
  • 14.382*: Econometrics
  • 14.384*: Time Series Analysis (2nd year course)
  • 14.385*: Nonlinear Econometric Analysis (2nd year course)
  • 14.451: Dynamic Optimization Methods with Applications
  • 14.452: Economic Growth
  • 14.453: Economic Fluctuations
  • 14.454: Economic Crises

*Courses 14.382, 14.384, and 14.385 are each counted as two half-semester courses.

Most students will also take one or more field courses (depending on whether they are waiving core courses) during their first year. Feel free to ask your graduate research officer, field faculty, and advanced students for advice on how you structure your first-year coursework.

Second year students must also successfully complete the two-semester course 14.192: Advanced Research Methods and Communication. The course, which is graded on a pass-fail basis, guides students through the process of writing and presenting the required second-year research paper.

Major field requirement

By the end of year two, PhD students must complete the requirements for two major fields in economics. This entails earning a B or better in two designated courses for each field. Some fields recommend additional coursework or papers for students intending to pursue research in the field.

Major fields must be declared by the Monday following the spring break of your second year. Your graduate registration officer must approve your field selections.

Minor field requirement

PhD students are also required to complete two minor fields, taking two courses in each field and earning a grade of B or better. Your graduate registration officer must approve your field selections.

Minor coursework is normally completed by the end of year two, but in some cases students can defer the completion of one field until after general exams. Students must consult with their graduate registration officer before making a deferment.

Options for minor fields include the eleven economics major fields, plus computation and statistics (from the interdisciplinary PhD in Economics and Statistics).

Students who wish to satisfy one of the minor field requirements by combining two courses from different fields–for example, environmental economics and industrial organization II–can petition the second-year graduate registration officer for permission.

At least one minor field should be from the department’s standard field list.

The fields in which the Department offers specialization and the subjects that will satisfy their designation as a minor field are given in the chart below. Some fields overlap so substantially that both cannot be taken by a student. In any event, the same subject cannot be counted towards more than a single minor field. Students must receive the approval of their Graduate Registration Officer for their designated major and minor fields.

List of fields

Behavioral economics.

  • Development
  • Econometrics
  • Industrial organization
  • International
  • Macroeconomics
  • Organizational
  • Political economy
  • Public finance
  • Computation and statistics (minor only)

Subjects satisfying major and minor requirements

Advanced economic theory.

Major: At least two of 14.125, 14.126, 14.281, and Harvard Ec 2059. Recommended for major: 14.126, 14.281, and at least one of 14.125, 14.127, 14.130, 14.147, and Harvard Ec 2059.

Minor: Any subset adding up to two full semesters from 14.125, 14.126, 14.127, 14.130, 14.137, 14.147, 14.160, 14.281 and Harvard Ec 2059. 

*Effective academic year 2025-26, students may also complete a minor in economic theory by completing all four micro core courses 121-124 plus one of 125, 126, 281

Major and minor: 14.160 and 14.163

Econometrics and Statistics

Major: Any one of 14.386, 14.387, 14.388 in addition to one of 14.384 or 14.385. Recommended for major: 14.384 and 14.385. 

Minor: 14.382 in addition to one of 14.384 or 14.385. 

*Dual PhD in Economics and Statistics has an additional requirement of 14.386.

Economic Development

Major and minor: 14.771 and 14.772 or 14.773

Major: 14.416J and 14.441J

Minor: Any two of 14.416J, 14.440J, 14.441J, 14.442J, 14.448. 

Industrial Organization

Major: 14.271 and 14.272 or 14.273. Recommended for major: 14.271, 14.272, and 14.273.

Minor: 14.271 and 14.272 or 14.273. 

International Economics

Major and minor: 14.581 and 14.582

Labor Economics

Major: 14.661 and 14.662A. 

Minor: Two subjects chosen from 14.193, 14.661, and 14.662

Monetary Economics

Major and minor: Two subjects chosen from 14.461, 14.462, and 14.463

* Effective academic year 2025-26, students may also complete a minor in macroeconomics by completing all four macro core courses 451-454 plus either 461 or 462

Organizational Economics

Major and minor: 14.282 and one of 14.283-284, 14.441J, or an approved substitute

Political Economy

Major and minor: 14.770 and 14.773

Public Economics

Major and minor: 14.471 and 14.472

Minimum class requirement

Effective for students entering the program in 2025 or later, students must complete a total of 13 semester long classes plus 14.192 during their time in the PhD program. Subjects that are waived will not count towards this requirement.  Classes counting towards this requirement include classes in Course 14, classes that count for any major or minor field or interdisciplinary program requirement, and classes approved by the 2nd-year GRO.

General exams

MIT requires doctoral candidates to complete an advanced course of study that includes general exams at its completion. Beginning in 2019-20, the Economics Department will operationalize this requirement to include successful completion of: the core and other required courses; course exams and other requirements of courses in each of a student’s two major and two minor fields; the written research paper and oral presentation components of 14.192. Students may present for the general exams while having one remaining minor field to complete. The faculty will review these components together with the candidate’s overall course record to determine whether students have passed the general exam requirement and can proceed to the thesis writing stage.

Typical course schedule

Math Camp begins on the second Monday in August.

Fall Semester

14.121/14.122 (Micro Theory I/II) 14.451/14.452 (Macro Theory I/II) 14.380/14.381 (Statistical Method in Economics & Applied Econometrics) Field Course (major or minor)

Spring Semester

14.123/14.124 (Micro Theory III/IV) 14.453/14.454 (Macro Theory III/IV) 14.382 (Econometrics) Field Course (major or minor)

2-3 Field Courses 14.192 (Advanced Research and Communication) 14.384  or  14.385 (Advanced Econometrics)

3 Field Courses 14.192 (Advanced Research and Communication)

Years 3 and up

Field workshop Field lunch Thesis writing

Upon satisfying the core and field requirements, PhD candidates embark on original research culminating in a completed dissertation. A PhD thesis normally consists of three research papers of publishable quality. The thesis must be approved by a student’s primary and secondary thesis advisors, and by an anonymous third reader. These three faculty members will be the candidate's thesis committee and are responsible for its acceptance. Collaborative work is acceptable and encouraged, but there must be at least one paper in the dissertation without a co-author who was a faculty member when the research started.

Criteria for satisfactory progress

Third-year students.

  • Meet regularly with their advisor
  • Participate consistently in their primary field advising lunch, their primary field workshop, and the third-year student research lunch
  • Participate in third-year meetings organized by the thesis graduate research officer

Students should present on their research in progress at least once in both the third-year student research lunches and their field advising lunch. Presentations provide opportunities for early and broad feedback on research ideas and the chance to develop oral presentation skills. Research ideas or early stage work in progress is encouraged and expected.

Fourth-year and later students

  • Participate consistently in their primary field advising lunch and their primary field workshop
  • Present at least once per year in their field advising lunch or field workshop. A presentation each semester in the field advising lunch is strongly recommended by most fields; consult your advisors for more information

Satisfactory progress toward a dissertation will be evaluated based on progress assessments by the student’s primary advisor, regular participation in the lunches and workshops, and field lunch or workshop presentations that show continued progress.

  • Senior Essay

The senior essay for economics majors is optional. However, the senior essay is required for consideration for Distinction in the Major. Most students who write a senior essay find it immensely rewarding and consider it one of their best experiences at Yale.

Senior essays are an opportunity for students to engage in independent, original economic research. Essays are not reviews of the literature, rather they are an examination of an hypothesis using the tools of economics. In particular, the essay must contain original research and/or analysis. They can be theoretical, empirical or computational. The senior essays that receive A’s and are awarded prizes are typically those that use economics tools (and, where appropriate, data) to offer fresh insights on questions. Topics are as diverse as recording and analyzing the behavior of black jack players, the effect of charter schools on student performance, the effect of China’s development on trade, the effect of the Fed on the stock market…. Examples of past essays are available on the department website .

See below for a guide written by thesis writers in the class of 2023.

There are no page requirements or formatting requirements for senior essays in economics. Advice regarding bibliographies, graphs, etc. should be given by your advisor. Generally, essays run about 30 pages.

Senior essay writers may receive a maximum of $500 for legitimate research expenses, provided the student has made a good-faith effort to obtain funding from Yale College. There are many funding opportunities available for research which can be found here: https://funding.yale.edu/find-funding/class-year#toc2 . Funding requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the DUS and Chair.

NOTE: Students must take two econometrics courses (or ECON 135 plus one econometrics course) in order to write a senior essay. The second econometrics course can be taken Cr/D/F for the purposes of the senior essay (but in this case it will not count toward the major requirements). The second econometrics course can be taken in the fall of senior year.

  • Undergraduate Program
  • Requirements
  • Courses Taken Outside of Yale
  • Related Course Credit
  • Double Majors
  • Forms and Documents
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Opportunities
  • Peer Mentors
  • Student Resources
  • Women in Economics

Senior essays can be 1-term or 2-term essays. The difference between a 1-term and a 2-term essay is that the 2-term essay is broader in scope and/or goes in greater depth. Most economics majors do 2-term essays.

Senior essays can be done in one of several ways:

1-Term Essays

  • Enroll in Econ 491a in the fall of your senior year.
  • Expand a term paper from a fall-term seminar in your senior year ( depends on availability of seminar instructor )
  • Please note that a 1-term essay cannot be done in the spring term of your senior year.

2-Term Essays

  • Enroll in Econ 491a and Econ 492b
  • Expand a term paper from a fall-term seminar in your senior year and enroll in Econ 492b ( depends on availability of seminar instructor for both semesters )

For the class of 2024

  • Enroll in Econ 491a ( not necessary if you are doing a senior essay out of a fall seminar)
  • Choose an advisor and a topic. You should refer to the Potential Advisors webpage for help finding an advisor who is available and is appropriate for your topic. If you have difficulty finding an advisor, see the ECON 491 instructor or the DUS for suggestions. There are many economics faculty members who may be ideal advisors for your topic.  Students may also choose a campus economist from outside of the department. (Permission of the DUS required to choose a non-economist adviser.) In order to do an essay out of a fall seminar, you need the seminar professor to agree to be your advisor (for both semesters in the case of a 2-term essay).
  • Meet with your advisor regularly. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that these regular meetings occur.
  • Submit a “Senior Essay Prospectus” on or before Monday, October 2, 2023 by 4:30 pm. The prospectus must be signed by your advisor. All students planning to write a senior essay must hand in a prospectus at this time. Failure to do so results in your not being permitted to write an essay. A late prospectus will not be accepted without a Dean’s note.
  • Students enrolled in a 2-term essay must submit a written progress report to their advisor on Wednesday, November 8, 2023. For essays involving substantial data collection and statistical analysis, a description of the research question and the data that has been gathered for analysis may be appropriate. For others, a portion of the essay itself or a detailed outline describing the thesis question, existing literature, and planned method of analysis is suitable. Based on this report, your advisor will be asked to give you a temporary grade of satisfactory or not satisfactory for the fall term. This temporary grade will be replaced by the final grade on your senior essay in April.
  • You are allowed to switch advisor, with DUS permission, but no later than the progress report due date . In this case you need to submit a new prospectus form signed by the new advisor by the progress report due date .
  • A student who wishes to change a 1-term essay to a 2-term essay must get permission from the advisor and the DUS prior to the Thanksgiving break. To convert, a student must have made satisfactory progress on the essay by that time. No conversions will be allowed after Thanksgiving.
  • 1-term senior essays are due to your advisor on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 by 4:30 pm. For students doing a 1-term essay by enrolling in Econ 491a, the advisor will evaluate and grade the paper, which will be your grade for the course. For students doing a 1-term essay out of a seminar, the advisor will evaluate and grade the paper, but the essay grade will not appear on your transcript. The grade and evaluation will be used for determination of distinction and departmental prizes. A final version of the 1-term senior essay must be submitted on or before Wednesday, April 3, 2024 by 4:30 pm via email to Dan Rehberg, Interim Undergraduate Registrar, at [email protected] for grading by the outside anonymous reader. Late essays will be accepted only with a Dean’s Extension. Essays that are submitted late without a Dean's Extension will receive a grade penalty (which will grow with the length of the delay).
  • Note: students doing the 1-term essay may continue to make additional revisions beyond the fall term before the April due date. Please bear in mind, however, that advisors of 1-term essays may have other commitments and are not obligated to advise you beyond the fall term.

Spring 2024

  • For students doing 2-term essays, enroll in Econ 492b.
  • 2-term senior essays must be submitted on or before Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 4:30 pm via email to Dan Rehberg, Interim Undergraduate Registrar, at [email protected] . Late essays will be accepted only with a Dean’s Extension. Essays that are submitted after the deadline without a Dean's Extension will receive a grade penalty (which will grow with the length of the delay).
  • Advisor’s Reports with grades and comments and Reader’s Reports with grades and comments are usually available by the end of reading week in the Economics Undergraduate Registrar’s Office.

Hi Juniors, If you are reading this guide, this means (we hope) that you’re considering writing a senior essay in economics! Writing an economics thesis is an incredibly fulfilling experience, and we hope that if you feel prepared, you write one! To help clarify the process and give advice, the Economics Peer Mentors from the 2022-2023 academic year have made an updated version of this guide from the Class of 2021 that was created by Alya Ahmed and Lara Varela Gajewski, with responses from the Class of 2023.

Link to Class of 2023 Guide

Best of luck, Sarah Moon ‘23, Economics & Mathematics Ayumi Sudo ‘23, Economics

Some Takeaways: 

Most seniors, including all seniors that responded to our survey, wrote a two-term thesis. 

Seniors wrote essays on topics in:

  • Labor economics
  • Macroeconomics
  • Econometrics
  • Behavioral economics
  • Public economics 
  • Environmental economics
  • ...and more 

Advisors were chosen from: 

  • Herb Scarf RA and Tobin RA positions
  • Classes taken in junior year or in the fall semester senior seminars
  • Recommended by other professors/ECON 491 TA's
  • Cold emailing

Econ thesis advisors are from:

  • Yale Economics Department
  • Yale School of Management 
  • Yale School of Environment
  • ...and more

Topics were inspired by: 

  • Personal interests 
  • Previously taken classes
  • Summer research work
  • Interesting data sets

Economics 491 counts as a 400 level, senior requirement course. Economics 492 counts as an elective.

Students writing a one-semester essay out of Economics 491 will receive a letter grade at the end of the fall semester based on the quality of their senior thesis. Students writing a one-semester essay out of a senior seminar will only receive a grade for the seminar on their transcript. They will not see their senior essay grade on their transcript, but it will be recorded by the department for distinction purposes. Students writing a two-semester essay by taking 491 and 492, will receive a temporary 491 grade (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) at the end of the fall semester. That grade will be replaced by a letter grade given for 491 and 492 based on the quality of the senior essay. Students who write a two-semester essay by taking a seminar and then 492 will receive a grade based on the requirements of the seminar in the fall. In the spring they will receive a grade for 492 based on the quality of the senior essay. Your senior essay will be graded by your advisor.

To qualify for distinction, a senior must receive a grade of A or A- from their advisor on the senior essay and have 3/4 of their economics grades be A’s or A-’s. For the purpose of distinction economics grades include related course credit, but do not include introductory microeconomics, introductory macroeconomics, the math requirement nor courses taken outside of Yale.

Senior Essay Course Lecturer:

Rebecca Toseland will be the Fall 2023 lecturer for The Senior Essay (Econ 491a) course.

Lecturer and TF office hours are by appointment only. Schedule a time on office hours sign-up sheet below.

Senior Essay TF:

Ken Jung will be the Fall 2023 TF for The Senior Essay (Econ 491a) course.

Office Hours Sign-up Sheet

Lecturer and TF office hours are by appointment only. Schedule a time on this sign-up sheet (must be signed-in with Eli Apps to view and edit).

If you would like to request an appointment at a different time, please email the Lecturer or TF.

Senior Essay Prizes

Essays will also be read by an anonymous economics department faculty member. Only the advisor’s grade will appear on the transcript. However, both the advisor and the anonymous readers must nominate an essay for that essay to move on to the awards committee.

Three or more prizes for outstanding senior essays are awarded each year by the economics undergraduate prize committee. The  Charles Heber Dickerman Memorial Prize  is awarded for the best senior essay; the  Ronald Meltzer/Cornelia Awdziewicz Economic Award  is awarded for one or two more outstanding senior essays and the  Ellington Prize  is awarded for one or more outstanding essays in the field of finance.

Senior Essays Nominated for Prizes

Women in Economics 2021 Senior Thesis Spotlight

LSU Scholarly Repository

Home > BUSINESS > ECONOMICS > ECONOMICS_ETD

Theses and Dissertations

Dissertations from 2024 2024.

ESSAYS IN APPLIED ECONOMICS , Jiantao Ma

Essays on the Industrial Organization of Recreational Cannabis , Joshua Scott

Dissertations from 2023 2023

Essays on the Economics of Health and Education , Thao Bui

Dissertations from 2022 2022

Applications of Applied Economics Utilizing Geographic Information Systems Data and Regression Discontinuity Designs , Edward Powell Seyler

Dissertations from 2020 2020

Socio-Eonomic Impact of Immigration and Diversity in the U.S. , Peter Gingeleskie

Agricultural Policies and Economic Development in Vietnam , Kien Le

Essays on the Economics of Education , My Tra Nguyen

Three Essays on the Economics of Education , Tianheng Wang

Dissertations from 2019 2019

Essays on the Chinese Economy , Fan Duan

Essays on Education and Crime , Swarup Joshi

Effects of U.S. Financial Regulations on Labor Markets , Anindo U. Sarker

Essays on Interplay Between Economics and Culture , Ishita Tripathi

Dissertations from 2018 2018

Essays on Health Economics: The Impact of Public Policy on Health and Labor Market Outcomes , Grace Ellis Arnold

The Impact of Cultural Attitudes on Economic Outcomes and the Political Behavior of Blacks , Jhacova Williams

Essays on the Impact of Parents' Investment and School Curriculum on Educational Outcomes in China , Han Yu

Essays on Estimation for Nonlinear Spatial Models , Xiaoyu Zhou

Dissertations from 2017 2017

Essays on the Impact of Education on Economic Outcomes in a Developing Country , Omer Bahadir Dursun

Essays on Economic Growth In India , Sujana Kabiraj

Essays in Health and Public Economics , Sara Oloomi

Essay on Incentives, Economic Conditions, and Human Capital Formation , Masayuki Onda

Dissertations from 2016 2016

Essays on the Externalities of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of India , Satadru Das

Essays in Economics of Institutions and Culture , Luiza Valeriyevna Pogorelova

Essays on Regional Economic Growth in China , Ting Wang

Dissertations from 2015 2015

Essays in Labor Economics , Sukriye Elif Filiz

Essays on Corruption , Chandan Kumar Jha

Essays on Sub-national Economic Growth: Evidence from A Global Sample , Dachao Ruan

A Bayesian Approach to Small Area Estimation of Health Insurance Coverage , Zhengjia Sun

Dissertations from 2014 2014

Essays on Poverty and Infant Health , Deokrye Baek

Economic inequality and marriage formation , Xue Li

Essays on technology and international trade , Xianliang Tian

Essays on incentives, economic conditions, and educational choices , Gregory Brian Upton Jr.

Dissertations from 2013 2013

Strategic interaction and social networks , Quqiong He

Essays on the impact of income on family and child well-being , Christian Werner Raschke

On contests with complementarities , Matthew Wiser

Dissertations from 2012 2012

Investigating the role of genetic variation in long run economic outcomes , Charles Justin Cook

Regional effects of monetary policy , Taehee Han

Assessing cost efficiency and economies of scale in the European banking system, a Bayesian stochastic frontier approach , Ana Maria Ichim

Essays on social networks , Emre Unlu

Dissertations from 2011 2011

Essays on the economics of crime , Duha T. Altindag

Essays in health economics and public policy , Colin Darren Cannonier

Monetary policy shocks: analyzing the quasi-narrative approach , Daniel Matthew Groft

The Economics of Discrimination in the Court System: Police, Technology, and Their Interaction , Sarah Marx Quintanar

Essays on risk and volatility , Junyue Xu

Essays on the Random Parameters Logit Model , Tong Zeng

Dissertations from 2010 2010

A kernel weighted smoothed maximum score estimator for the endogenous binary choice model , Jerome Krief

Productivity growth of US states , Bibhudutta Panda

Dissertations from 2009 2009

Appropriate technology, human capital, and economic development , Beatrice Farkas

Dissertations from 2008 2008

Essays on models for financial volatility , Mihaela Oana Craioveanu

Neglecting parameter changes in GARCH option pricing models and VAR , Burak Hurmeydan

Technology diffusion and total factor productivity growth , Subaran Roy

Dissertations from 2007 2007

The Hausman test, and some alternatives, with heteroskedastic data , Viera Chmelarova

The microeconomics of international price dispersion , Ozlem Inanc

The role of networks in labor markets , Nongnuch Soonthornchawakan

Dissertations from 2006 2006

Income inequality and economic growth , Nor Azam Abdul Razak

Essays on group lending: evidence from Jordan , Moh'd Al-Azzam

Essays on the Bayesian estimation of stochastic cost frontier , Xia Zhao

Dissertations from 2005 2005

Three essays in labor and health economics , Christopher K. Coombs

Health and Growth , Petia Stoianova Stoytcheva

Risk properties of a Stein-like estimator for multinomial choice models , Vera Alexandrova Tabakova

Dissertations from 2003 2003

An empirical investigation of tax policy in G-7 countries , Kerim Peren Arin

Empirical analysis of economic growth , Winford Henderson Masanjala

Marginal income tax rates and the U.K. economy: three essays , Eon-Seon Rym

Dissertations from 2002 2002

Essays on international trade and Bayesian forecasting , Dennis S. Edwards

An empirical analysis of the macroeconomic effects of government purchases , Eric Horent

Essays on the Bayesian inequality restricted estimation , Asli K. Ogunc

Theses/Dissertations from 2001 2001

An Economic Analysis of the Allocation of Research Funding at the National Institutes of Health. , Janet B. Daniel

Essays on Semiparametric Estimation. , Kang-sun Lee

Theses/Dissertations from 2000 2000

Three Essays on Political Economy and International Trade. , Far-tsair Lai

Theses/Dissertations from 1999 1999

An Empirical Examination of Maximum Entropy Estimation. , Randall Charles Campbell

Essays on Identification of Monetary Policy Shocks in Vector Autoregressive Models: Alternative Identification Schemes and Lag Structures. , Keuk-soo Kim

Theses/Dissertations from 1998 1998

The Effects of Fiscal Structure, Leviathan, and Interdependent Demands on Local Public Spending Behavior. , Rebecca J. Campbell

An Analysis of Reimbursement Methodologies and Cost Containment Policies in Medicaid Inpatient Hospital and Pharmaceuticals. , Etienne Elmer Pracht

Theses/Dissertations from 1997 1997

An Empirical Examination of the Grant Induced Price and Income Effects of Lump-Sum Intergovernmental Aid. , Peter Michael Mitias

Theses/Dissertations from 1996 1996

Bureaucrats, Bureaucracy and Utility Maximization: Empirical Evidence From Taiwan. , Chinkun Chang

The Effects of AMA Contributions in the United States Senate: An Analysis of Roll Call Votes, 1979--1992. , Karen Gutermuth

Three Essays on VAR Techniques. , Omer Ozcicek

Theses/Dissertations from 1993 1993

Forecasting the Economic Effects of Produced Waters Discharge Regulations on Oil and Gas Activity in Coastal Louisiana. , Allen Paul Dupont

Theses/Dissertations from 1992 1992

Three Essays on International Linkages of the Korean Economy. , Jai-ki Lee

A Regional Market Model for Construction Aggregate Materials. , Alicia Norma Rambaldi

Theses/Dissertations from 1991 1991

Three Essays in the Economics of the Physician Firm. , William David Bradford III

Three Essays on Sampling Techniques: Small Sample Performances of Estimators and Predictors. , Parisun Chantanahom

An Empirical Analysis of Ricardian Equivalence and Macroeconomic Interdependence in Korea. , Jang Cheon Jin

Theses/Dissertations from 1990 1990

Small Sample Properties of Estimators and Test Statistics in Nonlinear Regression: The Box-Cox Transformation. , Minbo Kim

Theses/Dissertations from 1989 1989

Toward the Inclusion of Environmental Factors in the Concept and Measure of National Income. , George Edward Foy Jr

Three Essays on the Determinants and Effects of Public Sector Bargaining Laws. , Melissa S. Waters

Theses/Dissertations from 1988 1988

Stein-Like Estimation and Inference. , Lee Chester Adkins

Three Essays on the Welfare Effects of Factor Immobility and Price Uncertainty for a Country Experiencing Growth, Entering a Customs Union and Giving or Receiving a Unilateral Transfer. , Carolyn Margaret Landry

Theses/Dissertations from 1986 1986

Effect of Ownership Structure on Efficiency: a Comparative Analysis of Various Organizational Forms (Stochastic Frontier, Allocative Efficiency). , Daniel Omer Cote

Theses/Dissertations from 1985 1985

An Empirical Inquiry Into the Variation of Interest Rates, 1959-1983 (Time Series Analysis, Spectral, Money Supply, Inflation Rate). , Umit Erol

Alternative Regimes of Common Property Exploitation for Manganese Nodules and Their Market Structure Impact. , Akbar Barzegar Marvasti

Determinants of the Money Supply in the United Kingdom, West Germany, and Canada (Central Bank, Reaction Function, Inflation, Fiscal, Monetary Policy). , Deep Shikha

Theses/Dissertations from 1984 1984

The Habitat and Cost of Production of Domestic Petroleum Resources. , John Daniel Grace

Stewardship of Creation: Some Implications for Economic Theory and Policy. , John Harlan Mcdonald

Female Labor Force Participation and Fertility in Nigeria: a Study of Lagos. , Amon Okechukwu Okpala

Theses/Dissertations from 1979 1979

A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis of the Relationship Between Fiscal Policy and the Money Supply. , William Douglas Mcmillin

Theses/Dissertations from 1976 1976

An Economic Evaluation of Vocational Rehabilitation in Louisiana. , Robert Charles Brown

A Disaggregate Model of the Automobile Market: the Demand for Cars of Different Sizes. , Rodney Lee Carlson

Frictional, Structural, and Cyclical Factors in Louisiana Unemployment. , Jeffrey Alan Reed

Theses/Dissertations from 1975 1975

An Economic Analysis of Interregional Migration in Louisiana and Its Policy Implications for Population Distribution. , Koong-lian Kao

Theses/Dissertations from 1974 1974

An Economic Analysis of Governmental Exchange. , Ralph William Lange

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Department of Economics

Honors thesis.

  • Undergraduate

Junior year is the time to start thinking about eligibility requirements, topics of interest, and potential advisors for an honors thesis.

An Honors Info Session is held each spring to answer junior’s questions about their senior year, and interested students must fill out the  honors thesis form  by the end of junior year.

We strongly encourage students to write an honors thesis. This is very valuable for students interested in graduate school or careers requiring independent research skills, as well as for students interested in tying together their academic experience with an in-depth investigation of one topic.

More than a good course paper

An honors thesis is more than a good course paper. It must represent a substantial effort in research and exposition. A thesis must be an original contribution to knowledge, beyond a simple replication exercise. The department does not specify page lengths, methods, or topics. Instead, an honors thesis candidate should establish his or her goals – and a timeline to meet those goals – in an understanding with the thesis advisor. To see the range of topics and methods prior students have pursued, take a look at  examples of past honor theses here  or by visiting the academic office in person. To find a faculty advisor who would be a good match for your topic of interest, see their research questions  here. 

Requirements

To graduate with honors, students must satisfy the following requirements  by the   end of junior year ,

  • Complete at least 70% of the courses required for the concentration.
  • Have earned a grade of “A” or “S with distinction” in at least 70% of grades earned in the economics concentration, or 50% in the joint concentrations in APMA-Econ, CS-Econ, and Math-Econ (excluding courses transferred to Brown without a grade, and those taken Spring 2020).
  • Economics Concentrators  must find a faculty thesis advisor in the economics department.
  • Joint Concentrators  must find a primary faculty thesis advisor in either economics or the partner department. CS-Econ concentrators must have a secondary reader in the other department by the fall of senior year. APMA-Econ and Math-Econ do not require a secondary reader, unless the primary advisor deems it necessary. Joint concentrators need to satisfy the honors requirements of the economics department if their thesis advisor is in the economics department; while they need to satisfy the honors requirements of the partner department if their thesis advisor is in the partner department.

During senior year , thesis writers must:

  • Enroll in ECON 1960 in the fall & spring semesters (Note that 1960 does not count as a 1000-level elective for your concentration). A requirement of ECON 1960 will be attendance at one of two lab sessions each week. 
  • Submit a thesis proposal to both your thesis advisor and the Undergraduate Programs Coordinator Kelsey Thorpe, [email protected]  (see below for due date).
  • Submit their work in progress to their thesis advisor and Kelsey (see below for due date).
  • Depending on the nature of the thesis work, the thesis adviser may require the student to successfully complete one or more courses from among the  data methods ,  mathematical economics  and/or  financial economics  course groups in the fall of senior year, if they have not already done so.
  • Complete an honors thesis by the deadline agreed upon with their primary advisor and obtain the final approval of their advisor(s) (see below for due date).
  • Thesis writers are encouraged, but not required, to participate in the departmental Honors Thesis Presentation session held in May, with a brief presentation of their work and findings.

For students graduating  Spring 2024 :

  • Proposal - September 18, 2023
  • Work in Progress - December 18, 2023
  • Final Draft - April 19, 2024

For students graduating in  Fall 2024*:

  • Proposal - February 2, 2024
  • Work in Progress - April 25, 2024
  • Final Draft - December 10, 2024

For students graduating  Spring 2025 :

  • Proposal - September 16, 2024
  • Work in Progress - December 16, 2024
  • Final Draft - April 18, 2025

For students graduating  Fall 2025 *:

  • Proposal - February 7, 2025
  • Work in Progress - April 24, 2025
  • Final Draft - December 9, 2025

*Note that for the Requirements listed above, "by end of senior year" means by the "end of Fall semester 2023" for Fall 2024 graduates and "end of Fall semester 2024" for Fall 2025 graduates.

More information

For students interested in finding out more, please attend the information session on honors theses that will be given in the middle of every spring semester. For students interested in undertaking research, but not wanting to pursue honors, the department offers  senior capstone options .

Economics Department

Theses titles.

For the most recent list of theses, please visit the  Reed Library catalog .

Name Year Title
Albis-Burdige, Blaise 2022 Isolating and insulating ESG score disagreement in publicly traded US companies
Gadkari, Aditya 2022 Mandi markets : an economic analysis of the effects of state-run markets on farmer market outcomes and satisfaction in India
Dearman, Maya 2022 Basketball bargaining : the impact of free agency on NBA players' monetary outcomes
Her, Andrew Chueyeng 2022 Think green, think chocolate : a case study of corporate social responsibility and sustainability in the chocolate supply chain
Adhikari, Shisham 2021 Inequality in Ramsey Growth Model with Heterogeneous Rates of Return: Are rich getting higher returns on investment than poor?
Campos, Andrea 2021 Andean Superfood Boom Goes Bust: An Economic Analysis on the Welfare Effects of the Quinoa Bust in Peru
Davies, Tom 2021 Extractive and Exacting: Reshaping West Virginia's Economy for a World Without Coal
Davis, Lulu 2021 Reassessing the Measure of Income Inequality in the United States
Givens, Samuel 2021 Remuneration Frustration: The Past, Present, and Future of Music Streaming Royalties
Jarvis, Matt 2021 Comparative Community and Economic Development: An Audit and Discussion concerning Public Investment in the Lents neighborhood of Portland, Oregon from 1980-2019
Ji, Yessica 2021 How Do COVID-19 Lockdowns Affect China’s Air Pollution and its Future Path?
Jiao, Lirui 2021 Looking at the Relationship between Investment Fluctuations and Economic Growth Fluctuations in China since Reform on both a National and Province Level
Li, Jonathan 2021 Simulating Repeated Coalition Formation under Uncertainty
Mulgrew, Peter 2021 Gender and Innovation in the US Patent System
Nobel, Max 2021 Tuition Dependent: Examining the Trade-off between International and Non-White Enrollment at American Higher Education Institutions
Oosthuizen, Evian 2021 Tax Swap: Replacing a State Tax on Electricity Sales with a Carbon Tax
Passarelli, Matt 2021 The Capitalization of Energy Efficiency in Home Sale Prices
Post, Grisha 2021 Hedonic Valuation of Disappeared Streams in Portland, Oregon
Rabe, Lauren 2021 Does Presentation Matter? An Analysis of Text vs. Images in a Choice Experiment of Green Roofs
Rai, Bijay 2021 On Track: Access to Improved Road Network and Poverty Alleviation in Mid and Far Western Nepal
Ren, William 2021 Casino Revenue and Life Quality in Macau
Roffe, Mayou 2021 Why Didn't We Think Of That? Inclusive survey methodologies and their application towards social programs
Spertus, Daniel 2021 The Role of the State in Funding the Arts: An Evaluation of the Portland Arts Tax
Wan, Matt 2021 Bayesian Econometric Analysis of Individual Spending, Labor Supply, and Deferred Consumption in a Laboratory-Based Token Economy
Williams-Baron, Sam 2021 Investigating the Effects of Wildfires on Local Labor Markets and Economic Activity
Wojcik, Olek 2021 Higher Education Responses to COVID-19
Zhu, Yuxi 2021 Female Labor Force Participation Rate in East Asian Countries
Ahmed, Soha 2020 The impact of China's BRI on FDI flows to sub-Saharan Africa
Anderson, Monika 2020 Green is the new black : fashion firm motivations to pursue sustainability
Anderson, Nolan 2020 Global effects of schooling in early stage entrepreneurship
Aswad, Caleb Emilio 2020 Render unto Caesar : an economic analysis of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Thailand
Chen, Lixuan 2020 Is education finally paying-off in urban China? : evidence from 1989-2015
Cronk, Alyse 2020 Correlates and the will to pay : a Mexican micro-loan case study
Daniel, William 2020 Machine learning application in credit card fraud
Ditter, Jamil 2020 Ways of measuring and quantifying gentrification in Portland, Oregon
Friend, Gabriel 2020 Alcohol, cigarettes, and crime : a state level analysis of excise tax rates and crime incidence
Gaunt, Frank Thomas 2020 Undergraduate tuition relief programs' impact on college enrollment and graduate migration
Goldsmith, Jacob 2020 Exploring the relationship between age and formal bank account usage
Hariharan, Aditya 2020 Innovation in the sleeping giant : an examination of factors that influence provincial innovation in China
Huque, Salma 2020 Even further beyond the pleasure principle : a hedonic price model of property development constraints in Portland, Oregon
Irvin, Robert S. 2020 Simulating the price of anarchy in auctions
Jellison, Claire 2020 Giving by the numbers : a study of peer effects with online crowdfunding
Kim, Ryan 2020 Zoning and its effects on urban sprawl : a case study of Seattle and Portland
Kobler, Ryan Carrasco 2020 Spatial effects and environmental hedonic valuation in Portland, Oregon
Lee, Morgan 2020 A choice experiment on consumer willingness to pay for burgers
Ligamari, Michael 2020 The digitization of music and market effects : two eras
Luckey, Jackson Maillie 2020 Social and economic determinants of the fatal overdose rate in Ohio
Marr, Siena 2020 Consumption-based carbon accounting and fair attribution of carbon emissions responsibility
Neupane, Shulav 2020 Citation and collaboration behavior at the university level in agricultural sciences
Oyakawa, Yuki 2020 Decision making under uncertainty : loot boxes
Peng, Jiajing 2020 Nonprofits as infrastructure for regional economic resilience : evidence from US metropolitan area during the great recession
Peña-Martinez, Gerry 2020 Smoke gets in your eyes : advertisements and audiences of the twentieth-century cigarette industry
Ramirez, Giorlando 2020 Measuring the resiliency of US foreign direct investment to currency crises
Samel, Evan 2020 When pigs die : the structural mismanagement of African swine fever in China
Solnick, Noah 2020 Evolutionary or revolutionary : how blockchain has changed and where it may be headed
Thomas, Benjamin Frederick 2020 State policy shocks and inter-jurisdictional commuting
Vert, Eileen 2020 Monopolistic and monopsonistic behavior in online platforms funded by targeted advertising : evidence from Facebook and Google
Absar, Aiman 2019 Revealing anomalies in behavior of rational agents : applying game theory to behavioral economics
Alvarado, Edwin 2019 Impact of fast fashion on welfare in developing countries
Bales, Charles 2019 The burden of cost : using dance-based research to center lived experience in a non-dominant model of disability in postsecondary education
Berman, Isabelle 2019 To buy or not to buy : climate change risk in the western U.S. wine industry
Chen, Shenwei 2019 Price of beans in China
Cruger, Bailee 2019 The future of econometrics : predictive modeling in economics
DesMarais, Kyran 2019 The case for privatizing the republic of Korea's social security system
Diab, Sarah 2019 Lowering information asymmetry in the organ procurement system
Dinh, Thao 2019 A parsimonious model the global box office returns of theatrical exhibitions
Fessant-Eaton, Owen 2019 The fiscal multiplier of TANF during the great recession
Fox, Ashlee K. 2019 Sovereignty and self-governance in Indian country : applying a law and economics framework to Carpenter v. Murphy
Gordon, Ethan Kent 2019 Tragedy of the common (application)s : a mechanism-design approach to college admissions in the United States
Hashmi, Yaseen 2019 Designing Zion : economic theory and history in Mormon settlement strategy
Ilavarasan, Uma M. 2019 A(merican) b(orn) c(onfused) d(esi)s and ABCDs : the effects of the children of Asian Indian immigrants on school-level academic performance
Leflar, Sarah 2019 Did the ACA medicaid expansion affect state labor markets?
Lu, Haozheng 2019 A game theoretical study of blockchain network and smart contract
MacDougall, Katie 2019 Impacts of the MERCOSUR free residence agreement on population mobility in Brazil
Magleby, Austin C. 2019 Regulatory solutions for blockchain based digital payment systems
Magruder, Corey 2019 Educational attainment and antenatal care use in Tajikistan
Matz, Jonathan E. 2019 The Bank of Japan's monetary policy announcement effects as a proxy for measuring the efficacy of quantitative easing
Mead, Gabriella Heron 2019 Fast fashion and excessive consumption
Nigro, Caitlyn 2019 An economic case for mandated corporate sustainability disclosures
Palmer, Oona Kathleen 2019 NAFTA to the USMCA : a new roadmap for North American auto manufacturing
Rebeyrol, Guillaume Christian Manuel Young 2019 Nudging towards sustainable waste management
Reinitz, David 2019 A choice experiment survey of willingness to pay for urban stream restoration in Portland, Oregon
Richmond, Sarah Modene 2019 Obscuring choice : an analysis of state medicaid abortion funding restrictions and reproductive outcomes among low-income groups
Rosenthal, Hannah 2019 Growing equity : behaviors, beliefs, and wellbeing in Nepal's community forests
Sowell, Daria 2019 Redistribution in the wake of crisis
Stashevsky, Alec Gil 2019 Domestic remittance in China : rural-urban migration's trail of inequality
Szatmary, Luke 2019 Merit-Aid : boon or boondoggle? : A study of the effect of merit-aid policies on state income inequality
Tollas, Lana Marie 2019 Airport capacity and airline delays : a quantitative analysis
Toyohara, Mai 2019 The distributional effects of the British Columbia carbon tax : an evaluation of microsimulation modeling in tax incidence analysis
Ward, Slater 2019 Portland charter schools' effect on the black-white student achievement gap
Williams, Shelby Monique 2019 The hair I swear by : an economic analysis of how Los Angeles black beauty firms affect the communities they inhabit
Wu, Yifan 2019 Can I remain a unicorn : an analysis of the IPO decision in tech industry
Yeung, Gabriel 2019 A case against conscription : the empirics of the draft on GDP growth
Zigmant, Lindsay 2019 Not tickled pink about pink tax
Zitler, Miriam Lillian 2019 Econometric analysis of real-time wholesale electricity prices at major west coast trading hubs
Baker, Josephine 2018 What to expect when you're expecting expectations : the past, present and potential future of mid-run fluctuation models
Chiu, Yuen Hei Kammy 2018 An examination of the determinants of voluntary national contribution towards climate change mitigation
Dallago, Laura 2018 A case study of employment in Morocco
Davies, Margaret 2018 Trouble with soil : westward expansion and the US federal government 1850-1900
Fasawe, Modupeoluwa 2018 Demographic dividend and the prognosis for Nigeria
Groueva, Monika 2018 Kiss kiss bang bang : an exploration of East Central Europe's relationship to the global illicit arms trade
Henriques Da Silva, Pedro 2018 People, place and pulse : how relational goods affect happiness
Hernandez, Mauricio 2018 How much can I give to help? : the interaction between the political cycle and contributions to nonprofit organizations
Isabel, Simué Rose 2018 Black brain drain
Jackson, Cooper C. 2018 An empirical analysis of mobility effects on interstate tax competition
Jhajj, Seerat 2018 Determinants and policy implications of bilateral FDI flows : evidence from emerging economics in 2001-2012
Keithahn, Ryan 2018 Immigration and it's discontents : the empirical determinants of the influence of immigration on international trade
Kropf, Edward 2018 Evaluation of operational efficiencies of multichannel retail SMEs in Pacific Northwest via data envelopment analysis
La Prairie, Taylor 2018 Food deserts, transportation, and the uptake of dollar-for-dollar SNAP matching programs at farmers markets in Portland, Oregon
Li, Boyuan 2018 How do natural disasters affect household saving decisions? : evidence from rural china
Linegar, Mitchell 2018 Not just talking heads : analyzing the dynamics of rhetorical competition in the 2016 presidential election
Plechot Binder, Samuel 2018 An economic analysis of affordable housing policies in the San Francisco Bay Area
Resnick, Connor 2018 How the balloon popped : an empirical analysis of the "balloon effect" in the Eurasian market for poppy cultivation
Schulingkamp, Rachel 2018 No new friends? : an economic analysis comparing the value of familiar and unfamiliar interactions in rats
Watson, Patricia 2018 Harmony and havens : perspectives on tax havens and tax harmonization in the European Union
Witte, Edward 2018 Determinants of credit market accessibility in the coffee sector
Yagi, Keita 2018 Interdisciplinary investigations on fertility
Alexander, Grace Bennett 2017 Going global? : analyzing the effects of skill level on trade sentiments
Armada, Brian 2017 Effects of light rail transit in Portland: 1996-2006
Blackman, Gabrielle R. 2017 How does commodity dependence affect trade in Africa?
Cole, Carolyn Stadden 2017 Straight to the source : the economics of human trafficking
Dalbina, Ieva 2017 International arms trade : examining the effects of multilateral arms control measures
Denison, Madeline 2017 Redefining the economics of the avant-garde : the case of conceptualism
Droste, Kristian Edward 2017 Health warning labels : a tool to help reduce the misuse of recreational cannabis
Feier, Lucian Florin 2017 A knowledge-based approach to Disconnect three
Graunke, Hannah 2017 A proposal for evaluating international short-term volunteer trips
Hahnemann, Anders 2017 Factors predicting job integration for refugees
Hamati, Benjamin Wadie-Yousif 2017 Analyzing medical marijuana as an exogenous shock to labor supply
Harding-Laprade, Zachary B. 2017 Quantitative easing impacts on corporate bond markets
Jarrett, Mark 2017 Investigating revealed placebos for productivity
Keppler, Michael Christian Santos 2017 Underwater: the effect of fema food insurance policies in portland, oregon
Lama, Tashi Ngudup 2017 Determinants of home and away goals scored in the English Premier League : a response to Lahvička (2015)
Li, Danting 2017 Maximizers versus satisficers : decision-making styles, sense of control and vulnerability to sunk-cost fallacy
Martin, Julie Xin 2017 A focus on U.S. regional variation in the relationship between high-skilled immigration and patent production
Morrison, Ian 2017 Examining the impact of transfer payments on investment decisions
Ng, Jing Xian 2017 Strategic interaction in estate and inheritance taxes among US states
Nyamakazi, Lazola V. 2017 An analysis of the 1980s Latin American economic crisis : lessons for present day South Africa
Olson, Samuel D. 2017 A big data analysis of Poké́mon battling
Pedrotti, Helena 2017 Prenuptial agreements and their implications for wealth inequality
Pong, Natalie 2017 Do Japan's foreign direct investments in Singapore improve Japan's bilateral trade flows with other ASEAN countries?
Randari, Florence 2017 Financial inclusion : a case study of Tanzania
Riedler, Marcus Laurens 2017 The emergence of low-cost carriers following airline deregulation and their effects on industry pricing structure
Sosa-Coba, Diego 2017 Measuring significant differences in entrepreneurial quality of Oregon businesses
Toshima, Alicia 2017 Effect of financial aid received on undergraduate GPA
Unny-Law, Rohan Aditya 2017 Blood minerals and good intentions : the legacy of Dodd-Frank in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Blair, Galen 2016 Hedonistic effects of bicycle paths on housing prices in Portland, OR
Brauner, Sarah D. 2016 A new order of things : the structure of partial orders in the face of lower bounds
Chasin, Saul 2016 Auctions speak louder than words : application of alternate auction criteria to dynamic tax investment
Cornelison, Kassidy Nicole 2016 Globalization and the gender wage gap in China
D'Amato, Carlo Sebastian 2016 Vladimir Putin's winged troika : the role of sanctions, oil price, and weak economic institutions in the Russian ruble crisis of 2014
Enemchukwu, Emmanuel N. 2016 The impacts of physical disabilities on labor market outcomes : (a Tanzanian case study)
Fiore, Nicholas 2016 Do currency unions increase trade or can trade increases be explained by close ties?
Grossman, Rachel 2016 Is bitcoin money? : a theoretical study of bitcoin as money and empirical analysis of its price determinants
Hill, Luke 2016 Bubbles, booms, and busts : what's a regulator to do?
Hofmann, Julia 2016 H2 uh-oh : a game-theoretic analysis of water quality trading
Holdaway, Taylor 2016 The effects of drought on non-agricultural output in the United States
Hope, Daniel 2016 Mix & match : workplace tournament hybrid awards for the modern era
Lim, Andrea Wei Lin 2016 Worth its weight in gold? : how legalization affects the price of marijuana
Mankov, Vladislav Vaskov 2016 Distributional implications of a vehicle miles traveled tax
Namkai-Meche, Taliesin 2016 Estimating cross-price elasticities of demand for natural gas and electricity : a disaggregated study
Panjwani, Ahyan 2016 Estimating the impact of commodity market shocks on real business cycles using Bayesian methods
Radoslovich, Stephanie S. 2016 Correlates of readmission in California parturients
Sand, Ted 2016 Attack of the time traveling vultures : the effect of holdouts on sovereign default negotiations
Wang, Justine 2016 Toward an open innovation regime : knowledge-sharing for economic growth
Young, Dean K. 2016 Myopic loss aversion in investment behavior
Addae, Ka 2015 Productivity effects of sexual victimization
Atchison, Noa 2015 People, PACs, and piles of cash : electoral competitiveness and campaign contributions in the US House of Representatives
Baker, Benjamin 2015 Smart cooperatives : advanced metering infrastructure adoption in electric utilities
Bernard, Michael Ala 2015 Property tax implications on urban renewal outcomes : a case study of Portland
Bueermann, Gretchen Elizabet 2015 Agricultural price shocks and gender based violence in India
Donoughe, Logan T. 2015 Consumer flight, repeat purchases, and lemons markets : an agent-based study
Ellogne, Amah Orphelia Carenn 2015 The effect of rainfall shocks on intimate partner violence against women
Hackenberg, Luke C. 2015 Experimental evidence for the endowment effect under conditions of induced resource scarcity
HMensa, Edwin Paapa Kwak 2015 Missio-nomics : examining the effect of historic missionary activity on current economic development
Kaplowitz, Apri 2015 Do we really know that the TTIP will increase trade? : a study on the effectiveness of regional trade agreements in promoting trade
Koontz, Zoe 2015 Investigating domestic drivers of cross-border capital movement
LaBelle, Jame 2015 US income tax progressivity as an automatic macroeconomic stabilizer
Ma, Ann 2015 The rise of fast fashion retailers and their effects on the price of clothing over time
McKenna, Dyla 2015 The interest rate parity condition : a golden opportunity?
Mirza, Shabab Ahme 2015 Thinking outside the box office : earned revenue and other determinants of programmatic conformity for nonprofit theatres in the United States
Olson, Mathe 2015 The relevance of irrelevance : exploring decoy effect and conjunction fallacy
Recinos, Alexander Thoma 2015 Understanding the free trade debate : the determining factors of individual trade policy preferences
Schmid, Wil 2015 The impact of the 1999 collective bargaining agreement on competitiveness in the NBA
Sprague, Col 2015 Estimating the effect of decriminalized prostitution on STI transmission rates
Vaughn, Dyla 2015 Demographics and state-level economic growth
Weber, Christophe 2015 An econometric analysis of grocery store strategy and competition in Portland, OR
Weisgrau, Austi 2015 Towards a theory of coercive advertising
Blair, Caroline 2014 The United States of Hollywood: An analysis of motion picture tax competition
Chai, Jonathan Joon Hyung 2014 International spillovers of United States quantitative easing policy: An examination of emeerging economy equity markets
Dhama, Anjuli C. 2014 Questioning fir trade chocolate: An economic analysis on food price policy and alternative trading methods
Gallagher, Kevin Yoshiaka 2014 The valuation of mortgage-backed securities: Correctly pricing associated risks
Giffin, Allison 2014 Lessons in growing up: Assessing optimal growth scenarios within Portland's urban growth boundary
Harkins, Johannes 2014 Testing the efficiency of sports betting markets: An examination of National Football League and English Premier League betting
Hechtel, Tristan Gregory 2014 Income-based tuition repayment: A critical analysis
Hemmings, Alexandra Jane 2014 The real cost of parking: Two case studies in Portland, OR
Hoyman-Browe, Alanna Marguritte 2014 Intimate partner violence: Evidence from the National Violence Against Women survey
Hu, Weiqi 2014 Innovation and information communication technology in China
Iselin, John 2014 Renewable portfolio standards: Examining the effect of state policy on reweable electrical capacity
Janicki, Martha 2014 Hidden status? The role of male circumcision in the Zambia marriage market prior to the introduction of VMMC
Jarrad, Maya 2014 Valuation of urban stream restoration in the Johnson Creek Watershed: A repeat sale hedonic hybrid analysis
Jennings, Eric Michael 2014 Inequality, norms, and taxation: Evidence from top shares of income and wealth, 1900-2013
Jin, Jason 2014 College income premium trend and skill-biased technological change
Kaminsky, Marina Elizabeth 2014 Conditional cash transfers and education outcomes for the poor: An analysis of Bono 10 Mil in Honduras
Kim, Bryan 2014 The effects of exchange rates on intrafirm trading by multinational corporations: Evidence from U.S. trade in 1985-2010
King, Aaron 2014 What's a meta for? Modeling player learning in rock-paper-scissors
Korada, Shruti 2014 Determinants of intergenerational coresidence in urban China: A closer look at older women and young households
Koskores, Thomas A. 2014 Zipf's law and international integration: An exploration of the rank-size distribution for cities
Lynch, William Finn 2014 Connecting to modernity: The Internet's role in Chinese economic development
Melcher, Cody William 2014 Tax income elasticities across U.S. states
Payne, Torrey 2014 The economics of new technology and wages: Marginal effects of two-point and three-point shooting in the National Basketball Association
Reback, Mia Rose Costin 2014 The distributional effects of a carbon tax in Oregon: Review of the literature and detailed methodology for assessing the incidence
Shanmugam, Shubba Srimoyee 2014 Processions of rectangles within triangles: Geometric proofs for game-theorietical oligopoly models
Thu, Htet "Jason" Lin 2014 Why are real estate prices in urban China so high? Is there a bubble?
Wang, Joan J. 2014 Food access, race, and poverty: Associations of neighborhood characteristics and grocery access in Portland, Oregon
Watson, Andrew Douglas 2014 How does progressive redistribution affect income inequality in the United States?
Abdullah Faiz, Ezwan Amzar 2013 Sowing philanthropy: An empirical analysis of Reed College young alumni giving
Anderson, Casey 2013 The effect of fixed and mobile telecommunications on economic productivity
Buchholz, Martis 2013 An examination of rational speculative bubble models: Early rational bubble models, herding, and heterogeneous beliefs
Conour, Garret A. 2013 Predicting consumer welfare loss in a hypothetical Chinese rare earth embargo
Delaney, Jess 2013 Markov chain Monte Carlo and the Black-Scholes formula
DeRosa, Lauren 2013 The creative labor market in Portland, Oregon
Hedman, Carl Gunnar 2013 A reinvestigation of the effects of neighborhood on employment and earnings outcomes in the interim period of the Move to Opportunity experiment
Howard, Sean Arthur 2013 A theory and practice of money laundering
Ivanov, Svetoslav 2013 Identification and estimation of the effects of fiscal policy shocks
Jiang, Lai 2013 An empirical study of whether U.S. states reformed eminent domain laws in response to the 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Kelo v New London
Jones, Alden 2013 Time-varying risk premia and the euro: A state-space model
Karabaic, Lillian Anastasia 2013 Let's get physical: A valuation of bikeability in Portland's apartment rental market
Kincaid, Michael Scott 2013 Is the euro oprimal? An examination of trade and cycles in Europe
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thesis in economics

How To Pick A Topic For Your Economics Research Project Or Master's Thesis

Read a summary or generate practice questions using the INOMICS AI tool

One of the biggest and most exciting challenges of a young academic's career is coming up with that first economics research topic. Knowing how much is riding on the decision, it can also be pretty stressful. With so much to consider, we thought it would be easier to break the decision-making process down into some key points. Consideration of each will give you the best chance possible to make sure the topic of your economics Master's thesis is the right one - both for you personally and for your future career.

Without further ado, read on for our advice on how to pick a topic for your economics thesis.

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How to pick your economics master's thesis

1. Make sure it's something you're interested in

This sounds obvious, but you should make sure that the project you choose is of interest to you. If you're going to be working on a project for months or even longer, then it has to be something which you are engaged with.

The best way to keep engaged is to pose a question for your project to which you want to know the answer. Think back over the lectures you've attended and the books you've read, and consider what issues you enjoyed discussing and thinking about. If there was ever a topic which you came across and enjoyed studying, but didn't have the time or resources to investigate more, this is your chance to dive deep and become an expert.

2. Get inspired by previous students' projects

If you're unsure where to start, or don't know what sort of project would be appropriate for your course, it's a great idea to look at previous students' projects. In most universities you'll be able to access previous student theses in the library, so you should take advantage of this resource.

While you should never copy someone else's idea, you can use it as inspiration. For example, perhaps someone has done a project on the economic implications of an international policy within a certain country. Your project could look at the implications of that same policy in a different country. Or you could look at a similar policy in a different period of history.

Additionally, many alumni will still have links with your university, so it may be possible to get in contact with them directly. If someone has written about a topic you are interested in, do not hesitate to request a meet up to pick their brains. Most academics relish the opportunity to discuss their own research, so there is no reason to be shy. In any case, it is always fascinating meeting those more experienced than yourself who have remained in the field.

3. Ask your lecturers or supervisor for advice

Once you have one or more ideas about thesis topics, you'll want to ask for advice from people who have experience in assessing projects. You don't want to do a lot of work on a project idea, only to hear much later that your supervisor thinks your topic is not a good choice.

Do some basic preparation before meeting with a supervisor or lecturer. Make sure you understand the basic facts of the topic area in which you're interested, and that you have some ideas about what your research question will be and what methods you'll use to study it.

Further, make sure that you get feedback on your idea early in the process. This advice extends to the rest of the research project too. It is your supervisor's job to guide you, so keep in regular contact with them throughout the course of your research.

4. Pick something original, but not too obscure

It’s common to struggle to come up with new economics research topic ideas, but you don't want to do the same project which has been done by a million students before. Not only will this be uninteresting to you, but it will be uninteresting to the person marking your thesis.

Try to come up with a novel approach or a new topic to study. Perhaps there is a new type of data analysis you could use to study an old problem from a new angle. Perhaps new data has been made available, and an older study could be challenged or reaffirmed by studying the new data.

However, be wary of anything too obscure – you don't want to be stuck with no materials or resources to work from. To reiterate the above, definitely run your more ambitious topic ideas by your supervisor to help avoid the pitfall of going too niche and really falling down the rabbit hole.

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5. Choose a small and specific topic

One general tip when coming up with a project or research question is to think smaller. If you don't know a lot about a topic, you won't yet appreciate all the subtleties and complexities it contains. You might think that you can produce a great project on the impact of the introduction of the Euro in Ireland, for example, but this topic is way too broad to cover in a Master's project.

Choosing a topic that is far too broad like the above example is a common mistake that new students make when they are unfamiliar with academic research. Get more specific, and your project will not only be more manageable, but you will actually get to the crux of something.

It may seem counterintuitive, or scary - it can seem impossible to write 50 or more pages about an obscure question. But, it’s much better for your final evaluation to maintain a small scope and conduct very high-quality research about that small topic, rather than attempt to explain a large phenomenon alone and fill up an entire paper with surface-level analysis.

6. Consider an interdisciplinary topic

If you're thinking of economics Master's thesis ideas but find yourself interested in another academic subject, you may have the opportunity to learn about that field as a part of your research project. You could consider a project which touches on a subject like history, sociology, business, politics, or psychology, for example.

The advantage of this is that you can try out learning information and methods from another field to see if studying it further would interest you. It will also help you to create a unique and memorable project, as most of your fellow students will likely study a topic which is based purely in economics.

However, this might also make your project a little harder, as you will have more new information to grasp than others – but it can also be very rewarding for ambitious and engaged students. If you wish to take this route, strongly consider finding a secondary supervisor within the interdisciplinary field who can guide you along with your more economics-focused supervisor. This can even be beneficial for your career, as you become well-versed in a niche set of skills that employers or PhD programs would find attractive.

thesis in economics

7. Check for available data

If you’re doing an empirical project, the success or failure of your thesis may very well come down to data availability. It’s very important to have an idea of what data to use for your study before you commit to a topic. If you have the world’s greatest research idea, but the data to study it just isn’t available, you’re out of luck.

To avoid this heartbreaking situation, search for usable data as early in the process as possible. This search can even help you narrow down your topic area of focus, and pick a specific, small-scope research question within your field of interest.

Perhaps you’re interested in the effect of malaria prevention programs on children’s economic outcomes in the future, but panel studies haven’t yet been completed in your region of interest. If you search for data, you might find a completed panel dataset that studied a similar disease, or one that studied malaria in a different country. These types of searches can help you pick a related, doable, and properly-scoped research question without wasting time racing towards a dead end.

8. Meticulously plan your experiment

Of course, if you’re running an experiment, you can create your own dataset. This situation presents its own, equally important challenges.

A poorly designed experiment can render your data biased or unusable even after months of work. To avoid this type of catastrophe, spend as much time as you can designing the experiment, checking over all your assumptions meticulously, and seeking feedback and approval from your supervisor to ensure that the experiment is designed well.

Studying examples of experimental designs that led to published studies in prominent journals is highly recommended. Modeling your experiment on successful ones in the past is a great way to ensure your experiment runs smoothly.

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Master's Thesis

The master's thesis is a major research project that is conducted under the supervision of a member of the department. The completed thesis must be presented and successfully defended in an oral examination administered by a formal thesis committee. Thesis credit is awarded when a final draft is approved by the thesis committee. It is important to note that a master's thesis must contain original work and cannot be submitted as a paper in other courses.

Learn more about the master's thesis

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Home > Academics > Master's Programmes > Master in Economics > The Best Master Thesis in Economics

The Best Master Thesis in Economics

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Impact of conflicts on the underground drug economy in Aghanistan (PDF, 764 Ko) Antoine POL under the direction of Golvine de Rochambeau , Assistant Professor  of Economics at Sciences Po.

The case of win-win bilateral slot swapping between ECAC area competing airlines (PDF, 951 Ko)  Hugo BARRAS under the direction of   Marleen Marra , Assistant Professor of Economics at Sciences Po.

Do Banks Help Build? Evidence from the 19th century US (PDF, 2,7 Mo) Martin BERNSTEIN under the direction of Moritz Schularick , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po & Clement de Chaisemartin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po, ERC Project REALLYCREDIBLE, NBER Faculty Research Fellow, J-PAL Affiliated Professor.

Heterogeneous firms and Sudden Stops: insights from Chile (PDF, 835 Ko) Natalia CARDENAS FRIAS under the direction of Xavier Ragot , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po et President of the OFCE.

Structural cost and network effects in a decentralized network: The case of Mastodon platform (PDF, 290 Ko) Mathias DACHERT under the direction of Michele Fioretti ,  Assistant Professor of Economics at Sciences Po.

Age-Earnings Profiles in China (PDF, 1,4 Mo) Fangqi DING under the direction of Moshe Buchinsky , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po.

Natural and Financial Crises: Do Natural Disasters Increase The Risk Of Financial Crises? (PDF, 701 Ko) Daniel FICHMANN under the direction of Moritz Schularick , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po.

Intergenerational mobility in Mauritius (PDF, 889 Ko) Jeteesha FOOLLEE under the direction of Roberto Galbiati , Professor (CNRS), CEPR Research Fellow, ANR Project SOSELF.

The merits of boarding (PDF, 2,3 Mo) Alexandre GRELLET under the direction of Clement de Chaisemartin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po, ERC Project REALLYCREDIBLE, NBER Faculty Research Fellow , J-PAL Affiliated Professor.

Causal Effect of Studying Ancient Languages on Overall School Performance: Evidence from French Data (PDF, 2,1 Mo) Anthony KUYU under the direction of Clement de Chaisemartin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po, ERC Project REALLYCREDIBLE, NBER Faculty Research Fellow , J-PAL Affiliated Professor.

Holes in the ceiling! Dividend elasticities and tax avoidance in light of the ceiling mechanism of the French wealth tax (PDF, 1,9 Mo) Elvin LE POUHAËR under the direction of Lucas Chancel , Associate Professor at Sciences Po.

Consequences of Colonial Rule on Health Outcomes in India (PDF, 1,2 Mo) Kunal PANDA under the direction of Emeric Henry , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po, ANR Project SOSELF, CEPR Research Fellow.

A good year to bury bad loans? Uncovering liquidity in the market for non-performing loans (PDF, 1.12 Mo) Nathaniel Butler Blondel under the direction of Guillaume Plantin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po &  Maximilian Fandl of the Macroprudential Division at the European Central Bank

Mobility of French teachers in secondary education: modelisation and estimation of a dynamic centralised matching market (PDF, 1.37 Mo) Antoine Chapel under the direction of Jean-Marc Robin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po & Alfred Galichon , Professor of Economics at New York University

The Drivers of Social and Individual Environmental Behaviour (PDF, 1.82 Mo) Sidonie Commarmond under the direction of Emeric Henry , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po & Roberto Galbiati , CNRS Professor (DR) at Sciences Po

Weighted Dynamic Latent Block Model and its Applications in Sorting Estimation (PDF, 1.55 Mo) Xinyu Dai under the direction of Jean-Marc Robin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po & Junnan He, Assistant Professor of Economics at Sciences Po

Does school choice increase social segregation? Evidence from private schools opening in France between 2005 and 2019 (PDF, 2.95 Mo) Constance Frohly under the direction of Pierre Cahuc , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po & Denis Fougère , Directeur de recherche CNRS-CRIS

Cost and benefit of green R&D: evidence from French firms (PDF, 1.10 Mo) Axel Meunier under the direction of Jean-Marc Robin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po & Agnès Benassy-Quéré , Professor of Economics at Paris School of Economics

Campaign Finance Quotas and Female Political Representation: Evidence from 2018 Brazilian Reform  (PDF, 2.42 Mo) Olympia Tsoutsoplidi under the direction of Julia Cagé , Associate Professor & Benjamin Marx , Assistant Professor of Economics at Sciences Po

International inequality transmission in a two-country HANK model (PDF, 43 Mo) Naomi Cohen  under the direction of Xavier Ragot , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po

Job seeker's strategic attention allocation : Evidence from a Field Experiment (PDF, 315 ko) Mattis Gilbert  under the direction of Pierre Cahuc , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po

Women Empowerment through Public Employment Programmes: Evidence from Ethiopia (PDF, 2 Mo) Till Kadereit   under the direction of Benjamin Marx , Assistant Professor  of Economics at Sciences Po

Price discrimination with endogenous participation in two-sided platforms (PDF, 536 ko) Aurélien Salas under the direction of Eduardo Perez-Richet , Assistant Professor  of Economics at Sciences Po

The landscapes of transition: Identifying economic geography in the emergence of capitalist markets in Central and Eastern Europe (PDF, 2 Mo) Karolina Wilczyńska under the direction of Thierry Mayer , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po

Inequality and Current Account - Imbalances in a Monetary Union. Heterogeneous heterogeneities in the Eurozone (PDF, 11Mo) Danell Benguigui sous la direction de Xavier Ragot , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

Paris Terrorist Attacks and Hotel Word‐of‐Mouth (PDF, 497 ko) Yulin Hao sous la direction de Michèle Fioretti , Assistant Professor  au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po

Political Trust, Political Participation and Conflict. A case study of the Boko Haram conflict in Nigeria (PDF, 2.71 Mo) Simeon Lauterbach sous la direction de Benjamin Marx , Assistant Professor  au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po

Public debt and safety trap in open economies (PDF, 440 ko) Valentin Marchal sous la direction de  Nicolas Coeurdacier , Associate Professor of Economics at  Sciences Po

Global Migration and the Skill Premium (PDF, 346 ko) Alberto Nasi sous la direction de Thierry Mayer , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

Information design against petty corruption (PDF, 341ko) Grégory Dannay , sous la direction d' Eduardo Perez-Richet , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

What drives the French discontent? (PDF, 453 ko) Eva Davoine , sous la direction de Benjamin Marx , Assistant Professor  au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po

Overtime Hours and Bonuses: A Story of Fiscal Optimization (PDF, 700ko) Nicolas Ghio , sous la direction de Pierre Cahuc , Professeur à Sciences Po &   Denis Fougère , Directeur de recherche CNRS - OSC-LIEPP

Knocking on closed doors? Identifying the determinants of employer call-backs for unskilled youth (PDF, 1.20Mo) Lorenzo Kaaks, sous la direction de Pierre Cahuc , Professeur à Sciences Po

Cracks in the boards: the opportunity cost of homogeneous boards of directors (PDF, 5.37Mo) Hélène Maghin , sous la direction de Ghazala Azmat , Professeur à Sciences Po

Does Dark Trading Alter Liquidity? Evidence from European Regulation (PDF, 504ko) Victor Saint-Jean , sous la direction de Stéphane Guibaud , Assistant Professor  au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po

The Relationship Between Housing Vouchers and Educational Attainment in Atlanta, GA (PDF, 396ko) Rebecca Smith , sous la direction de Ghazala Azmat , Professeur à Sciences Po

Reading about Flood Risk in the News - Evidence from the Housing Market (PDF, 19Mo) Jeanne Sorin , sous la direction de Julia Cagé ,  Assistant Professor  au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po &  Florian Oswald ,  Assistant Professor  au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po 

Gravity in paradise - How do tax havens shape multinational production (PDF) Samuel Delpeuch sous la direction de Zsofia Barany , Assistant Professor au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po et Thomas Chaney , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

Chasing the Flapper Vote Women Enfranchisement and Electoral Outcomes at the 1929 British General Election (PDF) Edgard Dewitte sous la direction de Julia Cagé , Assistant Professor au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po

Savings in a 3 Period-Model with a Behavioral Agent - Rational inattention with a Sparse Dynamic Approach (PDF) Galo Egas G. sous la direction de Xavier Ragot , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

Quality of life in French cities (PDF) Mylène Feuillade sous la direction de Pierre-Philippe Combes , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po et Laurent Gobillon , Professeur d'économie à Paris School of Economics

Non-Cognitive Skills Training and Educational Outcomes: New Evidence from French Middle Schools (PDF) Laura Green sous la direction de GREEN, Yann Algan , Doyen de l’École d’Affaires Publiques (EAP) et Professeur d’économie à Sciences Po & Denis Fougère , Directeur de recherche CNRS - OSC-LIEPP

Dynamics of local employment in Europe: Is the impact of agglomeration economies time inconsistent?  (PDF) Magdalena Kizior sous la direction de Pierre-Henri Bono , Chef de projet au LIEPP & Département d'économie de Sciences Po, Jean Imbs , Directeur de recherche CNRS, Paris School of Economics

Learning under Coarse Thinking (PDF) Daniel M. de A. Barreto sous la direction de Eduardo Perez-Richet , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po et Jeanne Hagenbach, Associate Professor d'économie à Sciences Po

Estimating employment effects of the German minimum wage (PDF) Johannes Seebauer sous la direction de Florian Oswald , Assistant Professor à Sciences Po & Denis Fougère , Directeur de recherche CNRS - OSC-LIEPP

Present-Bias and Salience in Discounting Acros Short Durations: a Proposed Experimental Approach (PDF) Zydney Wong sous la direction de Jeanne Hagenbach, Associate Professor au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po & Emeric Henry, Associate Professor au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po

Academic year 2016-2017

Does training pay? Estimating the wage returns to vocational training in France (PDF)

Olivier Cassagneau-Francis sous la direction de Jean-Marc Robin , Professeur à Sciences Po et  Robert Gary-Bobo , Professeur à l'ENSAE

Competing Information Designers (PDF)

Théo Durandard  sous la direction d' Eduardo Perez-Richet , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

What's new in the new? Media coverage about the ECB and market participants'inflation expectations   (PDF)

Mikael Eskenazi  sous la direction de  Christine Graeff , directrice générale de la communication de la Banque centrale européenne et Benoit Coeuré , Membre du Directoire de la Banque centrale européenne

Impact of Trade on the Characteristics of the Digital Newspaper Market (PDF)

Anaïs Galdin  sous la direction de  Julia Cagé , Associate Professor of Economics à Sciences Po et Thomas Chaney , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

Intergenerational Income Mobility in France : National and Territorial Estimates (PDF)

Gustave Kenedi sous la direction de Pierre-Philippe Combes , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

Intergenerational transfert without commitment: a macroeconomic framework (PDF)

Hugo Lhuillier  sous la direction de  Nicolas Coeurdacier , Associate Professor of Economics at Sciences Po

Evaluation of the impact computer-aided instruction on student performence  (PDF)

Clémence Lobut  sous la direction de  Denis Fougère , Directeur de recherche CNRS - OSC-LIEPP

Colonial Administrators and Public Educational - Investments in French West Africa   (PDF)

Christine Cai sous la direction de Quoc Anh DO , Associate Professor of Economics 

  Incumbency Effect and Partisanship in development: Evidence from close elections in India  (PDF)

Ragini Chaurasia, sous la direction de  Sergei Guriev , Professor of Economics

Were Administrators the "Rulers of the Empire"? An Empirical Investigation of the Determinants of Colonial Public Investments in French West Africa (PDF)

Par Sacha Dray, sous la direction d' Elise Huillery , Assistant Professor of Economics et Quoc-Anh Do,  Associate Professor of Economics 

Aspirations, Family Background and Educational Outcomes: Evidence of a Poverty Trap in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam (PDF)

Ava Guez, sous la direction d' Elise Huillery , Assistant Professor of Economics

  Present and Future Costs of Education and International Students - Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Germany  (PDF)

Par Benoit Rauturier, sous la direction d' Etienne Wasmer , Full Professor of Economics

  The Consequences of Managerial Short-termism on the Firm : Theory and Empirics  (PDF)

Bilal Tabti, sous la direction de  Guillaume Plantin , Professor of Economics

Measuring the impact of the CICE on Firms' investments (PDF)

Camille Urvoy, sous la direction de Denis Fougère , Directeur de recherche CNRS - OSC-LIEPP

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail? Immigration, Local Public Spending and Voting: Evidence from a Natural Experiment (PDF)

Max Viskanic, sous la direction d' Emeric Henry , Directeur des études doctorales en Economie, Professeur associé au Département d'Economie, Sciences Po

Heterogeneous Preferences and General Equilibrium in Financial Markets  (PDF) Tyler ABBOT, sous la direction de Nicolas COEURDACIER , Associate Professor of Economics

Returns to College on the Marriage Market: a Simple Roy Model with Perfect Foresight  (PDF)

Edoardo CISCATO, sous la direction de Jean-Marc ROBIN , Professor of Economics 

Social-Democracy. Homophily and polarisation in politics, the Italian Twitter network   (PDF) Mario LUCA, sous la direction de  Ruben DURANTE ,  Associate Professor of Economics

Population's fear and hostility and the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa  (PDF) Norbert RUGAMBAGE, sous la direction d' Elise HUILERY , Associate Professor of Economics

Le Marché du Logement et l'Emploi des Jeunes  (PDF) Jean-Benoît Eymeoud, sous la direction d' Etienne WASMER , Full Professor of Economics

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  1. 134 Economics Thesis Topics: Ideas for Outstanding Writing

    The economics of alcohol abuse problems. In this thesis, students can develop several essential issues. First, they can examine how poverty is connected to alcohol abuse. Second, they can see the link between alcohol consumption and productivity. To sum up, students can elaborate on the economic costs of alcohol abuse.

  2. Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

    Spring/Summer 2020. "Parental Involvement: The Differential Impacts of Consent and Notice Requirements for Minors' Abortions" - Angela Ames. "Examining Local Price Levels and Income Distribution Over Time" - Josh Archer. "Estimating the Effect of Grandparent Death on Fertility" - Jason Chen.

  3. Economics Theses and Dissertations

    Theses/Dissertations from 2013. PDF. Bayesian Estimation of Panel Data Fractional Response Models with Endogeneity: An Application to Standardized Test Rates, Lawrence Kessler. PDF. Essays in Happiness Economics, Boris Nikolaev. PDF. Measuring Technical Efficiency of the Japanese Professional Football (Soccer) League (J1 and J2), Dan Zhao.

  4. Economics thesis and dissertation collection

    Essays on behavioral and experimental economics . Xu, Yaoyao (The University of Edinburgh, 2023-07-25) In this dissertation of three chapters, I study individuals' strategic sophistication in decision-making, specifically level-k reasoning and forward-looking behavior. The first chapter studies subjects' iterative reasoning ...

  5. Honors Theses

    Thesis Title Year Angel, Brandon. COVID-19 School Closures: The Effects on Students Measured by Standardized Testing Scores ... to train students at the undergraduate and graduate level in the methods and ideas of modern economics, and to conduct both basic and applied research in economics that pushes forward the frontier of knowledge in the ...

  6. Senior Thesis

    Through their Senior Thesis, majors learn to identify interesting economics questions, survey the existing academic literature and demonstrate command of theoretical, empirical, and/or experimental methods needed to critically analyze their chosen topic. All seniors are encouraged to browse the Senior Thesis Database for examples of past work.

  7. PDF Writing Economics

    WRITING ASSIGNMENTS IN ECONOMICS 970. In Sophomore Tutorial (Economics 970), you will receive several writing assignments including a term paper, an empirical exercise, short essays, response papers, and possibly a rewrite. Below is a description of these types: Term Paper (10-15pp.).

  8. Senior Thesis

    Senior Thesis. A senior honors thesis is a chance to investigate an idea, theoretical issue, policy problem, or historical situation of keen economic interest. All economics senior thesis writers are required to take an ECON 985 Senior Thesis Seminar. Attention Juniors: See the Ec Thesis Canvas page for a recording of the Ec Senior Thesis ...

  9. PDF Senior Thesis Guide 2023-24 Department of Economics

    Deadline to submit the thesis registration form, signed by your advisor, to the Economics Undergraduate Office ([email protected]) by 5pm ET. Anyone without a thesis advisor by this date (add/drop deadline) must drop Ec 985 and the thesis. Have your data in hand and have plans for the type of analysis you'll be doing.

  10. PDF Why to Write a Senior Thesis in Economics

    Economics is enough of a science to be cumulative. There is a reason why students take the "principles of economics" course first, then the intermediate theory courses, and then higher-level courses that build on this theory. Part of the point of this progression is for you to acquire the conceptual framework, together with sufficient ...

  11. PDF Senior Thesis 2010

    A first-rate thesis in economics is either an empirical paper or a theoretical paper or a combination of both. This means that you will either collect/acquire/organize and analyze data or you will build/modify/find and study a model (or both). A small fraction of seniors do experimental work as their

  12. Curriculum and Thesis

    Major and minor: Two subjects chosen from 14.461, 14.462, and 14.463. Effective academic year 2025-26, students may also complete a minor in macroeconomics by completing all four macro core courses 451-454 plus either 461 or 462. Major and minor: 14.282 and one of 14.283-284, 14.441J, or an approved substitute.

  13. Senior Essay

    Writing an economics thesis is an incredibly fulfilling experience, and we hope that if you feel prepared, you write one! To help clarify the process and give advice, the Economics Peer Mentors from the 2022-2023 academic year have made an updated version of this guide from the Class of 2021 that was created by Alya Ahmed and Lara Varela ...

  14. Writing a Thesis

    In its most basic form, your thesis should be an argument, using tools, research and reasoning appropriate to the field of economics, in response to the central question you have chosen to investigate. Producing a thesis can be broken down into a series of stages, as outlined below. Each stage involves a substantial amount of work and, to some ...

  15. Theses and Dissertations

    Dissertations from 2017. PDF. Essays on the Impact of Education on Economic Outcomes in a Developing Country, Omer Bahadir Dursun. PDF. Essays on Economic Growth In India, Sujana Kabiraj. PDF. Essays in Health and Public Economics, Sara Oloomi. PDF.

  16. Honors Thesis

    A requirement of ECON 1960 will be attendance at one of two lab sessions each week. Submit a thesis proposal to both your thesis advisor and the Undergraduate Programs Coordinator Kelsey Thorpe, [email protected] (see below for due date). Submit their work in progress to their thesis advisor and Kelsey (see below for due date).

  17. Theses Titles

    The economics of new technology and wages: Marginal effects of two-point and three-point shooting in the National Basketball Association: Reback, Mia Rose Costin: 2014: The distributional effects of a carbon tax in Oregon: Review of the literature and detailed methodology for assessing the incidence:

  18. PDF Writing Economics A Guide for Harvard Economics Concentrators

    The senior honors thesis provides students with an opportunity to investigate some idea, theoretical issue, policy problem, or historical situation of keen interest. Perhaps equally important, a thesis stretches students' intellectual muscles. The Senior Thesis Research Seminars (Ec 985) are full-year seminars required of seniors writing

  19. How To Pick A Topic For Your Economics Research Project Or Master's Thesis

    Without further ado, read on for our advice on how to pick a topic for your economics thesis. Browse our course listings for economics Master's degrees. 1. Make sure it's something you're interested in. This sounds obvious, but you should make sure that the project you choose is of interest to you.

  20. Master's Thesis

    Thesis credit is awarded when a final draft is approved by the thesis committee. It is important to note that a master's thesis must contain original work and cannot be submitted as a paper in other courses. Learn more about the master's thesis. 2024 Master's Theses. Ziyi Cai: "Determinants of Economic Policy Uncertainty" Advisor: Enrico Spolaore

  21. The Best Master Thesis in Economics

    Academic Year 2022-2023. Impact of conflicts on the underground drug economy in Aghanistan (PDF, 764 Ko) Antoine POL under the direction of Golvine de Rochambeau, Assistant Professor of Economics at Sciences Po. The case of win-win bilateral slot swapping between ECAC area competing airlines (PDF, 951 Ko)

  22. PDF Senior Thesis Guide 2019-20 Department of Economics

    ECONOMICS 985. You will need enroll in one of the Economics 985 courses for both semesters of your senior year. You can't write a thesis without enrolling in Ec 985, and you can't enroll in 985 if you're not writing a thesis. These seminars are designed to give structure to the thesis process.

  23. The impact of government expenditure on economic growth in Ethiopia: an

    This thesis is conducted on "The Impact of Government Expenditure on Economic growth in Ethiopia" by using time series data of 1970171 to 2010111, applying Ram's (1986) endogenous growth accounting model. The general objective of the study is to investigate the relationship between the components of government expenditure and economic growth in Ethiopia. Both descriptive and econometric ...

  24. PDF Senior Thesis Formatting Guidelines Department of Economics

    Department of Economics. revised Jan. 2020. THESIS DUE DATE. One hard copy and a PDF file of the thesis are due by 5pm, Thursday, March 12, 2020. Please deliver the hard copy. to the Economics Undergraduate Office (Littauer 112) and upload the pdf here. Your file should be named using the convention Last Name_First Name_Thesis20.