First year Econometrics under construction – a short overview of next year’s structural changes

Starting with the upcoming academic year, the first year mathematics courses of Econometrics & Operations Research will have been restructured entirely. Indeed, students starting in the academic year 2015-2016 were the last ones to enjoy the courses Pre-Calculus, Calculus 1 & 2, and Matrix Algebra 1 & 2 in their latest form. The new courses are likely to be called Introduction to Analysis, Analysis, Matrix Algebra, and Vector Calculus – four courses designed to cover the complete content of their five predecessors. The curriculum changes have not been entirely formalized yet, but you can get a brief idea on the content distribution of the courses below:

New Courses

Many current econometrics students will agree, the first two months of their study were very study intensive, not only because of three challenging courses, but also because of the high amount of contact hours at university that left only little time to study by oneself. The following two blocks, on the other hand, are perceived to be much less challenging with only two courses, one econometrics and one economics course. The restructuring is an initiative from the program director and the Education Committee for Econometrics & Operations Research, aimed to level student workload more evenly throughout the first year – in particular: lessen the workload in block 1 and increase it in block’s 2 and 3. Besides the change of course content, the change in structure also has consequences for the credit load of other courses: Introduction to Statistics will be weighted with (the well-deserved) 6 credits, and Micro- and Macroeconomics will be worth 6 instead of 8 credits starting next year.

Keep in mind that these changes can still be subject to change. Also, for current students who still need to pass some of the affected courses next year, the examination board will establish transition regulations, which will become available on the ESE website.

We’re interested in what you think about the change of the first year! Does it reflect your opinion on the workload in the first year as well? Let us know in the comments!

About this article

Written by:
  • Thomas Wiemann
| Published on: May 13, 2016