Courses Taught
Quantitative Methods for the Social Scientist
This course introduces fundamental statistical methods for handling, describing, and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data. Topics include descriptive statistics, data collection and sampling techniques, frequency distributions and graphs, measures of dispersion and location, probability and counting rules, discrete probability distributions, normal distribution, confidence interval and sample size determination, hypothesis testing for mean, proportion and variance, analysis of variance (ANOVA), tests using contingency tables, linear regression, and correlation analysis. Multiple regression will be covered, if time permits. Lectures and labs are equally important for success in this course and to master several statistical analytical tools. Lab exercises will emphasize practical applications using SPSS /STATA and MS Excel.
Quantitative Methods in Geography
This course introduces fundamental statistical methods for handling, describing, and analyzing geographical data. Applications of statistical techniques in geography will be emphasized. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability theory, discrete and continuous probability distributions, inferential statistics, ANOVA, correlation and linear regression analysis, analysis of spatial patterns, factor analysis, and principal component analysis. Multiple regression and spatial regression will be covered, if time permits. Lectures and labs are equally important for success in this course and to master several statistical and spatial statistical analytical tools. Lab exercises will emphasize practical applications using SPSS (or, STATA) and GeoDa softwares.
Statistics for Economists
This course introduces students to describing economic data and drawing inferences from features of economic data. Starting from fundamental axioms of probability, students will learn about the calculation of probabilities of basic events and the features of random variables, the most important tool for representing the outcomes of complex economic phenomena. Students will describe discrete and continuous random variables via their probability distributions and summary statistics such as means and standard deviations, as well as the relationships between two random variables in terms of covariance, correlation, and simple regression models. The concepts of hypothesis testing and confidence intervals, and the fundamentals of statistical inference are discussed for basic features of random variables and for comparing the features of more than one random variable.
Policy, Standards, and Evaluation
In this course, students will recognize and respond appropriately to the role of program and organizational policy in research and will learn to assess policy adherence and fulfilment in an evaluation. Topics include: evaluation practice; approaches to research in evaluation; and essentials of effective evaluation design. Students will explore current best practices in professional evaluation, the benefits of well-designed and executed program evaluation in informing organizational / public sector policy and improving accountability.
Macroeconomics
This course is a study of the Canadian economy as a whole. It introduces students to principles that are essential to an understanding of contemporary macroeconomic issues facing Canadian society. It examines the structure and performance of the Canadian economy utilizing economic models and aggregate economic indicators such as gross domestic product, employment, unemployment, income and productivity growth, inflation, interest rates, exchange rates, balance of payments; and the impact of domestic and international influences and of government fiscal and monetary policies.
Introduction to Microeconomics
This course provides an introduction to microeconomic analysis relevant for understanding the Canadian economy. The behaviour of individual consumers and producers, the determination of market prices for commodities and resources, and the role of government policy in the functioning of the market system are the main topics covered.