Applied Econometrics: A Big Data Experience for all

Admission, registration and questions about the programme

• Admission

  The minor is accessible for students already studying at VU Amsterdam and students from other universities. Check the admission requirements below to see if you can apply for this minor.

  General requirements
  At least 90 EC obtained within one university bachelor programme. 

  Specific minor requirements

  Regular track:

  • Bachelor students from in and outside the Netherlands who have an interest in Econometrics and who have successfully completed their first courses in (Introductory) Mathematics and Statistics. 
  • Students from any background are welcome; for example, Bachelor students in Economics and Business, Engineering, Sociology, Psychology, etc.
  • Students with deficiencies for their admission to the VU MSc Econometrics programme (with its specialisations Econometric Theory, Econometrics and Data Science, Climate Econometrics, Financial Econometrics, Quantitative Economics, Marketing Data Science).
  • Graduated Dutch HBO students in applied mathematics.

  Technical track:

  • Bachelor students from in and outside the Netherlands enrolled in Econometrics and Operations Research, or, for example, Actuarial Studies, Business Analytics, Computer Science, Statistics: all students who already have fundamental knowledge in econometrics, and have successfully completed, for example, Analysis, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Statistics and Programming.
  • Students with deficiencies for their admission to the VU MSc Econometrics programme (with its specialisations Econometric Theory, Econometrics and Data Science, Climate Econometrics, Financial Econometrics, Quantitative Economics, Marketing Data Science).

  VU students enrolled in the BSc programme Econometrics and Operations Research are excluded from participating in the regular track. They must follow the technical track of this minor.

  Important! You can check whether your current background is a fit by visiting this website. It also provides suggestions for some possible self-study in advance. The minor is open to exchange and Semester in Amsterdam students.

• Registration

  Information for VU students

  Information for other students
  
  Are you an exchange student or Semester in Amsterdam student? The International Office is responsible for course approval and registration. Please contact either the Incoming Exchange Team or Semester in Amsterdam Team for details:

  • Exchange programme – incoming@vu.nl
  • Semester in Amsterdam programme – semesterinamsterdam@vu.nl

• Frequently asked questions

  Q: I am taking the minor Applied Econometrics and I am not a bachelor student in Econometrics. What are the admission rules for the Econometrics track within the Master in Econometrics and OR?

  A: If you want to continue Econometrics in a MSc study at VU Amsterdam, some additional admission requirements must be met. If you take the minor Applied Econometrics, the following possibilities make you directly admissible:

  Option 1 – Based on regular track

  • You complete the regular track of the minor with
    1. an average of 7.5 or higher in period 1 (that is for the courses Introductory Econometrics for Business and Economics and Fundamentals of Time Series Econometrics); 
    2. an overall average of 7.5 or higher
    3. one additional econometrics course; choice between Financial Econometrics (E_EOR3_FTR) or Econometrics III (E_EOR3_TR3)

  Option 2 – Based on regular track

  • If you don’t fulfil requirement 1 or 2 (or both) of Option 1 (i.e., the courses of period 1 or the whole minor with a GPA below 7.5), you have to complete two additional econometrics courses:

  1. Econometrics II (E_EOR2_TR2) and
  2. Choice between Financial Econometrics (E_EOR3_FTR) or Econometrics III (E_EOR3_TR3)

  Option 3 – Based on technical track

  • You complete the technical track of the minor with
    1. one additional econometrics course; choice between Financial Econometrics (E_EOR3_FTR) or Econometrics III (E_EOR3_TR3)

  Please note that students who aspire to apply for the MSc Econometrics and Operations Research and follow the minor Applied Econometrics as part of its deficiency programme cannot make use of the option to replace two courses by an internship.

  Q: I am not sure whether I fulfill the prerequisites for the regular track of the minor. How much maths and statistics are needed?

  A: You should have background knowledge on the level of introductory courses in statistics/probability theory, analysis/calculus, and linear algebra. As a point of reference third year students in economics and business studies (who are on track) have gained sufficient knowledge in mathematics and statistics to start with the regular track of the minor.
  Visit this preparation website to see whether your background fits this minor programme. It also contains suggestions for possible self-study.

  Q: Which programming languages should I know if I want to take the technical track?

  A: You should have some experience with at least one of the following programming languages: Python, R or Matlab. If you feel uncertain about your programming skills, there are many basic online introduction courses in programming, for free; visit the preparation website to see a list of possibilities.

  Q: I want to do an internship as part of the minor. How do I proceed?

  A: Students can do the minor internship at any company or institute where one can do a suitable internship that contains aspects of econometrics and lasts at least two months The first step is to read the internship manual and to ask approval of the coordinator of the minor internships, dr. Lennart Hoogerheide (l.f.hoogerheide@vu.nl). 

  In order to get the 12 EC (and standard result "v") the student needs to send an internship contract and (at the end) an internship report describing what econometric methods/models were used during the internship.