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Bachelor
Econometrics and Data Science
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The study programme

In the Econometrics and Data Science Bachelor’s we train you to use mathematical and statistical methods to help solve problems in society or in the business world. With your expertise you can advise organisations on the effect of economic policies. Or help businesses use extensive data analysis to shape their strategies. You will examine case studies and learn to work with advanced software. After the 2nd year, you can choose between 2 specialisations: Econometrics or Data Science.

The programme

The first 2 academic years of the BSc Econometrics and Data Science are in common with the Bachelor's programme in Actuarial Science. After the 2nd year you specialise in either Econometrics or Data Science.

  • Year 1: develop a solid foundation

    This year is all about your basic knowledge of mathematics, information science, probability theory, statistics and economics.

    • Familiarise yourself with the possible specialisations: Econometrics and Data Science (of the BSc in Econometrics and Data Science) and Actuarial Science (BSc in Actuarial Science, you take lectures together with students from this programme).
    • Examine case studies and learn to work with advanced mathematical and statistical software like R for programming.
  • Year 2: extend the foundation

    The 2nd year enhances your mathematical, statistical and research skills. You will start to apply these tools to econometrics and data science. You will take mandatory courses like Mathematical Economics, Econometrics 1&2 and Statistical Learning.

  • Year 3: extend your knowledge and specialise

    Specialisation

    In year 3 you will specialise and choose one of the 2 specialisations: 

    1. Econometrics
      If the government increases excise duties to raise the price of petrol, fewer people will use their cars. By modelling reality, econometricians attempt to prove such statements. These econometric models are used to forecast the economy and make recommendations on economic policy. There is a great demand for people with an understanding of economics who are capable of quantitative analysis and modelling. Econometrics trains people to do this.
    2. Data Science
      Nowadays firms collect enormous amounts of data, so here is a large demand for data scientists. This data contains valuable information to improve sales and profits. Contrary to econometrics, the focus is on doing predictions and not so much on understanding the underlying processes. Consequently, the emphasis is more on programming and finetuning tools than on the statistical background of the methods. Machine learning and AI are at the core of this track.

    First semester

    My Semester: customise your programme

    In the 3rd year you are offered the opportunity to design your own programme in the 1st semester. You can choose from a number of options:

    • Study a semester abroad; participate in the UvA Exchange programme.

    • Take a minor programme at the UvA or elsewhere. For the specialisations the chosen minor should be relevant and offer a valuable contribution to it.
    • Attend a special programme at the UvA: 3 compulsory courses plus an internship or 2 electives.
  • Thesis

    There is some coursework in semester 2 of year 3, but a large part will be devoted to conducting and reporting on your own research. Is there a particular recent development that sparks your enthusiasm or do you have a great idea of your own? Writing your thesis, you have the chance to explore it fully while simultaneously training your ability to independently conduct relevant research.

    Your thesis is the final requirement to be completed for your graduation. Under the supervision of our researchers, you will follow a clearly defined path that will lead to your graduation with a Bachelor's degree.

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Macroeconomics for AE
    Period 1
    6
  • Mathematics 1: Calculus
    Period 1
    6
  • Microeconomics for AE
    Period 2
    6
  • Probability Theory and Statistics 1
    Period 2
    6
  • Introduction Econometrics and Actuarial Science
    Period 3
    6
  • Finance for AE
    Period 4
    6
  • Mathematics 2: Linear Algebra
    Period 4
    6
  • Probability Theory and Statistics 2
    Period 5
    6
  • Programming and Numerical Analysis
    Period 5
    6
  • Introduction Data Science: Data Preprocessing
    Period 6
    6
COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Life Insurance Mathematics
    Period 1
    6
  • Mathematics 3: Advanced Linear Algebra and Real Analysis
    Period 1
    6
  • Mathematics 4: Multivariate Analysis
    Period 2
    6
  • Probability Theory and Statistics 3
    Period 2
    6
  • Statistical Learning
    Period 3
    6
  • Econometrics 1
    Period 4
    6
  • Mathematical Economics 1
    Period 4
    6
  • Econometrics 2
    Period 5
    6
  • Empirical Project
    Period 6
    6
  • Restricted-choice electives
    Period 5
    6
COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Free-choice electives: Minor's programme/Studying abroad/Company Internship/Electives
    Period 1
    Period 2
    Period 3
    30
  • Specialisation Data Science: Text Retrieval and Mining
    Period 4
    6
  • Specialisation Data Science: Time Series Analysis
    Period 4
    6
  • Specialisation Data Science: Reinforcement Learning
    Period 5
    6
  • Specialisation Data Science: Bachelor's Thesis and Thesis Seminar Data Science
    Period 5
    Period 6
    12
  • Specialisation Econometrics: Mathematical Economics 2
    Period 4
    6
  • Specialisation Econometrics: Time Series Analysis
    Period 4
    6
  • Specialisation Econometrics: Microeconometrics
    Period 5
    6
  • Specialisation Econometrics: Bachelor's Thesis and Thesis Seminar Econometrics
    Period 5
    Period 6
    12
Compulsory course
Elective
Specialisation
More about the courses in our course catalogue
Mathematics and Econometrics
How much mathematics is there in Econometrics and Data Science?

How much mathematics is there in the Bachelor's programme Econometrics and Data Science? Bachelor's student Koen Vleugels will give you all the details in this video.

Student coaching

The transition from secondary school to university can be a major step. For this reason, you will receive intensive academic counselling as a 1-year student. You can also count on individual support during the rest of your studies.

Your study week

Expanding your knowledge and at the same time developing your skills is key. That is why you will participate in a variety of teaching activities. Most of the courses are evaluated with one or more tests. These can be online quizzes, Perusall assignments, computer assignments, essays, presentations, or the more classical written midterm and final examination.

  • Lectures (8 hours)

    Lectures give an introductory overview into the course content and are offered as (interactive) video materials and live sessions. You will attend the latter ones together with your fellow students. You take notes and have the opportunity to ask questions.

    Also you can expect guest lectures from experts working in a wide range of economic organisations and fields. 

  • Seminars (6 hours)

    During seminars you will discuss specific subjects from the lectures in small groups. Exercises and practice assignments will help you to become adept with the theory.

  • Practicals (2 hours)

    During practicals you learn to work with state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical software.

  • Self-study (20 hours)

    During your study week, you spend time to study theory, and prepare lectures and seminars, exams or presentations.

Real-life case: analysing wages on the US labour market
Real-life case: analysing wages on the US labour market

In your 1st year you already do your own research. For example: how do wages develop in the US? What factors determine the wage of an individual? Do women earn less than males and to what extent? Is personal health an important factor? Learn how to answer these questions by using real data, economic theory and econometric techniques. Moreover, you will learn under what assumptions your conclusions are valid and when they are not. In the 2nd year of your Bachelor’s you learn what to do if certain assumptions do not hold.

Additional options during your studies

'It's like doing extremely advanced puzzles'

'Data analysis, programming and statistics suit me down to the ground. It's like doing extremely advanced puzzles. You can get stuck sometimes, but once I find that solution, I'm over the moon.'

Interactive Online Learning at UvA Economics and Business

During your Bachelor’s, you will experience an inspiring combination of both offline and online education. We work with a blended learning teaching method. By applying this method, you will be able to combine different types of learning into 1 approach and enjoy mastering knowledge at your own pace. During class there will be more time for in-depth analyses and interaction with your lecturer and peers.

Types of education
In this programme, you will find that in your education there’s a balance between innovative teaching methods and traditional forms. Writing an academic paper can be alternated by an online challenge. A peer-feedback assignments or a video recording with explanation can also be part of the teaching method.

Our Centre for Educational Innovation and our Teaching and Learning Centre are continuously working on improving our teaching methods. We take the interactions between students, teachers, and learning resources into account. In doing so, we hope to offer you the right combination of challenging, effective, and efficient education.