Comprehensive Course List

Advanced Departmental Elective Courses:

1. Economic Policy Evaluation: This course explores various methods for assessing the effectiveness of economic policies, using case studies from India and other countries. Students learn to design policy evaluation frameworks and conduct rigorous impact assessments.
2. Data Analysis Tools: Designed to teach students how to apply advanced statistical techniques in real-world scenarios, this course uses software like R, Python, and Stata for econometric analysis.
3. Behavioral Economics: Combines insights from psychology and economics to understand decision-making processes. Students study cognitive biases, nudging techniques, and behavioral interventions in economic contexts.
4. Environmental Economics: Focuses on the intersection of environmental science and economic theory, covering topics such as carbon markets, pollution control, natural resource management, and sustainability metrics.
5. Urban Economics: Examines housing markets, urban infrastructure development, spatial economics, and city planning from an economic perspective. Includes fieldwork components in local municipalities.
6. Health Economics: Analyzes healthcare systems, health outcomes, cost-effectiveness analysis, and government interventions in public health. Students engage with real datasets to evaluate health policy impacts.
7. Financial Econometrics: Teaches students how to model financial data using statistical methods, focusing on volatility modeling, risk measurement, and portfolio optimization techniques.
8. International Trade and Finance: Covers international trade theory, exchange rate dynamics, global financial systems, and emerging market economics. Students analyze trade agreements and currency crises through empirical analysis.
9. Public Sector Economics: Explores fiscal policy, taxation, government spending, and public goods provision. Includes case studies from developing economies to understand budgetary constraints and efficiency issues.
10. Political Economy: Studies how political processes influence economic outcomes, including topics like rent-seeking behavior, regulatory capture, and democratic governance models in economics.

Project-Based Learning Philosophy:

The Economics program at Ashoka University Sonepat places significant emphasis on experiential learning through project-based education. This approach encourages students to engage deeply with economic concepts by applying them in practical contexts, thereby reinforcing theoretical knowledge and building research competencies.

Mini-projects are integrated throughout the curriculum starting from the second year. These projects typically involve data collection, analysis, presentation, and peer review. Students work in teams under faculty supervision, receiving structured guidance on research design, methodology, and communication strategies.

The final-year capstone project is a comprehensive endeavor where students select a topic of interest, develop a research proposal, conduct independent research, and produce a polished academic paper or policy brief. Faculty mentors are assigned based on the student’s area of specialization and interest.

Evaluation criteria for these projects include clarity of argumentation, methodological soundness, originality of approach, contribution to existing literature, and presentation quality. Peer feedback sessions and faculty consultations are integral parts of the process, ensuring continuous improvement and professional development.