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EC400     
Introductory Course in Mathematics and Statistics

This information is for the 2024/25 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Francesco Nava SAL 3.20

Dr Dmitry Mukhin SAL 1.24

Dr Ragvir Sabharwal SAL 1.28A

Availability

This course is compulsory on the MRes/PhD in Accounting (EoA) (Economics of Accounting Track) , MRes/PhD in Economics, MRes/PhD in Economics and Management, MRes/PhD in Finance, MSc in Economics, MSc in Economics (2 Year Programme), MSc in Economics and Management, MSc in Finance and Economics and MSc in Finance and Economics (Work Placement Pathway). This course is available on the MPhil/PhD in Economic Geography, MPhil/PhD in Environmental Economics, MRes/PhD in International Development, MRes/PhD in Management (Marketing), MSc in Political Science (Political Science and Political Economy) and Master of Public Administration. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

Students on the MRes/PhD in Economics and on the MRes/PhD Economics and Management may be exempted from EC400 at their Department's discretion.

Master of Public Administration students may only apply to take EC400 at the beginning of their second year.

Outside applications for EC400 must be made to the Department of Economics by Friday 14th of June. This applies to offer holders/students who do not have any EC4XX courses listed in their programme regulations for which EC400 is a pre-requisite. Please contact econ.msc@lse.ac.uk for more information.

Students not on the compulsory programmes listed above who wish to continue studying Economics MSc-level courses must achieve an overall grade of 50% in EC400 with no one subject exam less than 40%. Non-MRes students wishing to study MRes/PhD-level courses must achieve an overall grade of 70% with no one subject exam less than 60%.

Pre-requisites

EC400 is an introduction to MSc level concepts in mathematics and statistics, for which an undergraduate level understanding is assumed. EC400 is not intended as an introduction for students with little or no economics/mathematics background.

Course content

The aim of this introductory course is to provide students with the essential mathematical, statistical, economic, and econometric background for the core Economics courses of these programmes. The course starts with Mathematics Revision sessions and progresses to sections covering Static Optimization & Fixed Points, Dynamic Optimization & Differential Equations, and Probability & Statistical Inference.

MSc Finance and Economics students are required to attend all three sections of the course.

MSc Economics and Management students attend lectures on literacy in accounting instead of the Dynamic Organisation & Differential Equations section but will attend the section on Static Optimisation & Fixed Points, and the section on Probability & Statistical Inference.

Teaching

Approximately: 27.5 hours of lectures and 27.5 hours of classes.

Formative coursework

Students will be required to complete daily sets of self-testing exercises during the course.

Indicative reading

Students will be advised of recommended readings and preparation materials in the summer.

Assessment

At the end of the course there will be three examinations, one for each of the three parts: Static Optimization & Fixed Points, Dynamic Optimization & Differential Equations, and Probability & Statistical Inference.

• EC400 assessment is not mandatory for students on the MSc Economics, the MSc in Economics (2 Year Programme) and the MSc in Finance and Economics, though strongly advised for students intending to apply for doctoral studies. MSc Finance and Economics students wishing to request to take EC4B5 in WT are also strongly advised to sit the EC400 examinations.

• MRes/PhD Economics students and MRes/PhD Economics and Management students are to sit all three examinations, though may be exempted at their Department's discretion.

• MRes/PhD Finance students are to sit EC400 exams as mandatory.

• MSc Economics and Management are to be examined on Static Optimization & Fixed Points and Probability & Statistical Inference, but not on Dynamic Optimization & Differential Equations.

• All other students are to sit all three examinations unless advised otherwise by their department.

• Students on programmes for which EC400 is not a compulsory course who wish to continue studying Economics MSc-level or MRes/PhD level courses are required to sit the examinations and fulfil the grade requirements specified above.

Key facts

Department: Economics

Total students 2023/24: 249

Average class size 2023/24: Unavailable

Controlled access 2023/24: No

Value: Non-credit bearing

Course selection videos

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.