GV481 Half Unit
Quantitative Analysis for Political Science
This information is for the 2022/23 session.
Teacher responsible
Dr Mathilde Emeriau
Availability
This course is compulsory on the MSc in Political Science and Political Economy. This course is available on the MRes/PhD in Political Science. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.
MSc Political Science and Political Economy students will be granted priority access as this is a compulsory course for their programme. Other postgraduates wanting to take the course (space permitting) require the permission of the teachers responsible.
Course content
The course provides an introduction to quantitative thinking in the field of political science. Its goal is to give students the tools to ask the right questions, be skeptical when appropriate, and distinguish between useful and misleading evidence. Students will be introduced to the basic toolkit of quantitative analysis, which includes hypothesis testing, regression, experiments, differences in differences, and regression discontinuity. Students will also learn how to use a statistical software program to organize and analyze data.
Teaching
This course is delivered through a combination of seminars and lectures totalling a minimum of 40 hours in the Michaelmas Term, with an additional 2 hours for a revision lecture in the Summer Term. There will be a reading week in Michaelmas Term Week 6.
Formative coursework
Two problem sets.
Indicative reading
Imai, K., & Bougher, L. D. (2021). Quantitative Social Science: An Introduction in Stata. Princeton University Press.
Assessment
Coursework (50%) in the LT.
Online assessment (50%) in the ST.
Online assessment duration: 7 days in the ST.
The coursework will consist of a data analysis exercise using Stata.
Student performance results
(2018/19 - 2020/21 combined)
| Classification | % of students |
|---|---|
| Distinction | 35.7 |
| Merit | 44.9 |
| Pass | 16.3 |
| Fail | 3.1 |
Key facts
Department: Government
Total students 2021/22: 35
Average class size 2021/22: 11
Controlled access 2021/22: Yes
Lecture capture used 2021/22: Yes (MT)
Value: Half Unit
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