-             Fundamentals of Impact Evaluation

-             Basic Approach to Identification:  Randomized Trials

-             Non-experimental methods:

o           Selection on Observables: matching e propensity score

o           Difference-in-Differences

o           Instrumental Variables

o           Regression Discontinuity Design

Each topic will be covered theoretically in class and presented in some applications published in scientific reviews. In some cases, replication studies will be carried out in computer laboratory practice sessions.

Objective: the course provides students with a core set of causal inference tools for social science research. At the end of the course, participants should be able to understand critical points of scientific empirical articles and to start performing their own analysis using the tools illustrated. The emphasis will be on the practical implementation of each approach.

Evaluation:  Written assignment