Who We Are

Oeconomica maintains a year-round reading and research program that emphasizes synthesizing foundational economic research articles from major journals, acquiring empirical analysis skills, and undertaking research projects related to students’ topics of interest. In 2022-2023, the program is structured through a two-tier cohort system. Academic Cohorts—themed around various sub-fields in economics—provide a platform for students to learn about economic topics and undertake a significant empirical project. The Research Cohort is made up of upper-class students with prior training in coursework and empirical techniques, and is oriented towards producing high-quality, original economics research to be published in major undergraduate journals.

In addition to cohorts we also have weekly meetings on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:00 pm CST.  These meetings offer students the opportunity to develop technical skills through our workshop series, and to build a network of faculty and graduate students.  Through faculty talks students are given the opportunity to engage with UChicago Professors in a casual environment, and to listen and ask questions about some of the groundbreaking work being done at UChicago.  Additional events include graduate student panels, professional events, and workshops on how to get Research Assistant positions.

The Econometrics Game is an international competition that takes place in the Spring.  The event is a 48 hour competition in which teams of up to four university students are given a general topic and data set, to use in developing a related research question.  Teams then complete robust econometrics analysis and write a paper about their findings.  For UChicago students there is a preliminary event that teams must compete in prior to the final round. We are currently planning on holding the competition in-person at UChicago for the 2022-2023 school year. 

In addition to cohorts and general meetings, we are now offering the third iteration of our membership initiative.  This program seeks to connect upperclassmen (third and fourth-years) with underclassmen(first and second years), to guide them through the economics major and course selection process.  We will try to connect people based on shared interests, and we welcome anyone to sign-up(even if you are unsure of your interests or major). Anyone who signs-up will be paired with a mentor.  We hope this initiative reclaims some of the personal interactions among students and will give underclassmen exposure to various professional and academic paths in the realm of economics.

In collaboration with the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI), Oeconomica organizes the annual Undergraduate Economics Panel, a platform for discussion and dialogue on economic issues with prominent economists beyond campus. Oeconomica members select the speakers and moderate the panel, and are given the responsibility in directing every stage of the planning process. Members interested in organizing the panel join the BFI Panel Reading Group, which meets weekly to discuss research literature related to the panel, under the guidance of faculty from the Economics Department.