Economics Undergraduate Research Training Program

Move from learning research methods to conducting original research. In this two-stage program, you first study how randomized controlled trials (RCTs) work, then join a small team to design and run an experiment and co-author a paper.

How the program works

The program turns research methods into practice through two connected stages.

Stage 1: Build the foundation

During a one-semester training course, you learn the foundations of causal inference and randomized controlled trials, research ethics and the Institutional Review Board process, survey design and randomization in Qualtrics, statistical power, and real-world challenges such as attrition, non-compliance, and spillovers. You finish by preparing an IRB protocol for a study of your own design.

No programming language is taught in Stage 1, but students should be ready to learn Python or R before the research phase. Python is recommended.

Stage 2: Conduct original research

Students who pass Stage 1 may apply to continue. In teams of two or three, students propose a feasible research question, refine it with a faculty adviser, obtain IRB approval, collect original data in a randomized study, analyze the results in Python or R, and co-author a paper. The goal is publication in an undergraduate research journal.

Why participate?

The program offers practical experience that is useful along more than one path:

1. Graduate study. Build a writing sample, demonstrate that you can carry a project from question to result, and work closely with faculty who supervise your research.
2. Industry. Practice the experimental design and analysis skills behind A/B testing in product, pricing, growth, risk, marketing, and consulting roles.

Who should apply

The program is a strong fit for students who:

1. Are undergraduates in the W. P. Carey School of Business or the College of Liberal Arts
2. Have completed ECN 221, or an equivalent course covering hypothesis testing and simple regression, with a strong grade.
3. Can commit to the full 16-week training phase.
4. Are curious about research and willing to build the technical skills needed for Stage 2.

Good to know. ECN 310 is encouraged, but it is not required. You do not need to know Python or R before Stage 1. Passing Stage 1 makes you eligible to apply for Stage 2; it does not guarantee a place.

How to apply

Contact Professor Ehsan Asghari-Ghara for the next application deadline. To apply, email two documents:

1. Your CV (one to two pages), listing relevant coursework and grades, GPA, and any research, data, programming, or related experience.
2. Your cover letter (one page), confirming the statistics prerequisite and explaining your goals for the program.

There is no application form or interview. Admitted students are contacted by email and receive registration instructions directly; the course may not appear in the public ASU course catalog.

Common questions

I took a statistics course other than ECN 221. Can I apply?

Yes. In your cover letter, name the course and explain whether it covered hypothesis testing and simple regression so the professor can assess equivalency.

Am I guaranteed a place in Stage 2 if I pass Stage 1?

No. Selection depends on your performance in Stage 1, faculty adviser capacity, and the strength and feasibility of your proposed research.

Can I choose my topic, and will I be an author?

Students propose their own questions, subject to adviser approval and feasibility. Stage 2 teams co-author the resulting paper.