ECON8856

Experimental Economics

This class is an introduction to experimental methods in economics. We will cover all the steps of an experiment from design, measurement, and randomization to practical considerations like cost and power analyses. This is mainly a methods course; the experiments we discuss are chosen to give a broad understanding of experimental methods (e.g., lab, field, and online studies, experiments in developing countries, interventions in organizations, and so on). The course is not intended to provide a foundation of famous experimental results overall or for any one topic. The take-away of the course is to develop the ability to design a confound-free experiment regardless of question or context.

Course overview

Department
Economics
School
MCAS
Credits
3

Requirements fulfilled

No source-backed degree requirement is attached to this course yet.

Official evaluation summary

4.64 / 5

Based on 14 aggregate responses from BC Avalanche/Blue evaluations.

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-07-23. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

  • Lucas Coffman
    Fall 2026, Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 · Official rating 4.71/5

Sections

  • Section 01
    Fall 2026 · Lucas Coffman · Maloney Hall 330 F 01:00PM-03:30PM · Offered