Teaching Quantitative Research Methods for Grad Students

Last semester I got to teach quant research methods to a really great cohort of graduate (research) students. Teaching PhD and Masters-by-research students is probably the most intellectually rewarding part of the job - it lets you experiment with your material in ways you usually can’t with undergrads, or even Masters-by-coursework students. It also lets you weave your own research more meaningfully into your teaching, and gives you an excuse to really dig into cutting-edge papers that can end up feeding back into your own work. Because let’s be honest, how many of us actually get to sit down and read a paper properly anymore?

Anyway, here’s the syllabus and reading list I used last semester. I kept revising it till the very last week, so I held off posting it earlier - and then the summer happened. It’s designed with a first-year PhD or Masters-by-research social science student in mind - someone who may or may not already be into quantitative methods, but is required to take a methods course as part of their curriculum. So it tries to cover the basics while still leaving room for more advanced students to chase their own interests. Hitting that sweet spot is tough, but again, it helps to have a small, invested group of students.

Hope this helps if you’re teaching something similar!