Programa Mètodes Quantitatius Avançats (MQA)

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The training track in Advanced Quantitative Methods (Mètodes Quantitatius Avançats, MQA) provides an overview of modern quantitative methods in Data Science, Operations Research, Economics, and Management. Creation of this track was motivated by the current job market and its massive demand for Economics graduates with a more analytic background. 

The design of this track reflects the changing nature of the field of Economics. It was consulted and is endorsed by several companies in Barcelona. The courses in this track provide training in skills most demanded by the modern quantitative job market such as: statistics, machine learning, elements of programming in R and Python, and optimization. Another important aspect of the program is the emphasis on theoretical foundations, which aims at preparing students to develop into independent thinkers. The program is then also a good preparation for graduate studies in Economics and Management.

All the courses are in English. Upon completion of the MQA track students will receive an official MQA track certificate. We will also provide some job and internships offers related with the program.

 

MQA track

In order to complete the Advanced Quantitative Methods track, you need to take six courses from the list below during the third and fourth year of studies. Students who take the MQA track should have a good record in the quantitative courses of the first two years: Data Analysis, Mathematics I-III, Econometrics I, Probability and Statistics.

We strongly encourage students to split the six courses into the 3rd and 4th year.

For students who, after completed the 1st year, have a minimum average grade of 8.5, there is the possibility to start doing elective courses in the 2nd year, consult here.

Econometrics knowledge is a prerequisite for the MQA, so Business Sciences - Management students need to take Econometrics II as an elective in order to be able to access the MQA, since Econometrics is not compulsory in their study program.

 

About the courses

The six courses need to be taken from the following list.
Check list of courses 

All the courses are in English.

Linear algebra and real analysis lie in the core of all modern data science techniques and theoretical economics. Similarly, programming has become an essential tool in large scale computations both in theory and in practice. Our mathematical courses provide essential background for everybody who wants to understand more advanced quantitative techniques. An important aspect of these courses is to teach elements of formal thinking and to give students confidence in developing their own quantitative profile. These courses are also essential for everybody considering graduate studies in Economics. The programming course provides a deeper understanding of the programming techniques needed in all the data science courses in the track.

We strongly advise taking the core courses early in the track. 

  • Linear Algebra and Dynamical Systems
  • Real Analysis
  • Programming I

Mathematics is the language of economics and mathematical modelling is one of the essential skills of an economist. Our quantitative economics courses enable to organize some of the Economics knowledge in a more quantitative language. Some concepts, like networks or design of markets has been become the core of modern machine learning.

  • Game Theory and the Design of Institutions
  • Networks, Crowds, and Markets
  • Regulation and Competition Policies

Our Data Science courses are designed to help students tackle contemporary data analysis problems and to give motivation for further studies in the track. The following list of our courses provides the core toolbox for everybody interested in data analysis. 

  • Applied Econometrics 
  • Applied Machine Learning and Optimization
  • Computational Marketing
  • Forecasting Techniques
  • Modern Statistical Computing
  • Multivariate Data Analysis
  • Operations Research

The courses Applied Machine Learning and Optimization, Modern Statistical Computing and Programming I develop some skills in programming with Python and in R, which are highly desirable by the modern job market.

 

Registration and certificate

The registration into the MQA track needs to be done at the beginning of your 4th year of studies using this link, and marking the six courses. At the end of the academic year, once you finish the track, if you have passed the six courses, you will automatically receive an official MQA track certificate by email and also a hardcopy.

  • Please note once the form is filled out, it is allowed to modify it within the academic year, in case the student needs to make changes in the enrollment.
  • If you have any doubt regarding the registration into the MQA track, please contact Secretariat through CAU.

 

Internships and Research Assistant positions

During the first term of the forth year of studies, we will contact the registered students into the MQA track to help them to find MQA internships and Research Assistant (RA) positions related to the program. They need to be done during the second, third or forth term of the fourth year of studies. We are in touch with some of the biggest institutions in Barcelona like Banco Sabadell or CaixaBank. The internships contracts will be arranged by the UPF Career Service.

The Research Assistant positions are done under the supervision of a professor in the Department of Economics and Business. They are reserved to MQA students with outstanding grades and interested in pursuing a quantitative Master such as the Data Science Methodology Program at Barcelona School of Economics.

 

Mobility Programmes and MQA

Participating in a mobility programme can be compatible with doing the MQA. You can check the general information about Mobility here.

In particular, you can ask for recognition of an MQA course using the form you will find in this site.

There are two possibilities:

  1. If you think that the PAD is similar to the one in the list of the MQA courses, you should mark such course. If accepted, it will count as the corresponding 5 ECTS MQA course, regardless of the number of credits in destination.
  2. If you think that the PDA could be considered valid for the MQA program but it does not correspond to any of the courses in the program, you should mark the option 'Mobilitat MQA'. In any case, that course must have a minimum weight of 4 ECTS. Otherwise it will not be considered as a valid MQA course.

A committee formed by the person in charge of the program and the Coordinator of Exchanges will decide if this subject is accepted as valid for obtaining the MQA certificate and thus it will be published in the list of recognized subjects here. If the subject is accepted you will see the text "Crèdits Optatius MQA" in columns of each program.

 

MQA informative session

At  the end of each academic year an informative session for all the students in the 2nd year and 3rd year interested in the  MQA track will be organized. In this session, we will solve all the questions about the MQA track and we will invite some of the companies that offer MQA internships to introduce themselves.

Informative session for academic year 2023-24: May 22 2024; 10.30-11.30h; Room 40.148.

Moreover, you can access to the recording of informative session done in 2022.

 

FAQ

Yes, but in this case the elective course Econometrics II is mandatory to do the MQA, a part from the 6 courses in the list. We only encourage Managament students with outstanding grades in Mathematics and Statistics to do the  MQA since this degree possesses less quantitative courses in the first and second year of studies than Economics, ADE or IBE. There exist three other programs that are specific for Management studies which can be consulted here.

In order to enter the  MQA track you need to choose the 6 courses that you will do during the 3th and 4th  year of your  studies. Then, in  October of your 4th year you need to complete the registration form (link to registration). At the end of your degree and in case you pass the 6 courses you will receive the official MQA track certificate.

No, the internship is optional, and the credits obtained with the internship do not replace the 6 MQA courses that you need to do in order to obtain the MQA certificate.

During the first term of each year, we will send an email to all registered students in the  MQA track (4th year students) with  the instructions on how to find MQA internships. These internships need to be done during the  2nd, 3rd or 4th term of  the 4th year of studies and are arranged by the Professional Career Service  following the  same rules as the usual internships.

The MQA track exists due to the  increasing number of companies that are requesting students with a solid background in both economics and quantitative  skills. Therefore, the number of internships and job offers has increased a lot in the past years, and we are in touch with  all those companies. The MQA coordinators together  with  the Professional  Career Service will help the MQA students to obtain MQA internships, but it is always the  company that decides which students hires, but we think that the  market is large  enough so that all MQA students will be able to access interesting MQA internships.

Yes, participating in a mobility programme is compatible with doing the MQA track. You can ask for homologation of an MQA course if the PDA and level is similar as the one at UPF or has an advanced quantitative level. Please, check the section Mobility Programmes and MQA above in order to see full information.