First-Year Program

Overview

The diversity of recruited students with a greater prior knowledge in economics or mathematics means that the first semester’s basic courses are differentiated according to the student’s previous course of study. For instance, students coming from the mathematics pathway or from the “BUT SD” programs have a reinforced economics course in the 1st semester to catch up with students coming from the economics pathway. Similarly, students coming from the economics pathway take additional mathematics courses (algebra, analysis classes) to acquire useful grounding skills for further statistics courses. 

The approach to teaching probability is also tailored to students’ different backgrounds, to facilitate the understanding of new concepts. In computer science, students from the “Economics” and “BUT SD” tracks take a course in algorithms, complexity and computability, while other students benefit from an introductory course in algorithms and programming. By the end of the first year, all students will have basic scientific knowledge of statistics, economics and computer science. They will be able to conduct a descriptive study based on a real database, implement first statistical models, assess different qualities from multiple algorithms, and relate contemporary economic problems to economic theory. Students are trained in a range of computer languages that will make them agile and efficient in their future professional lives. 

The 1st year concludes with a one- to two-month internship: an introductory internship in official statistics for civil servant statistician trainees, and an “operator” internship for engineering students. 

Fields of study

Apart from a few highly specialized courses in the third year, courses can be grouped into four main areas:

  • Mathematics, probability, and statistics
  • Computer science
  • Economics and social sciences
  • Humanities
MATHEMATICS, PROBABILITY, STATISTICS

Statistics is an integral part of applied mathematics. It is based on the calculation of probabilities. In the first year, after the mathematical supplements needed to bring students who have not attended the scientific preparatory classes up to the required level, students take four courses that are fundamental to a scientific understanding of the statistical techniques taught later: integration, probability, introduction to statistics and multivariate exploratory statistics.

Students also carry out several statistical projects, in groups, using descriptive or more advanced statistical methods. The SAS and R statistical software packages are also taught.

COMPUTER SCIENCE

First-year computer science teaching is based on three main concepts: algorithms, application design, and data storage. Links are made with statistics courses.

Python is the language used in the 1st year. Algorithms are first introduced with basic algorithmic notions. Students from the "Economics" and "BUT SD" tracks also benefit from a course on the algorithmics and programming of the algorithms studied. In the second phase, an introduction to object-oriented programming is given using the Python language. The link with statistics is established through practical exercises using Python in the Optimization and Numerical Methods course.

Application design is covered through courses on code documentation (including the UML modeling metalanguage) and a data processing project. Finally, files, relational databases, and SAS/R statistical tables are the three main data storage modes put into practice. File access is covered in the object programming and project courses. SQL is the standard tool for implementing and querying relational databases.

ECONOMICS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

The aim of the economics, management and social sciences courses is to give all students the ability to analyze and understand the essential aspects of the contemporary world, through the mobilization of economic modeling and data derived from human behavior.

In the first year, a distinction is made between students with a good knowledge of economic and social sciences and those who are beginners or have only had a first introduction to this discipline. For the former, the school offers an applied macroeconomics program covering recent developments in formalized economics, and for the latter, more progressive courses, with in particular an introduction to macroeconomic modeling (contemporary macroeconomic issues) and an introduction to the social sciences.

HUMANITIES and soft skills

The aim of the economics, management and social sciences courses is to give all students the ability to analyze and understand the essential aspects of the contemporary world, through the mobilization of economic modeling and data derived from human behavior.

In the first year, a distinction is made between students with a good knowledge of economic and social sciences and those who are beginners or have only had a first introduction to this discipline. For the former, the school offers an applied macroeconomics program covering recent developments in formalized economics, and for the latter, more progressive courses, with in particular an introduction to macroeconomic modeling (contemporary macroeconomic issues) and an introduction to the social sciences.

Courses

Mathematics background
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BSc Background
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Economics Background
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