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FAC

STUDENT GUIDE FOR NAVIGATING

THE ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT
PREPARED BY: STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES

LAST UPDATED: AUGUST 24TH 2021

Image Credit: Sreerag K P

 Note from the Editors 5

SECTION I: OVERVIEW 6

Explanation of General Degree Requirements 6

GPA and credit system 8

Economics at Ashoka 8

Ashoka University’s Economics Department and Faculty 9

SECTION II: CURRICULUM 9

Pre-college requirements for high school students 9

Foundation courses related to Economics 9

CONTENTS

Major Requirements 10
TABLE OF

Interdisciplinary Major Requirements 12

Minor Requirements 18

Concentration Requirements 20

Sample Course Schedules 21

Overview of the Compulsory Courses 23

Electives 24

Auditing 25

Cross Listed Courses 26

Complementary Disciplines 27

Summer Courses in Ashoka 28

Awards and Recognition 29

SECTION III: ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES 30

Study Abroad Programmes 30

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 Advanced Scholars Programme (ASP) - Postgraduate Diploma at
Ashoka University 34

Advanced Major 35

Teaching Assistantships 36

ASP Experiences 37

ISM – Independent Study Modules (Research Project) 42

MA in Economics 43

PhD in Economics 44

Research Opportunities with Professors 45

Economics Research Centres at Ashoka University 47

SECTION IV: DEPARTMENTAL EVENTS 49

CONTENTS

Seminars by the Department of Economics 49

TABLE OF

Workshops 50

Annual Economics Conference 50

SECTION V: ECONOMICS SOCIETY AND JOURNAL 52

SECTION VI: ADVISING AND RESOURCES 53

Office Hours 53

Teaching Assistants/Teaching Fellows 54

Student Representatives 54

Student-led Help Desks 56

Library Resources & Faculty Recommended Reading 57

Informal Tips & Advice 60

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 SECTION VII: PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER ASHOKA 64

Graduate School Preparation 64

Asking for Letter of Recommendations 66

Job Search and Internship Advice 68

Alumni Experiences 69

Note from the HoD (2019-20) 92

CONTENTS
TABLE OF

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 2020-21 HANDBOOK
EDITOR’S NOTE
Greetings!

We welcome you to read the Student Handbook for Economics at Ashoka

University. This document has been produced by the Student
Representatives of the Department in order to help you navigate through
everything ‘Economics’ related here at Ashoka. In the following pages,
you will find all relevant information about courses you must complete to
get a degree in Economics. More importantly, you will also find informal
tips, helpful advice, an extensive list of resources and shared experiences
from seniors and alumni for you to learn from. For this, we would like to
thank our multiple contributors - alumni, students, professors, and peers -
for reaching out and sharing their thoughts. Please note that this is not an
official document. In case of any uncertainty, refer to official accounts
such as the website or the HoD.
A note to the reader - Economics as a major is as challenging as it is
rewarding. This guide is long and comprehensive with a vast pool of
information, so please don’t be intimidated by it. We’d advise you to
process it slowly. Consider it your personal advisor over the course of the
year, that will direct you whenever you feel stuck, confused or
disheartened by the subject. And know that you can always reach out to
your student representatives - we are happy to help!

We hope you make the best of your time at Ashoka!

Warmly,

Esha Bafna, Mrunal Marathe, Aneesha Chandra, Vaidehi Maheshwari,

Karishni Puri, Vedant

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 Student Representatives 2019-2020, 2020-2021 and 2021-22

SECTION I:
OVERVIEW

Explanation of General Degree Requirements

At Ashoka University, students pursuing an undergraduate programme are offered an eclectic

spread of academic disciplines to choose from, along with unique opportunities to gain a holistic,
interdisciplinary understanding of their intended majors. The academic culture here places
strong emphasis on foundational knowledge, thorough academic research based on rigorous
pedagogy, and hands-on experience with real-world challenges. By the end of your 3 years at
Ashoka, you would have gained and enhanced the ability to think critically about issues from
multiple perspectives and communicate effectively.

To graduate with a Bachelor’s degree, students are required to pass courses that are broadly divided
into three categories – Foundation Courses, Major Courses (including Interdisciplinary Majors)
and Co-Curricular Courses. As freshmen, you are typically not expected to declare their majors
until the middle of the second year. This is to ensure that you make the most of their time trying
out various possible academic combinations, pursue co-curricular interests and engage in the wide
variety of extra-curricular activities that Ashoka has to offer.

Besides, you also have the option to take up a completely different subject as a minor or a
concentration in addition to your major. Minors are brief programs of study, undertaken in a
discipline other than your intended major. To successfully finish a Minor, you must take 6 courses
in that discipline. On the other hand, a Concentration in a subject is a shorter program - one need
only take 4 courses in a particular discipline to complete a Concentration in it.

The university is well-equipped to offer you all the advantages of a liberal arts college setting -
including significant opportunities for interaction between its exemplary faculty and students, class

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sizes that aid discussion and debate with peers, access to a wide range of resources for research, a
robust career development department and an active alumni network.

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 GPA and credit system

At Ashoka, each course carries credit points - foundation courses as well as major specific and
minor courses typically earn a student 4 credit points, while co-curricular courses give 2 credit
points. In order to earn their degree at the end of three years, students pursuing a pure major (such
as Economics etc.) need to have accumulated a minimum of 100 credits. On the other hand,
students pursuing an interdisciplinary major (such as Economics and Finance etc.) must fulfill a
minimum of 116 credits. A student’s performance in any academic course is graded on a letter
scale (ranging from A to F). Each grade carries a grade point (such as an A gives 16 grade points,
while an A- gives 14.8). On this basis, at the end of every semester a student’s cumulative grade
point average (CGPA) and semester specific GPA are calculated. For more on this, please refer to
the section on Awards and Recognition.

Economics at Ashoka

The Department of Economics at Ashoka University offers a pure major in Economics and
interdisciplinary majors in Economics & Finance, Economics & History, and in Politics,
Philosophy & Economics (PPE). At the graduate level, the department offers an MA in Economics
and Ph.D. in Economics.

A popular course at Ashoka University, a three-year B.A. (Hons) programme in Economics is

designed to provide students with a sound understanding of the principles of economics. Students
will master a set of tools that will enable them to think critically and contribute to debates on a
wide array of interesting problems and issues of public policy. Although the primary focus of study
will be on economics, students will be exposed to ideas and techniques from many other disciplines
through the Foundation courses in other disciplines such as History, Sociology, Literature, and
Politics. Similarly, electives in Economics (such as Behavioural Economics), offered to third year
students also aid the multidisciplinary study of the subject. Through prerequisite courses, students
will also be taught the quantitative techniques in Mathematics and Statistics that have become an
integral part of modern economic analysis. The use of software tools like Stata and Ztree which
have revolutionized data management and research in the field are also taught and encouraged in
this programme.

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 Ashoka University’s Economics Department and Faculty

The department boasts a stellar faculty, whose research and teaching interests span a broad range
of fields - including economic theory, game theory, behavioral economics, experimental
economics, macroeconomics, monetary economics, economic growth, development economics,
and different areas of applied microeconomics. For more details regarding faculty qualifications
and individual research interests, please visit the website. As of June 2020, following are the
faculty members:

Permanent Faculty: Bhanu Gupta

Ratul Lahkar (HOD 2021-22) Hemanshu Kumar

Abhinash Borah Kanika Mahajan
Anisha Sharma Bipasha Maity
Bharat Ramaswami Rahul Nath
Aparajita Dasgupta Ayush Pant
Pulapre Balakrishnan
SK Ritadhi
Biswajit Banerjee
Anuradha Saha
Piyali Banerjee
Suraj Shekhar
Swagata Bhattacharjee
Sneha Bakshi
Arghya (Argo) Bhattacharya
Lalit Contractor
Mihir Bhattacharya
Visiting Faculty:
Abhinash Borah
Priyanka Arora Nishant Chadha
Pubali Chakraborty
Amit Goyal Shivani Wadhera
Sabyasachi Das
Komal Malik
Ashwini Deshpande
Kush Khurana
Bhaskar Dutta
S.K Shanthi
Srijita Ghosh
Sugat Chaturvedi

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 SECTION II:
CURRICULUM

Pre-college requirements for high school students

To opt in for any Economics related major or minor, a student must have studied mathematics in
Classes 11 and 12. This is a prerequisite for most entry-level Economics courses at Ashoka. Please
contact the student representatives for more information or requests regarding special cases and
exceptions.

Foundation courses related to Economics

Foundation Courses are a hallmark of the Ashokan undergraduate experience. These courses aim
to introduce students to various styles of thinking, but also to inter- and transdisciplinary
approaches. For the cohort of UG23 onwards, students need to complete 8 foundation courses and
1 critical thinking course.

Please note that the Calculus Enabler (not an FC) is a 1000-level course offered by the Math
department. It is not formally recommended or required by the Economics Department. Student
who feel that the course will be beneficial to them are welcome to take it.

In the past, foundation courses relevant to prospective students of Economics have included:

● Economic ideas from Smith to Sen

This course commences with the ideas of Adam Smith, moves on to those of the other
members of the Classical School such as Malthus and Ricardo and ends this section with
the writings of Marx, unique among the political economists of his time in aiming to change
the world rather than merely understanding it. We next journey to the works of the
economists of the early twentieth century including Marshall, Hayek and Keynes, arguably
the most influential political economist of all time, whose work continues to figure in
policymaking today. Finally, we study the rise after the Second World War of Development

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 Economics focused on the problems of the economies of Africa, Asia and Latin America,
and engage primarily with the ideas of Amartya Sen.

● Politics of Development

This course asks why some countries are more developed than others, and why some Indian
states are more developed than others. The course begins by studying different definitions
of “development”. It then looks at the various explanations for variations in development,
from political to economic to cultural to leadership. The point of this course is for you to
familiarize themselves with key concepts in social science such as: research design,
dependent and independent variables, and causal mechanisms. It is also to think more
deeply about the world as it is.

● The Global Economy, Pre-Columbus to Post-COVID: An Analytical Tour

The aim of this course will be to familiarize students with the important facts/events that
have shaped economic development around the world, including India, China, Europe,
America, and Africa. These include: the slave trade and the Colombian exchange; the
opium wars, colonization, US and Chinese civil wars, the Bretton Woods conference, the
fall of the Berlin Wall, the Global Financial Crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The work
of Jared Diamond, Ian Morris, Kenneth Pomeranz, Thomas Piketty, Acemoglu and
Robinson, Karl Polanyi among others will be covered in the course.

It is important to remember that these courses are not formal gateways to Major programs, unlike
1000 level Economic courses like “Math for Economics” and “Introduction to Economics”. While
these foundation courses are undoubtedly helpful in gaining a critical context and expanding
knowledge frontiers, students are encouraged to take them on the basis of their interests and
availability. Students may take as many Foundation Courses as they can before declaring a Major.
There is no specific order in which students have to take the Foundation Courses.

Major Requirements

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A Major is the subject in which a student will earn a Bachelors’ degree – either a B.A. or a B.Sc.
Although students can take courses toward their specialisation starting from the second semester,
they are only required to formally declare their Major at the end of the third semester.

Pure Economics Major

Students can pursue a Pure major in Economics at Ashoka i.e. BA Honours degree in Economics.
Within the span of three years, you must have amassed a minimum of 100 credits to graduate as
an Economics major. With respect to the discipline, you need to complete 9 compulsory courses
and choose at least 6 electives from amongst those available in a semester in your third year. This
will contribute 15 * 4 i.e. 60 credits to your degree requirements - the rest of the credits will come
from your foundation courses, co-curricular courses and any extra course that you choose to take.

Electives usually have certain prerequisites- these typically are some combination of 1000/2000
level courses. To know more about prerequisites for particular electives, please contact your
student representatives or refer to the course catalogue option on LMS.

Pure Economics Major

All courses marked with ** are compulsory

Semester 1 implies Monsoon semester of the corresponding year

Semester 2 implies Spring semester of the corresponding year

Year of Program Semester offered Course Course Number

1 2 Introduction to Economics** ECO-1001

1 2 Mathematics for Economists** ECO-1010

2 1 Statistics for Economists** ECO-1400

2 1 Microeconomic Theory I** ECO-2101

2 1 Macroeconomic Theory I** ECO-2201

2 2 Microeconomic Theory II** ECO-2102

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 2 2 Macroeconomic Theory II** ECO-2202

2 2 Econometrics** ECO-2400

3 1 Development Economics** ECO-3500

3 1 or 2 Elective ECO-3XXX

3 1 0r 2 Elective ECO-3XXX

3 1 or 2 Elective ECO-3XXX

3 1 or 2 Elective ECO-3XXX

3 1 or 2 Elective ECO-3XXX

3 1 or 2 Elective ECO-3XXX

Interdisciplinary Major Requirements:

Eco-Fin, Eco-Hist, PPE (with and without specialisation in Economics)

The Interdisciplinary major at Ashoka goes beyond the traditional boundaries of disciplines and
departments to give students an opportunity to combine multiple academic interests into a single
degree programme. While these are not double-degree programmes, they combine related fields
and explore new approaches to the study of particular fields to give students a single,
interdisciplinary Bachelors’ degree. Interdisciplinary majors relevant to the discipline of
Economics are Economics-Finance, Economics-History and Politics, Philosophy and Economics
(PPE) majors.

Economics-Finance

The interdisciplinary B.Sc. Hons programme in Economics and Finance will help students to
understand the principles of economics and its applications to financial systems and organisations.
In addition to quantitative techniques in mathematics and statistics, the curriculum will also
include advanced financial techniques such as derivatives pricing, risk management and portfolio
management.

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To graduate with a degree in Economics and Finance, you must collect a minimum of 116 credit
points in three years. You will need to complete 9 compulsory courses in Economics and 1
compulsory course in Finance. Further in your third year, you must choose at least 6 Economics
electives from amongst those available and 3 Finance-only electives. This will contribute 19 * 4
i.e. 76 credits to your degree requirements - the rest of your credits will come from your foundation
courses, co-curricular courses and any extra course that you choose to take.

Electives usually have certain prerequisites- these typically are some combination of 1000/2000
level courses. To know more about prerequisites for particular electives, please contact your
student representatives or refer to the course catalogue option on LMS.

Economics & Finance Major

All courses marked with ** are compulsory

Semester 1 implies Monsoon semester of the corresponding year
Semester 2 implies Spring semester of the corresponding year

Year of Progra Semester offered Course Course Number

1 2 Introduction to Economics** ECO-1001

1 2 Mathematics for Economists** ECO-1010

2 1 Statistics for Economists** ECO-1400

2 1 Microeconomic Theory I** ECO-2101

2 1 Macroeconomic Theory I** ECO-2201

2 2 Microeconomic Theory II** ECO-2102

2 2 Macroeconomic Theory II** ECO-2202

2 2 Econometrics** ECO-2400

2 2 Introduction to Finance** FIN-2001

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 3 1 Development Economics* ECO-3500

3 1 or 2 Economics Elective ECO-3XXX

3 1 or 2 Economics Elective ECO-3XXX

3 1 or 2 Economics Elective ECO-3XXX

3 1 or 2 Economics Elective ECO-3XXX

3 1 or 2 Economics Elective ECO-3XXX

3 1 or 2 Economics Elective ECO-3XXX

3 1 or 2 Finance Elective FIN-3XXX

3 1 or 2 Finance Elective FIN-3XXX

3 1 or 2 Finance Elective FIN-3XXX

Note: International Finance as an Elective will count towards your Finance requirements,
if you are an Economics-Finance major. For more details, check the subsection on cross
listing.

Economics-History

The Economic and Social History major is an interdisciplinary major that combines economic
reasoning with different historiographic approaches and quantitative analysis. The major
encourages students to develop an understanding of the human experience through the record of
the past and acquire intellectual tools to analyze historical changes from an economic and social
perspective. Students are exposed to different ways of thinking about the origins of capitalism, the
structural features of modern economies, regional differences or global diversity in long-run
economic performance and socioeconomic well-being, and the challenges and opportunities facing
the global economy today. By looking at both the social and the economic dimensions of the
histories of one or more geographical regions, students gain a valuable interdisciplinary
perspective that enables them to appreciate and think systematically and critically about the
complexities of human interaction.

(heconomics.barnard.edu/economics-and-social-history-major)

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To graduate with an interdisciplinary degree in Economics and History, one needs to collect at
least 116 credits. Additionally, from the purview of Economics you would need to take 8 courses
listed below which would contribute 8*4 i.e. 32 credits to your total credit count. The remaining
credits will come from courses in history and from your foundation courses and co-curricular
activities.

Economics and History Major

Semester 1 implies Monsoon semester of the corresponding year

Semester 2 implies Spring semester of the corresponding year
X marks compulsory courses. You may choose any elective that you satisfy the prerequisites for.

You may choose any one track from the list below:

Semester
offered Course Course Number Option A Option B

Introduction to
2 ECO-1001 X X
Economics

Mathematics for
2 ECO-1010 X X
Economists

Statistics for
1 ECO-1400 X
Economists

Microeconomic
1 ECO-2101 X X
Theory I

Macroeconomic
1 ECO-2201 X X
Theory I

Microeconomic
2 ECO-2102 X
Theory II

Macroeconomic
2 ECO-2202 X
Theory II

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 2 Econometrics ECO-2400 X

1/2 Elective 1 ECO-3*** X X

1/2 Elective 2 ECO-3*** X X

For History requirements, please contact the relevant department.

Politics-Philosophy-Economics (PPE)
The PPE major combines three of the most prominent approaches to understanding the social and
political world, the way it shapes individuals, and the way individuals shape it. The knowledge
and skills it will inculcate in students are relevant for a whole range of careers, including but not
restricted to politics, journalism, the media, social activism, the NGO sector, business, law,
academia. Students will emerge with honed debating skills and with a level of sophistication to
their thinking about society’s ills and the best way to address them. The Politics and Economics
components enable students to develop an understanding of the many social forces at work around
them, and the Philosophy component enables them to reason about these forces with rigour.

To complete the PPE major, students must take 27 courses in total, including foundation courses,
co-curriculars and major courses. For each of the three subject areas in PPE, students will choose
a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 courses, with a combined total of 16. So, the following
distributions are all possible:

8-4-4 6-6-4 5-5-6 7-5-4

The table below lists the possible ways to meet the Economics requirements for a degree in PPE
without specialization in Economics.

Economics courses for Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) majors

Without Specialisation in Economics

Semester 1 implies Monsoon semester of the corresponding year

Semester 2 implies Spring semester of the corresponding year

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X marks compulsory courses, while C marks choice (choose any one).

You may choose any one track from the list below:

Semester Course A (4 B1 (6 B2 (6 C (5 D1 (7 D2(7

Offered Course Name Number courses) courses) courses) courses) courses) courses)

Introduction to
2 ECO-1001 X X X X X X
Economics

Mathematics for
2 ECO-1010 X X X X X X
Economists

Statistics for
1 ECO-1400 X C X X
Economists

Microeconomic
1 ECO-2101 X X X X X X
Theory I

Macroeconomic
1 ECO-2201 X X X X X X
Theory I

Microeconomic
2 ECO-2102 X C C X
Theory II

Macroeconomic
2 ECO-2202 X C C X
Theory II

2 Econometrics ECO-2400 X X

Those who do 8 courses in one subject (X) will graduate in ‘PPE, with specialization in X’. This
will be stated on their transcripts. Thus, those interested in Economics may choose to pursue a
PPE major with specialization in Economics. The table below lists the possible ways to meet the
requirements of Economics for a PPE degree in that case.

Economics courses for Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) majors

With Specialisation in Economics

Semester 1 implies Monsoon semester of the corresponding year

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Semester 2 implies Spring semester of the corresponding year
X marks compulsory courses.

C marks a choice: Students can choose any 2 courses from those marked as C (including any
2 electives, provided that they have fulfilled the requirements for those particular electives).

There are 2 possible combinations of specialisation to choose from (Options A and B).

Semester
Offered Course Name Course Number A B

2 Introduction to Economics ECO-1001 X X

Mathematics for
2 ECO-1010 X X
Economists

1 Statistics for Economists ECO-1400 C X

1 Microeconomic Theory I ECO-2101 X X

1 Macroeconomic Theory I ECO-2201 X X

2 Microeconomic Theory II ECO-2102 X C

2 Macroeconomic Theory II ECO-2202 X C

2 Econometrics ECO-2400 C X

1/2 Electives ECO-3*** C C

For Political Science and Philosophy requirements, please contact relevant departments.

Minor Requirements

Students are encouraged to consider declaring a Minor in addition to their Major. You may
choose a minor on the basis of your interest in that discipline or if you feel it complements the
choice of your major. To qualify for a Minor, students must take 6 courses (24 credits) in a
programme outside their field of Major specialisation. Ashoka University offers a minor in

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Economics for those who choose to not pursue an Economics major but are interested in the
subject. There are 2 possible combinations of Economics courses that fulfill the requirements of
a Minor (Options A and B in the table below). You may choose either path.

Economics Minor

Semester 1 implies Monsoon semester of the corresponding year

Semester 2 implies Spring semester of the corresponding year

Semester
Offered Course Course Number A B

2 Introduction to Economics ECO-1001 X X

2 Mathematics for Economists ECO-1010 X X

1 Statistics for Economists ECO-1400 X

1 Microeconomic Theory I ECO-2101 X X

1 Macroeconomic Theory I ECO-2201 X X

2 Microeconomic Theory II ECO-2102 X

2 Macroeconomic Theory I ECO-2202 X

2 Econometrics ECO-2400 X

Concentration Requirements

A Concentration will consist of four 4-credit courses (or courses totaling 16 credits) in a particular
subject. At least two of these courses (or courses totaling 8 credits) must be 200-level or above.
The Concentration can be completed either by the end of the 3-year degree or during the +1 year
(check ASP for more details). A Concentration can be completed in both pure Major and Minor
programmes. The Economics concentration requirements are as follows (note that there is no
choice here, you must finish these 4 courses only to graduate with a concentration in Economics):

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 Economics Concentration

Semester 1 implies Monsoon semester of the corresponding year

Semester 2 implies Spring semester of the corresponding year.
All courses given below are compulsory.

Semester offered Course Course Number

2 Introduction to Economics ECO-1001

2 Mathematics for Economists ECO-1010

1 Microeconomic Theory I ECO-2101

1 Macroeconomic Theory I ECO-2201

Summary

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Please check the table for a concise summation of all Economics program requirements.

Sample Course Schedules

Color code:

● Two additional co-curricular courses, maximum of one per semester

● Blue colored boxes: Foundation Courses (FC) or Critical Thinking Seminars

● Red colored boxes: Economics Compulsory Courses

● Peach colored boxes: Economics Optional Courses

● Grey colored boxes: Finance Courses

For a pure Economics Major:

Most courses are only offered every alternate semester. For example, Introduction to Economics
is only offered in the Spring semester. As a result, it’s especially important to plan out your course
schedule for the three years. Given below is a sample timetable that would allow you to complete
an Economics major in six semesters, provided you fulfil the FC, CC, and credit requirements.
*Note: Required to complete 100 credits

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For an interdisciplinary Economics and Finance major:

For an interdisciplinary Economics and History major:

For a Politics, Philosophy & Economics major:

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 Overview of the Compulsory Courses

Brief descriptions of what students can expect to learn in the first five introductory-level courses
they’ll take:

ECO 1001: Introduction to Economics

You will be introduced to certain aspects of economic history, principles of decision making in a
world marked by scarcity, strategic interaction, the behaviour of firms and consumers, and the
concept of a market.

ECO 1010: Mathematics for Economics

The course will cover univariate and multivariate calculus, optimization techniques and linear
algebra. By the end of the course students should be adept at calculating derivatives, slopes of
different graphs, concavity and convexity, single variable and multivariable optimization,
Lagrange method.

ECO 2101: Microeconomic Theory I

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Microeconomics studies the decision-making mechanism of individual participants in a market
economy. Topics include consumer and producer theory, choice under uncertainty, competitive
equilibrium, market structure and welfare economics.

ECO 2201: Macroeconomic Theory I

The focus is on the three-equation model (IS-Monetary Rule-Phillips Curve) and how that plays
out in a closed and in an open economy. The analysis of business cycles is introduced.

ECO 1400: Statistics for Economics

This course covers elementary probability theory, random variables and distributions, sampling
distributions, point and interval estimation, and hypothesis testing.

Electives

Students are required to complete six Economics electives in their third year. These change with
every academic year. Once again, please refer to the Course Catalogue shared by the department
for a comprehensive list. The compulsory courses form the prerequisites for electives. The
electives give you the opportunity to apply the economic tools and foundations you’ve learned to
more real-world-like situations. Note that electives are only available to third-year students.

Here are some examples from the diverse range of courses that have been offered in the past, along
with brief descriptions:

ECO 3100: Game Theory and Applications

This course will cover different applications of the theory like oligopoly, contests, voting behavior,
bargaining, strategic moves and brinkmanship. We will also cover two areas of game theory that
deal with different forms of long run interaction between agents. These are repeated games and
evolutionary games. Finally, we will consider certain applications of incomplete information

24
games like price discrimination and contracts. Applications will be drawn not just from economics
but also other subjects like political science and biology.

ECO 3402: Economic Forecasting & Analysis

This course is an introduction to forecasting analyses and techniques and dedicated to teaching
students the latest tools in econometrics to enable them to make knowledgeable judgements about
various types of data. This course is especially useful for forecasting business time series such as
sales, expenditures, and macroeconomic time series such as GDP, interest rate, inflation, etc.

Time series topics will include linear regression, ARIMA models, trend modeling, seasonal
adjustments, etc. With an emphasis on applications with statistical software, this course will walk
you through the methods of analyses of both macro and micro level data.

Pre-requisites: Mathematics for Economics, Statistics for Economists, Macroeconomics I,

Macroeconomics II, Econometrics. This course should be accessible to students with basic
knowledge in algebra, statistics and linear regression.

ECO 3661: Economics of Family

In this course, we will use economic principles to analyze decisions made within a family. Topics
include spousal labor supply, human capital, marriage, divorce, fertility and social mobility. We
will then consider the macroeconomic implications of these family decisions. First, we will focus
on short- and medium-run fluctuations and study how the changing demographic factors influence
aggregate labor supply and savings. Next, we will discuss the importance of accounting for
families in explaining inequality and as determinants of long-run economic development.

Pre-requisites: Eco-2101 (Microeconomic Theory I), ECO-2201 (Macroeconomic Theory I),

ECO-2202 (Macroeconomic Theory II), ECO-2400 (Econometrics)

Auditing

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Students can opt to audit a course as part of the semesterly five-course limit. The coursework for
a student auditing a course is considerably lighter than for a student working for credit. A student
enrolled for an official audit may be required to participate in class discussion, submit written
work, or take examinations, as determined by the course instructor.

In order to audit, one must fill the audit form sent by the OAA in the first weeks of the semester.

When a student audits a course, the credits become part of that semester’s credit load - i.e., it is
counted as a part of the maximum limit of five courses. If the audit is completed to the satisfaction
of the instructor, a grade of AU is entered for the course. However, an audit does not impact the
student’s GPA.

You are allowed to convert a credit course into an audit course until the end of Week 8 of the new
semester. You will require the instructor's permission for the same, who will also denote the exact
requirements for audit, as completing an audit will have a different set of requirements than a credit
course.

Note: You will still need to maintain the minimum course count pertaining to your batch.

Students who want to drop an audit course after Week 8, or do not meet the audit requirements by
the end of the semester will receive a WAU (Withdraw from Audit) grade on their transcripts.
Similar to a W grade, this will not affect the CGPA.

Cross Listed Courses

Given their interdisciplinary nature, some Ashoka courses are cross-listed between two or, at most,
three departments. The department the course originates from is listed first and the one that has
agreed to a cross-list is mentioned second. For example, ECO 3620/PSYCH 3302 Behavioural
Economics.

For students majoring in Economics, a course originating in a different department cross-listed

with Economics can substitute for one of the six electives. A student can substitute at most two
electives with a cross-listed course. Keep in mind that a cross-listed course will only add four
credits.

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International Finance, a FIN-ECO cross-list is often offered to be taken by third years. It can be
taken by pure Economics majors to substitute for an Economics elective. However,
interdisciplinary Eco-Fin majors cannot double count the course to fulfil both Economics and
Finance requirements.

As the cross-list status of courses is subject to change every academic year, refer to the Course
Catalogue shared by the department for a comprehensive list.

Complementary Disciplines

If you’d like to pursue a concentration, minor, or double major in your time at Ashoka, it could be
in a field related to your major, or it could be in pursuit of a completely separate interest that you
want to explore.

It’s helpful to plan ahead. In terms of scheduling your classes, a course from another department
may satisfy a major requirement. For example, Statistics for Economics course is waived off for
students who have done two courses, Probability and Statistics (MAT 2020) and Statistical
Inference (MAT 3102), taught by the Math faculty. Given that economics requires a fair bit of
math, you could consider taking Calculus or Linear Algebra - also offered by the Math
department - to strengthen your foundations and gain a deeper understanding of what’s going on
beneath the surface when it’s time to apply the theory.

Even if you don’t want to convert them into a minor or concentration, taking a few extra classes
in complementary disciplines can make Econ easier to understand. Further, they can be particularly
helpful in preparing for a future career or grad school. Introduction to Computer Programming,
Discrete Math, and Advanced Programming - all offered by the CS department - are all highly
useful.

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If you have a special interest in government, policy formulation, international public affairs, social
planning, you could benefit from courses offered by the Political Science and International
Relations departments. You might be fascinated by the Pol. department’s Quantitative Research
Methods class that teaches you how to collect, analyze, and interpret data and come up with a
research design. Or you could consider taking Global Capitalism in the 20th Century, from the IR
department, to study in depth the inextricable relationship between economics and geopolitics as
well as globalization and democratic politics.

Many of the skills you gain in learning Economics can be applied to Entrepreneurship, and vice
versa. By understanding Economics, you gain an insight into human behavior, you learn all about
allocating scarce resources, and you can better understand the economic policy environment in
which companies thrive or decay. You could pursue a minor in Entrepreneurship, or just try it out.

A liberal arts education gives you the chance to learn from a number of different disciplines that
each have something unique to teach you. However, the requirements of an Econ/Econ-Fin degree
- especially without summer semester or a fourth year - and the limit of five courses per semester
can leave you with only so much free space in your schedule to pursue all your interests. As a
result, it’s necessary to think carefully about what’s most important to you.

Of course, there’s so much you can learn outside a formal course. The professors taking them are
still available to you, and would likely be happy to provide you with learning material. Don’t be
afraid to reach out!

Summer Courses in Ashoka

Summer break in Ashoka is a good three-month period between the Spring and Monsoon
semesters. The Office of Summer Programmes offers an intensive six-week study programme
during the summer for undergraduate students.

A range of four-credit courses are offered across disciplines. Enrolling for the summer term
provides an opportunity for Ashoka students to take courses to gain additional credits, accelerate
in their academic pathway, or simply explore other areas of interest. It also provides an opportunity
to study with students from international institutions, giving the experience of a global setting.

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The six-week summer semester usually takes place between July and August. Summer 2020 was
held online. Each student can take a maximum of two courses, and can opt to take only one. A
third course may only be taken if it’s a co-curricular course.

The summer semester is open to following students, all of whom are encouraged to apply:

● Students from Ashoka University

● Undergraduate students from Colleges and Universities in India

● Students studying at overseas Colleges and Universities

● Students at Ashoka’s partner institutions.

● Students from all other international universities

The summer term can be helpful for Economics students to ease their course load in future
semesters, to complete courses towards a minor or concentration, or to explore fields they wouldn’t
otherwise have space for.

The courses on offer are subject to change every year. However, in the case of high demand,
students can request the Office to add additional courses.

In general, Economics electives - and not any of the prerequisites - are offered in the summer.

Awards and Recognition

The Economics Department at Ashoka University offers the following awards and recognitions
for its students upon academic merit.

Dean’s List

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A Dean's List is an academic award, or notation, granted on a per-semester basis, used to recognize
the level of high scholarship demonstrated by students in a college or university.

The Dean's List at Ashoka for any given semester includes the names of all students who, in the
courses they have taken that semester, have scored a GPA of 3.65 or above. Inclusion in the list
signals a superior level of academic performance, one that the university is proud to recognize.
The Dean’s List is awarded on a semester basis.

Latin Honors

Students who have achieved scholastic distinction may be awarded the bachelor's degree with
Latin honors at graduation. Honors appear on the official transcript and diploma.

Based on the CGPA calculated for courses taken at Ashoka during their undergraduate studies,
students are awarded the following honors:

Cum Laude [CGPA >= 3.60]

Magna Cum Laude [CGPA >= 3.75]

Summa Cum Laude [CGPA >= 3.90]

Excellence in Academic Achievement

Upon graduation under the Economics Department, selected students are awarded an Excellence
in Academic Achievement Award. The recipients of this award are decided after consultation with
the Economics faculty. Overall academic performance, as well as attitude towards academics is
considered. Students are often awarded with cash-prizes and certificates.

SECTION III:
ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITI ES

Study Abroad Programs

30
Summer Abroad

Students at Ashoka have the option of studying a summer abroad.

Ashoka’s summer study abroad programme offers students the unique opportunity to extend their
semester learning experience by taking courses taught at partner and other international
institutions. Every summer, international summer schools offer undergraduate courses in different
subjects and fields. These courses enrich the undergraduate learning experience and can be
transferred to the total credits taken as Ashoka. During their time abroad, students will have a
unique chance to immerse themselves in a different culture as well as build lasting connections
with people from all over the globe. An international experience is not only academically
challenging but also gives students a new perspective. The Office of Global Education and
Strategic Programmes (GESP) is available to students for assistance and counselling in the
application process.

Ashoka is currently partnered with the following universities: –

Wellesley College, UC Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, King’s College

London, University of Michigan, Penn Engineering, Sciences Po, and Trinity College Dublin.

Other popular destinations where our students have studied include LSE, UBC Vancouver and
Stanford University.

Some courses undertaken by the students at these institutions include Developmental Economics,
Industrial Economics, Banking and Finance, Corporate Finance and Mergers and Acquisitions.

The primary step in the process of applying to spend a summer abroad is to decide which courses
you want to apply for at which University. In one summer, you will be allowed to transfer a
maximum of 2 courses (8 credits) to your Ashokan degree. However, it is important to note that
while your credits will get transferred, your GPA will not be changed according to your
performance at your summer school. After selecting your course, you must submit a transfer credit
form with due approval from the Head of Department and the Office of Academic Affairs. This
form will be made available to you upon request to the GESP through email or a personal meeting
(First Floor Admin Block). Whether or not credits are transferable will be indicated by the faculty.
Your transcript is also required. Students must meet the requirements of the summer institution as
well as pass the course for the credits to be transferred.

In order to pursue a summer abroad, students have to have a minimum GPA of 2.8 to qualify for
the programme. There are multiple other requirements specific to the nature of the programme and

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what the student seeks to pursue. All additional financial costs are to be borne by the students
depending on the University and country to which they are travelling. Please note that some
Universities and Colleges require the applicants to have higher GPAs (for example, King’s College
requires a 3.3 GPA).

Note that students can apply to non-partner universities as well, with support from the Office. The
benefit of partner universities is often in a more streamlined application and credit transfer process,
as well as significant fee discounts.

Students can also apply for research and internship opportunities abroad to get practical
experience in their fields of interest. Through these hands-on projects, students get an opportunity
to implement their learnings in a work setting. Enrichment programmes offered at partner
institutions offer these unique opportunities with special discounts for Ashoka students.

Ashoka students are selected through a competitive process for these opportunities. These
opportunities are available in Lehigh University, NTU Singapore, Koç University etc.

To read about some experiences of our students who did a summer abroad, visit

https://ashoka.edu.in/welcome/stories/study-abroad-experiences-of-ashoka-students-448

For any enquiries on the process of applying for summer abroad experience, kindly email:

[email protected].

Semester Abroad

Ashoka students also have the option to spend a maximum of one semester abroad at an
international institution. Students take courses in their major and/or minor and transfer them to
their undergraduate degree. Spending a semester abroad gives the students a prolonged experience
in a different academic and cultural setting.

Popular destinations for a semester include King’s College London, University of Pennsylvania,
Harvard University, Sciences Po, HEC Paris, and University of Melbourne.

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It is recommended that Economics students spend a semester abroad in their 4th or 5th semester
in order to complete prerequisite courses that may not be available at international universities,
and to spend the 6th - and last, for a 3-year degree - semester at Ashoka.

You are encouraged to research the courses that will be of relevance and importance to your
academic trajectory at the institution of your choice. The primary step in the process of applying
to spend a summer abroad is to submit a transfer credit form with due approval from the Head of
Department and the Office of Academic Affairs. Whether or not credits are transferable will be
indicated by the faculty. Your transcript, a Statement of Purpose, and your CV are also required
documents. Many universities have a minimum CGPA requirement for prospective applicants.
Students must meet the requirements of the summer institution as well as pass the course for the
credits to be transferred.

Ashoka also hosts a study abroad fair every year to give students the opportunity to interact with
representatives from various summer, graduate, and PhD programs at international institutions.

For any enquiries on the semester abroad programme at Ashoka, kindly email:
[email protected]

My summer abroad was undoubtedly an unforgettable experience for me. I had the
wonderful opportunity of attending the summer school at one of the renowned and
prestigious business schools – HEC Paris. I studied Corporate Finance and thoroughly
enjoyed every bit of it. A class with people at least from 15 nationalities gave me a diverse
perspective and allowed me to grasp knowledge from a global point of view. Earlier, I was
considering HEC as an option for my master' school. Post my summer experience, I am
confident about it. I would strongly recommend HEC to anyone seeking a rich experience
and wanting to gain practical exposure to the world of Finance. The best part about the whole
experience was the magic of Paris – wine, cheese and repeat! Feel free to contact me to know
more about the programme!

Piyush Mishra, UG20

Spending my fifth semester at the University of Pennsylvania and my summer at the London
School of Economics allowed me to add a substantial international experience to my degree
and differentiate myself from the crowd. For a long time, my academic goal was to
experience an Ivy League Institution, to take courses by industry experts, and meet like-
minded students from different backgrounds. The semester and summer abroad programs 33
offered by Ashoka in partnership with various universities worldwide, helped me achieve
each of these goals. The unmatched experience of being a part of a globally renowned
My semester abroad at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), on the other hand, was an
opportunity of a lifetime. The longer duration of the program (four months, in comparison
to three weeks at LSE) resulted in more networking opportunities, more courses, and an
all-round great experience. The particular program which I was a part of (IGSP) gave me
the freedom to choose my own courses across disciplines including two courses at the
Wharton School of Business. The resources and spaces available to the students were
mind-blowing. I particularly loved the pre-professional atmosphere of the school that I
perceived during my visit -- it was inspiring and motivating. Apart from academics, I
would also like to mention the connections which I made during my time at the institute.
UPenn understands the importance of social networking and companionship, providing
various avenues such as social nights, community dinners, and even events to the likes of
concerts for the same. The university has just the perfect college setting, located in the
middle of a busy metropolitan city and yet having its separate local entity. Another added
benefit was the learning opportunities provided by the university outside of the lecture
rooms in the form of student clubs (all of which are open to study abroad students),
seminars (several speaker series run parallelly on campus featuring some of the best UPenn
alumnus), and cultural events.
I would recommend both the summer and semester abroad programs to anyone who is
interested in gaining some international exposure and getting a feel of a particular
institution. It is a splendid opportunity to complement your education at Ashoka. My time
as a student in these studies abroad programs has been a perfect balance between
educational and enjoyable.

Hardik Arora, UG 20 34
 Advanced Scholars Programme (ASP) -
Postgraduate Diploma at Ashoka University

Ashoka University offers a year-long Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Studies and Research
(DipASR) to students who have completed the three-year Bachelor’s Programme. During this
programme students can take a wide range of elective options from across a variety of subjects, as
well as gain valuable research experience in specific disciplines. Students must complete 32 credits
to graduate from the ASP and may choose to complete an advanced major in a particular discipline
or may choose to study subjects across disciplines. Students who need to complete up to 8 credits
of their undergraduate degree must do so within the first semester of the ASP.

In particular, the Economics department offers students who have completed a major in
Economics, Economics and Finance, Politics Philosophy and Economics, or History and
Economics, the following opportunities during their fourth year:

1) Advanced Major in Economics

2) Research project in Economics

3) Course-work in Economics

Advanced Major

The advanced major represents an opportunity for students to undertake a serious graduate level
study of selected topics in Economics by studying further subjects in economics and by engaging
with an extended research project (also known as the graduate thesis) in close supervision with a
faculty member. Selected students may also be permitted to study one of the first-semester Masters
courses in Economics offered at Ashoka. In addition, they get an opportunity to build skills by
taking courses in related disciplines such as Mathematics and Computer Science, among others.

35
This is an invaluable experience for students considering graduate school in Economics or looking
for substantial research experience.

Requirements: In addition to completing the ASP requirements, students must

1) Take 3 courses in Economics (of 4 credits each)

2) Complete a capstone thesis (worth 8 credits)

The remaining 12 credits needed to complete the 32 credit ASP requirements could come from
taking other courses, becoming a teaching assistant or through ISMs.

Capstone Thesis: Students should identify a faculty member with whom they can work closely on
a project they are interested in, and who is able to supervise them. In case you are not sure which
faculty to approach, you may contact the ASP coordinator for help. Upon further discussion and
deliberation with your advisor, you will be asked to send a one-page research proposal describing
the broad research questions or issues that you want to address in your dissertation. At this stage,
the faculty does not expect anyone to be very specific about the topic of research. However, what
is not acceptable is a proposal saying “I want to work in Experimental Economics or “I want to
work in Development Economics. Your faculty advisor should be able to provide you with all the
details that are expected in a standard proposal.

Note: Students who have majored in Politics, Philosophy and Economics cannot complete an
advanced major in Economics. However, they can complete an advanced major in Politics,
Philosophy and Economics. Please see the PPE page for more details. Similarly, students who have
majored in History and Economics cannot complete an advanced major in Economics.

- Can a student do a capstone thesis in Economics without doing an advanced major in

Economics?

Yes, as long as the student is able to find an advisor!

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 Teaching Assistantships

Students whose ASP applications have been approved are encouraged to apply for TF/TA
positions. This is a great opportunity to work closely with an Economics faculty member and gain
an understanding of how different faculty combine different materials from their fields to create
unique courses.

As a TF/TA, you would be responsible for grading quizzes, holding discussion sessions and doubt
clearing office hours, as well as helping with the logistics for classes. For a class section size of
35 students, weekly workload should be around 6-7 hours. You will not have to necessarily attend
classes but it is expected that you would follow-up with the course faculty on a weekly basis to be
on top of the syllabus covered in class. As a part of the ASP program, a TA/TF position carries
no monetary remuneration, but gives 2 credits for each course section one chooses to TA for.

Application Process and Requirements:

A prospective applicant can apply to TA for only those courses which they have already studied
in Ashoka in the past. One has the flexibility to apply to TA for one or more sections of the same
course or for different courses in different semesters. As a part of their application, one must submit
their UG transcript and resume along with a NOC (no objection certificate) from the Registrar.
The Registrar generally checks for any violations reported to CADI or CASH for any reported
incidents against the applicants. Similarly, any cases of academic dishonesty and plagiarism are
also checked for. Once a student has submitted this form, the TAship coordinator for that year will
forward the applications to the relevant course faculty. Based on their recommendations and the
department requirements, the final TF allocations are made.

ASP Experiences

We have collated a few experiences from our students who took the ASP Programme. If you are
interested in pursuing the ASP (4th year) at Ashoka, we recommend you read the extracts from
other students and connect with them for any further questions!

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Unlike most Economics majors, I came into Ashoka with an undecided major. I chose economics
because I ended up enjoying the first few economics courses I took and I believed that it would
give me a good foundation of both quantitative and qualitative thinking. This has held true for all
four years I have studied economics at Ashoka. From strategic thinking in game theory to the
data driven approaches in development economics, each year of economics at Ashoka builds on
your previous knowledge. I chose to do a pure economics major (as opposed to one with finance)
and this allowed me to take several courses outside my discipline in history,

math, and computer science. For those hoping to do economics in the future, taking a few math
courses is definitely helpful.

I came back for ASP because I knew I wanted to work on a rigorous, long-term research project,
and the capstone thesis gave me the opportunity to do just that. While the thesis is definitely
harder than any other coursework one does at Ashoka, it gives you a greater insight into research.
I would recommend the thesis to anyone who is interested in a career in a research-oriented field
in the future. Along with this, being a teacher's assistant and research assistant really enhanced
my learning experience.

Garima Rastogi, ASP20, 2021 Admit at Oxford University

In my first year, I took a couple of introductory courses in different disciplines to decide my

major. However, nothing fascinated me more than economics. The way the discipline is taught at
Ashoka can be very rewarding (albeit challenging), provided you choose courses and professors
based on what works for you.

The faculty at Ashoka is brilliant, and frankly, quite approachable. Something I regret not doing
enough of is making use of office hours.

Initially, I decided to come for the fourth year because I wanted to explore other disciplines (and
also get a job). But I realized I wasn't ready to let go of economics at Ashoka, so I ended up
taking 2 economics courses and being a teaching assistant for 2 finance courses during ASP.
That's how much I enjoyed the courses and the faculty.

Apart from this, during my fourth year, I also did an econ ISM and advanced ISM, which really
helped me understand research a little better. There are ample opportunities at Ashoka to work
with professors on their projects - you just need to approach them!

38
After ASP, I plan to work at a consulting firm for a year before applying for postgraduate
programmes.

Smriti Agiwal, ASP 20, Incoming Analyst at Deloitte Consulting

I walked into Ashoka knowing for sure that I wanted to do Economics and Finance, and I did.
But there were several things that I wish I knew before diving into 3 years of Eco-Fin at Ashoka.

1. It’s not the same as 11th/12th grade eco. If you loved eco then, you might not love it as much
now because there is a huge jump in terms of the amount of stats and math you will be using.

2. If you’re a person who loves application-based work, you might not get that much in eco.
There is loads of theory and little less of applying the theory into real world scenarios. But
there’s a caveat to this (in the next point)

3. Choose your courses and professors wisely. This can be a complete game changer. Course
registration is war zone for a reason, because if you get stuck with a Professor whose teaching
methods you don’t particularly like, trust me you’ll end up disliking the subject itself

4. However I did have the privilege to be taught by some amazing professors (who can definitely
be intimidating)

5. I do not like exams, I am more of a presentation and paper submission person; so, it was
definitely a challenge having SO many exams and quizzes over the 3 years

6. Don’t really bother about your grades during this time, it’s not worth it

7. I really wish there were more Finance courses, 4 courses are too less to get a complete picture

8. I used ASP to complete a minor and a concentration (not in eco), but I did TA for an econ prof
and studied behavioural eco, which were really nice experiences! You should use the time during
ASP to broaden your horizon for sure (and you get more time to redeem yourself grade wise)

All in all, Eco-Fin was a roller coaster for me, so I wish you all the very best!

I am currently at MXV Consulting as a Business Analyst, and I must tell you that Eco-Fin has
surely helped me in terms of basics and skill sets!

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Sindhoora Ganesh, ASP 20, Incoming Analyst at MXV Consulting

I decided to do the ASP because I wanted to see where my journey with economics led me and
also survey subjects that an economics and finance major had not given me the time to explore
during my undergraduate degree. During the fourth year I tried to determine where I saw myself
for the next few years: doing research, studying or working.

I had enjoyed economics the most in my third year, taking electives that allowed me to apply the
concepts I had learnt in my first two years. Extrapolating from that experience, I decided to
undertake an advanced ISM during the ASP which allowed me to glean insights about the nuances
of research - collecting, processing, analysing and articulating data. I felt the thrill that comes with
confirming your initial hypothesis and then instant guilt, because the hypothesis really just
theorised an abysmal reality. Through the year, I also had the opportunity to take various courses
in media studies, entrepreneurship and CS, and work on a merchandising micro venture that ended
up selling a range of products to two departments at Ashoka. The process of creating, pricing and
selling a product was exhilarating and made me want to work on similar projects at a larger scale.
I thus decided to bid academia farewell for good and move on to less noble pursuits (i.e. the
corporate world). I realised that management consulting would allow me to work across a variety
of projects, industries and functions and decided to pursue that.

In writing this I was trying to think about what I would like to have known when I was starting
Ashoka, so here are 3 things that I wish someone had told me when I was a freshman:

1. Go for office hours, read economics outside of course work and take advantage of the positively
star-studded faculty that spends most of their time just a building away from you. (Also, go hit
your books, they don’t hit back!)

2. Spend your time at Ashoka finding something that you like to do; internships, clubs and societies
are microcosms of what you might one day do (in my first two years I joined more clubs than I
cared for, what resulted was a lot of effort and very little impact. Focus on doing a few things, but
do them well).

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3. Spend more evenings in the mess lawns watching the sun set (:

Shivani Bajaj, Incoming Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company

The number of students who come to Ashoka considering to major in Economics is perhaps the
highest year after year, but almost a quarter tend to switch to something aligning more with their
interest. Even though school does not emphasize it, mathematics is an integral part of economics.
Perhaps as a result of this, economics in college can seem very dry for the first two years. But for
those who manage to stick around and still love the subject, it rewards you with what liberal arts
education truly means. It gives one countless real-world applications by the third and the fourth
year. I am among those who loved economics throughout and completed a capstone thesis on the
topic Term Length of MLAs. It was an eye-opening experience, especially since research in
economics as a student is often limited. Going ahead, I am joining a consulting firm as a business
analyst.

Pallavi Agrawal, ASP 20, Incoming Business Analyst at AT Kearney

I came to Ashoka with my intended major as Psychology and minor as Economics. But taking
those few courses in the beginning swayed my decision towards majoring in Economics because
of the rigour our faculty brought to the table and the relevance of what we were learning to the
outside world. While I did enjoy more theoretical and mathematical courses that built a base for
what was to come in the last few semesters at Ashoka, my interest in Economics peaked after
taking courses on Development Economics, Political Economy, and Economics of Discrimination.
These courses helped me think of the world and Economics in a very different light. The basic
empirical work we did for these and other electives also facilitated an interest in data-work and
helped me build a genuine interest in the subject and not what an Economics degree would lead
me to.

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As for the resources that I think helped me get a better grip on what I was doing in classes, the best
was sitting with my friends in these classes and discussing homework, studying together, and
solving each other's doubts. But for electives, I found that reaching out to my Professors to discuss
what I wanted to write a paper on or talk about the process of writing empirical papers helped
tremendously.

I stayed back for the fourth year for three reasons. Firstly, I wanted to convert my minor in
Psychology into a major. The focus there seemed to be slightly different but it helped me think
more about the research process itself since I had to write a couple of research proposals.
Psychology also had courses on statistics and research methodologies (SRM) which complimented
Econometrics quite well. I could understand the math behind running regressions and ANOVAs
in Econometrics but actually get demos in SRM II. Secondly, I hope to apply to the U.S for my
masters in a couple of years and I didn't want to worry about their requirements hereafter. Thirdly,
ASP also bought me some more time to think about what I wanted to do.

I'm not sure if any amount of time will be enough to figure things out to the T but I have started
my job at a data-driven management consultancy firm with a focus in the finance industry. I am
excited to be further honing my econometric and modelling skills, learning programming
languages like R and Python, and challenging my critical thinking abilities along with working
extensively on huge data sets. I don't think I would have been excited for this job if not for the
courses I took as an Econ student.

Searching for jobs can be exhausting. I was told by some people that I should be looking at roles
that excite me and help me grow but that I should also remember that this is my first job, it's not
the end of the world if I don't land up something that I truly truly want. I'd just like to reiterate that
for whoever is looking for jobs at this juncture!

Prachi Palod, ASP 20, Incoming Analyst at Indus Insights

ISM – Independent Study Modules (Research Project)

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Independent Study Modules (ISM) are 4-credit research projects that provide students an
opportunity to work closely with a faculty member. These projects can either be research that
faculty members are already working on or any other research topic that students may be interested
in. Through the course of an ISM, a student will produce a piece of written work based on the
research conducted, under the supervision of a faculty member. They will then be evaluated both
on their written work and on their performance. Students are responsible for finding faculty
members to supervise them or engage them on a research project. If interested, you can simply
approach a faculty member through email prior to the start of the semester, requesting them for
guidance through an ISM. Upon their approval, you will receive 4 credits at the end of your project.
The duration of an ISM will typically be a whole semester.

As of now, the Economics department offers ISM opportunities only to students in the fourth year
who stay back to complete the ASP. An ISM is a great opportunity for students who opt for the
ASP but do not wish to do a capstone thesis, by allowing them to immerse themselves and get a
feel of research experience on a much shorter project. The ISM offers a great degree of flexibility
for the students and the faculty to decide on the topic of study and how they want to go about the
research work. ISMs are generally done on an individual basis or in much smaller cohorts, allowing
the students to build close working relationships with the faculty and contributing to a better
understanding of the research work.

- Is there a cap on the number of ISMs that can be done in a semester and over the
year?

Students doing the advanced major can substitute at most one research project (i.e at most
one ISM) with a faculty member in the economics department for one of the three required
economics courses.

Apart from these caveats, there is no cap on the number of ISMs.

MA in Economics

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The undergraduate economics degree at Ashoka offers the students a direct entry channel into the
MA in Economics program at Ashoka. Students who have successfully completed the
undergraduate BA in Economics or BSc in Economics & Finance with an overall CGPA of 3.60
or higher are eligible for direct admission into the MA program. The MA in Economics offered at
Ashoka is emerging to be one of the most sought-after graduate economics courses in the country.
Undergraduate students can use this opportunity to join the program without having to go through
the process of a competitive entrance examination.

The MA in Economics programme is a two-year, four-semester programme. Through this period,

students study 7 compulsory courses and an elective in the first year and at least 8 electives (or its
equivalent) in the second year. Alternatively, students can complete a dissertation in their second
year. Before the beginning of the semester, students are required to attend a mandatory Math Camp
to brush up their quantitative skills. In the first year, students develop foundations of modern
economics through rigorous courses such as introduction to microeconomics, macroeconomics
and econometrics. In addition, they also take a course which advances their understanding of
quantitative techniques. This rigorous training prepares them for the more research-focused and
specialised elective courses that they have to choose from in the second semester and later in their
second year. The goal of these courses is to allow the students to develop an appreciation of what
the current research frontier in economics looks like. Masters students in Economics can also opt
for ISM’s with faculty members. For more information on Ashoka’s Masters in Economics
Programme, please visit:

https://www.ashoka.edu.in/page/ma-economics-admissions-202

PhD in Economics

Ashoka University offers a PhD programme for graduate students who have completed a Masters
in Economics and have a knack for research and academia. The eligibility criteria for the same is
a 55% pass mark in your Masters programme. Upon eligibility, you will also be asked to give a
written examination and oral-interview assessment.

The first two years of the PhD Programme are primarily focused on coursework and developing a
research plan. In the first year, students will focus on building a strong foundation in
microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics by taking a year-long sequence of core

44
courses in each. In order to meet the requirements for the PhD, students must maintain a minimum
grade of B or 3.0/4.0 in these courses. In the second year, students will develop their research
interests by taking three one-semester elective courses across the monsoon and spring semesters.
In this year, students must also submit and defend a research plan in the form of a short statement
of their proposed research topic, including a description of methods, data and sources.

From the third year onwards, PhD candidates will present their work at seminars, and write up
their research in the form of research papers that together form a draft PhD dissertation. All PhD
students receive a monthly stipend of Rs 35,000. PhD students are also expected to work as
Teaching Assistants on specified courses. To know more about the PhD programme at Ashoka,
kindly visit: https://www.ashoka.edu.in/economics/phd

Research Opportunities with Professors

If you are interested in Economics Research, it is a great idea to start working as a Research
Assistant (RA) under a faculty member. In order to do so, you will have to personally approach
faculty members in their office hours and enquire whether you can assist them on current projects.
Most Economics projects will be empirical in nature and it is advisable to hone your STATA and
Econometric Skills before indulging in such programmes. Before seeking RA roles, make sure to
have prior knowledge about the research interests of your faculty member. Our esteemed faculty
come from a diverse background of different areas of interest in Economics. It is important to
know what they do, prior to seeking a role to work with them.

In addition to individually approaching faculty members of your choice for RA roles, you can also
formally apply for such positions through various research centers at Ashoka. In particular, the
Centre for Gender and Sexuality (CSGS) offers summer internships for Economics students to
work under faculty members for a duration of 2 months. A few such projects that our students have
worked on in the past include:

Health shocks and gender discrimination: This project sought to examine how gender
discrimination in human capital outcomes evolve during a health shock. The intern was responsible

45
for collating data sets for analysis from various sources, under the supervision of Professor
Aparajita Dasgupta, from the Department of Economics.

Female labour force participation in India: This project sought to understand how gendered
social perceptions of work and the institution of caste interact to influence female labour force
participation. While many scholars have commented on the possibility of Sanskritization, there
has been little work in a causal econometric framework on the same. The intern was required to
conduct a literature review, STATA based data analysis, field survey near Sonepat, and administer
a web-based survey, under the supervision of Professor Aparajita Dasgupta, from the Department
of Economics.

Understanding higher education choice by women and its effects on labour market
outcomes: This study attempted to examine the systematic variation in higher education choice
by gender and its effect on labour market outcomes. There were multiple lines of inquiry in this
exercise: first, whether and how the choice of field of undergraduate major (natural sciences, social
sciences, humanities, professional degrees such as engineering, law or medicine) affects labour
market outcomes. Second, what role does gender play in determining higher education choice –
both in terms of whether female students decide to enter college, enter graduate school, as well as
their choice of major and specialisation. The intern was required to collect primary data surveys
and use secondary data to estimate average wages by level of education and sector of employment,
under the supervision of Professor Anisha Sharma and Aparajita Dasgupta, from the Department
of Economics.

Fertility Outcomes in India: The project involved evaluating the effect of National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme on Fertility Outcomes in India. One of the largest public works
programs in India, the Scheme led to an increase in rural household incomes and also increased
women's participation in the labor market. This was expected to potentially have two types of
effects on fertility – increase in fertility due to increase in incomes or a reduction in fertility since
potential mothers are working and would like to avoid child bearing. The intern was required to
conduct the literature review, data cleaning, and data analyses, under the supervision of Professor
Kanika Mahajan, from the Department of Economics.

Working as an RA will undoubtedly develop your research and STATA skills. You can also further
develop these skills through ISM’s or pursuing a thesis in your fourth year (ASP). There are also

46
other RA opportunities through Economic Centres at Ashoka University which are explored in the
next heading.

Economics Research Centres at Ashoka University

Centre for Economic Data and Analysis (CEDA)

The Economics Department of Ashoka University set up the Centre for Economic Data and
Analysis (CEDA) with the primary aim of facilitating informed debate about economic and social
developments in India by developing a data repository that is accessible, searchable and usable by
varied stakeholders such as researchers, journalists, analysts and students. CEDA researchers, who
are faculty members at Ashoka University Economics Department, have been active in producing
a wide variety of analytical and insightful pieces on the effects of the pandemic and the lockdown,
ranging from research papers, policy briefs to opinion pieces in the media.

While a lot of data exists in different places, it is often not easy to locate, or buried deep within
hard-to-navigate digital platforms. At other times, it is simply not available to the general public.
The data centres that currently exist work in isolation, and there is no centralised hub within the
existing data architecture through which users can easily access data that can meet their needs.
CEDA aims to be that hub by compiling data on a wide range of themes such as standards of living,
demography, gender, health, education, governance, public administration, trade, prices, crime, in
addition to GIS data. With this context, CEDA is currently setting up a unique data portal to
produce user-generated, interactive, easy-to-use visualisations of policy-relevant socioeconomic
outcomes, and use these graphics to tell relevant and insightful data stories. In addition to providing
data for public use, the centre also provides valuable research and analytical experience to Ashoka
undergraduate and graduate students, who can associate with CEDA as interns and research
assistants, as well as use the data for their individual research.

47
Ashwini Deshpande is CEDA’s first Director, and will be assisted by an Advisory Committee
consisting of Professors Pulapre Balakrishnan, Anisha Sharma, Sabyasachi Das and Bharat
Ramaswami.

To access CEDA’s policy brief, visit: https://www.ashoka.edu.in/page/CEDA-369

To access CEDA’s working papers, visit: https://www.ashoka.edu.in/page/CEDA-working-

papers-389

Ashoka Centre for Economic Policy (ACEP)

India is at the crucial crossroads where it needs fresh thinking around a new economic development
model that would be relevant to not only for India but also for other developing countries which
are experiencing a serious economic decline after three decades of strong performance.

Headed by Dr. Aravind Subramanian (former Chief Economic Advisor to Government of India),
ACEP aspires to become a globally recognized and globally competitive intellectual hub for
generating ideas and research on global economic development and with a particular focus on
India.

The Centre aims to establish itself as an independent body bold enough to ask important questions
for India and the world, and also demonstrate the confidence to determine appropriate levels of
rigor to truly emerge as the model for other universities and institutions within India that have the
talent but lack the exposure, opportunity and confidence to produce high quality knowledge -
thereby solving a key bottleneck of Indian capacity punching at the world class levels.

The Centre complements the efforts of the Department of Economics, and facilitates the creation
of “portfolio” of outputs, from quasi-academic to policy research, from addressing issues of long-
term interest to high frequency analysis and focussing on issues of concern to the world and India,
to the central government as well as states and third-tier institutions. The Centre will produce two
flagship reports - The World Economic Survey and Indian Economic Survey. It will also conduct
distinguished lecture series as well as capacity building workshops and other seminars, creating

48
an enabling infrastructure for globally renowned researchers and scholars to engage and further
their research agenda around economic development models for India and other developing
countries.

SECTION IV:
DEPARTMENTAL EVENTS

Seminars by the Department of Economics

Since the Monsoon semester of 2016, the Department of Economics has been organizing weekly
Economic Seminars in which students get a chance to learn from and interact with some of the
most distinguished speakers from around the world. The Economics department faculty also
present their papers at these seminars, providing opportunities for students to learn more about
ongoing faculty research. Attending these seminars is highly recommended since they help
bridge the gap between the theories taught in classrooms and their manifestations and
ramifications in the real world as studied by researchers.

Some of the past speakers have included:

- Rajiv Sethi (Columbia University) on “Stereotypes, Crime and Justice.”

- Sisir Debnath (ISB) on “The Impact of Electronic Voting Machines on Electoral

Frauds, Democracy and Development”, paper co-authored with Mudit
Kapoor(ISID) and Shamika Ravi (Brookings Institution and ISB).

- Mousumi Das (Delhi School of Economics) on “Cultural Transmission of Traits:

Some Macroeconomic Implications”.

49
 - Rinku Murgai (World Bank) on “Job Opportunities along the Rural-Urban
Gradation and Female Labor Force Participation in India”. Paper co-authored
with Urmila Chatterjee and Martin Rama.

- Tridip Ray (Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi) on “Impact of Education Loans on

Higher Education: The Indian Experience”. Paper co-authored with Senjuti Patra,
Tridip Ray and Arka Roy Chaudhuri.

- Prachi Mishra (Reserve Bank of India) on “The Transmission of Monetary Policy

Within Banks: Evidence from India”. Paper co-authored with Abhiman Das and
N.R. Prabhala.

For a more detailed list of speakers and their abstracts, please refer to the website.

Workshops

The Department of Economics organizes workshops around various areas of study in economics.
The aim of these workshops is to disseminate knowledge, share new pathways emerging in
economics, foster research collaborations and to build the capacity of both faculty and students.

Some of the workshops organized in the past include:

- Macroeconomics Workshop, 2018

This workshop covers various areas of macroeconomics including monetary economics, topics in
international economics, financial economics, economic growth, labor, to name a few. The
workshop also aims to provide a platform to connect the Macroeconomics community in India.

- Computer Science-Economics Workshop, 2018

This two-day workshop organized by the Economics department in collaboration with the
Computer Science Department at Ashoka University, focused on game theory and applications in
computer science and economics.

- Behavioural/Experimental Economics Workshop, 2018.

- Workshop on Community Networks and Institutions, 2019

It is helpful to check the website for any updates on new workshops and registration details.

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 Annual Economics Conference

The Department’s conference series aims to bring together researchers working in different fields
of economics. The 2nd Annual Economics Conference was held on December 14-16, 2018. The
broad areas around which the sessions were organized include Public Policy, Economic Theory,
Topics in Applied Microeconomics, Political Economy, and Macroeconomics. The 3rd Annual
Economics Conference was held on December 14-16, 2019. The conference had five sessions
spread across three days. Each session had three papers along a particular theme. The thematic
areas include Experimental Economics, Applied Microeconomics, Governance,
Macroeconomics, and Economic Theory. These conferences are extremely informative and
helpful for any Economics major to gain in depth information in specific subfields within their
discipline.

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52
 SECTION V:
ECONOMICS SOCIETY AND JOURNAL

Ashoka Economics Society

SociConference
The Ashoka Economics Society (AES) actively contributes to the dialogue around economics in
Ashoka. As students of economics, we find ourselves occupied with coursework for the better
part of the semester. Hence, the AES aims to take economics beyond the classroom and get the
students to start thinking about ideas that are relevant to the issues around us and the ones that
inspire us. It is our vision to make the subject more accessible to students and inspire them to
engage with ideas beyond the confines of our courses. Over the past year, we have organized
talks, a panel discussion, informal common room discussions with professors, student-run
discussions and a movie screening. In the spirit of encouraging the dialogue around economics
on campus, we are also starting our blog and a webinar series, which will provide nuanced
viewpoints on relevant topics. The following were some of the events organised by the society in
the previous academic year:

· Is the Indian Economy in Crisis? Professor Pulapre Balakrishnan interacted with

the students on the current functioning and status of the Indian Economy.

· The Nobel Prize in Economics ‘19: Professor Anisha Sharma, held an interactive
session explaining how the work of Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo,
and Michael Kremer transformed the way we think about development economics.

· Closing Our Doors: Students engaged with Prof. Anuradha Saha in an interactive
session, discussing India’s decision to exit the RCEP.

· An Inquiry into The Idea of Progress: Organized an Inter-departmental Panel

discussion with Prof. Rudrangshu Mukherjee (History Dept.), Ashwini Deshpande
(Economics Dept.), and Danny Weltman (Philosophy Dept.). The panel brought forth
perspectives from the field of History, Economics and Philosophy on the idea and
meaning of progress and questioned why we think about it in a certain manner.

As a new academic year starts, we at AES look forward to meeting as many of you as possible
and to organizing more such fun and meaningful events.

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 Ashoka University Economics Review

‘The Ashoka Economic Review’ is Ashoka’s first ever student-led and peer-
reviewed Economics Newspaper. While many of us analyze the ongoing economic events
around us, only some manage to contribute to the discourse in a relevant and researched manner.
We realize that while Economics is a popular discipline with many real-life implications, as
students, it is often restricted to theoretical models in classrooms. However, the 21st century
brings with itself many challenges that demand strong economic thinking from budding students
like us. It's important that we engage with current debates, politics and philosophies to march our
way forward into a more sustainable and coherent economy.

We believe that one of the best ways to start early with our Economics journey is through
writing. As Kate Raworth writes,

“The most powerful tool in Economics is not money, nor even algebra. It is a pencil. Because
with a pencil, you can redraw the world.”

The various initiatives that the review will undertake, including but not limited to article
publications, video-interview series, expansion into a research journal over time, hosting
competitive writing events and inviting eminent academicians to contribute to the platform. If
you are interested in economic research, public policy and writing, this is the right
platform for you. This is how the platform will work:

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 SECTION VI:
ADVISING AND RESOURCES

Office Hours

Students often benefit from interacting with their instructors outside of class time. In this regard,
each instructor holds regular office hours for the students to attend. Often scheduled twice a week,
based on the convenience of the instructor, office hours are walk-in cabin appointments where
students can individually discuss doubts and problems either in relation to the course material, or
any other personal issues with the instructor.

It is advisable to make use of these office hours if you wish to enhance your learning experience
at Ashoka. These appointments provide a beneficial opportunity to interact one-on-one with the
faculty, who are well renowned experts in their fields. The faculty are not only open to discussing
issues relating to the course, but also provide essential advice and guidance on navigating through
the major at Ashoka. In fact, this time can also be utilized by the students to discuss topics of
interest related to the course or the subject which may not necessarily be covered in the classes.

Office hours provide you with a valuable opportunity to develop strong relationships with your
instructors, and are definitely something not worth forgoing. The professors who have ample
experience in their respective fields can contribute to improving your understanding of the topics
and also provide further assistance by directing you towards resources and opportunities which
may be beneficial to explore your interests and career opportunities.

Teaching Assistants/Teaching Fellows

Each course offered by the Economics Department has an allocated Teaching Assistant (TA) or a
Teaching Fellow (TF). This individual is often an undergraduate or a graduate student who has

55
studied the course before. The TA/TF works closely with the instructor to put forth any concerns
faced by the students and is primarily tasked with the responsibilities of:

● Holding meetings outside of class-time (Office Hours): During these office hours, the
timings for which will be announced to the students at the onset of the course, the students
can approach the TA/TF with any doubts they have regarding course material, concepts,
deadlines, syllabus, schedule etc. The TA/TF can also assist the student with any personal
accommodations that he/she might require in order to participate in the course.

● Grading test-scores and assignments: Often, the TA/TF is responsible for grading class
assignments and tests that are regularly conducted as part of the curriculum at Ashoka. In
the case that a student has concerns with respect to grading, he/she can approach his/her
TA/TF for clarifications. Moreover, the TA/TF is also responsible for record keeping of
such scores. If a student wishes to know his/her performance in the course so far, he/she
can contact his/her TA/TF.

● Discussion Sessions (DS): Often, for compulsory core economics courses, the TA/TF holds
weekly Discussion Sessions where he/she revises the concepts taught in the class. It is
advisable for students to regularly attend these sessions, since the TA/TF also solves
additional problem-sets and questions that aim to advance student learning.

● Attendance: The TA/TF usually tabs the attendance for the course taken. A student may
also approach the TA/TF for any attendance related queries.

● Point of Contact: If students in the course share similar concerns about the conduction of
the course (for example, the pace or the syllabus of the course), they can approach their
TA/TF to put forth their concerns to the instructor.

While a student can easily approach the instructor for any course-related assistance, the TA/TF
acts as an additional resource that the students can consult before reaching out to the instructor.
The TA/TF can provide individual assistance to each student, keeping in mind specific concerns,
while at the same time creating a friendly peer-assistance environment.

In order to contact your TA/TF, you can simply email them on their Ashoka TA/TF email ID’s
which will be provided to you at the onset of the course.

For more details on how to apply for the TA/TF programme, refer to Section V.

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 Student Representatives

Each academic year, the Economics department appoints two representatives from the student
body, one each for Economics and Economics & Finance respectively. Any student can approach
the Economics representatives for any help with regards to the structure of the major, course and
credit requirements, logistical assistance with academic issues or any other concerns they are
facing with respect to the major. The student representatives form an important bridge between the
department and the student body. They are responsible for representing any issues or problems
faced by the students to the department, while at the same time forming a channel of
communication for the department to the student body.

The department with help from the representatives also conducts an Academic Expo during the
orientation week to introduce the incoming batch to Economics at Ashoka. The student
representatives are an important resource and a helpful guide in navigating your academic journey
at Ashoka - hence it is always beneficial to seek their assistance whenever necessary.

Student-led Help Desks

An initiative undertaken by the Student Representatives of the Economics Department; student-

led help desks provide a platform for peer-based learning on campus. After a careful selection
process, a volunteer peer tutor team of about 10-15 members is formed. Members of this team are
often 3rd year Economics majors or ASP students who have taken and are proficient at the
compulsory Economics courses taught at Ashoka University.

As an Economics student at Ashoka, if at any point you feel like you need additional help with
coursework, either conceptual or with solving assignments, you can simply email the Student
Representatives with the name of the course you need help in. The Student Representative will
pair you with a tutor under this initiative, who you can set an appointment with. You can then meet

57
with your tutor and seek additional help with your coursework. If required, you can also set group
appointments with your allotted tutor.

The aim of this initiative is to increase peer learning on campus. Peer-learning can often provide
space to ask doubts without hesitation as well provide the opportunity to connect and meet with
new students.

Library Resources & Faculty Recommended Reading

Ashoka University provides access to a diverse set of resources through its Library. The Ashokan
Library plays an essential role in the university, offering students access to both print and digital
media. As an Economics major, you can access many such resources including textbooks, fun
reads, magazines, academic papers, through both on-campus issue of books or remote access to
eBooks. For more information on library resources, you can simply visit their website:
http://library.ashoka.edu.in/. Happy exploring!

In addition to its own resources, the library also provides access to content from reputed libraries
in the country through the Interlibrary cooperative initiatives. In case you want to procure a
particular script, you can simply contact the library administration and place your request, either
in person or through email. In particular, some reputed magazines and journals that the library
provides access to and can strengthen your Economic aptitude as well as provide holistic readings
include:

● The Economist

● Economic and Political Weekly

● Science Direct

● J-Stor

● The New York Times

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 In continuation to additional resources, we have also collated a list of Faculty Recommended
Economics Reads! The spirit of Economics lies not only in classroom lectures but also through
self-exploration of the field. Some interesting literature that is sure to provide you with valuable
insights into the discipline and its complementary subjects, that you can pick up and read along
your journey with Economics include:

1. The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times and Ideas of The Great
Economic Thinkers by Robert L. Heilbroner

2. The Great Escape: Health, Wealth and the Origins of Inequality by

Angus Deaton
MUST READ BOOKS!

3. Poor Economics by Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther Duflo

4. Sense and Solidarity - Jholawala Economics for Everyone by Jean

Dreze

5. The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008 by

Paul Krugman

6. Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for

Collective Action (Political Economy of Institutions and
Decisions) by Elinor Ostrom

7. A Field of One’s Own: Gender and Land Rights in South Asia by

Bina Agarwal

8. Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

9. Economics Rules by Dani Rodrik

10. Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Change by Douglass

North

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 11. Thinking Strategically by Dixit and Nalebuff

12.
MUST READ BOOKS!
A Random Walk down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel

13. Faultlines by Raghuram Rajan

14. The Theory of Incentives: The Principal-Agent Model by

Jean-Jacques Laffont and David Martimort

15. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah

Harari

16. Why Nations Fail by Acemoglu et.al

17. Thinking Fast and Slow by Kahneman

18. The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford

19. Global Economic History: A very short introduction by Robert

Allen

20. The East India Company: The World's Most Powerful Corporation by
Tirthankar Roy

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 Informal Tips & Advice

Here are some informal tips collated from student experiences in order to help you sail through
your Economics journey smoothly:

BE SURE!

Be sure of your choice to pursue an Economics Major. Ashoka offers you a myriad of
degree options as well as the opportunity to explore different disciplines. Through the
Foundation Courses that you will be required to do in your first year, get a feel of what it
would be like to study Economics. Talk to your immediate seniors as well.

Often, students get attracted to Economics due to either their peer groups (Economics is
after all the most popular major at Ashoka) or the ‘supposed’ better employment
opportunities after. However, it is EXTREMELY important for you to have an actual
interest in the subject. The major is challenging, demanding and rigorous. If you do not
have a real interest and love for it, you will find yourself dissatisfied with your
undergraduate experience. Take some space to better understand your interests. This
certainly isn’t to scare you or persuade you to opt out of Economics, but to allow you the
opportunity to introspect and make an informed decision.

Do your assignments yourself!

Most Economics courses require students to submit completed assignments as part of the
grading structure. While there surely are many resources that students can refer to while
solving these assignments, we suggest that you always first attempt to solve them by
yourself. Assignments are important because they not only provide you the scope to engage
with the course content beyond classroom lectures but also help you be consistent in your
learning. Moreover, they often attempt to challenge you - the questions are harder and
require more thought than exam-style questions. Do take the effort to self-study in this

61
regard - you will realise that you need not stress about exams if you actually attempt most
of your assignments by yourself!

Make use of Office Hours

Office Hours with Professors and/or TA’s can be a great way for you to develop personal
relations with faculty and peers. Classes can get tedious, meticulous and too-structured at
times, given that they attempt to cover a pre-decided set of concepts. However, if you ever
feel like engaging with one particular concept, or simply even want to delve deeper into
real-world applications or latest research in the subject in greater detail, office hours
provide an excellent platform. You can ask personal queries, doubts or simply seek advice
for your future plans.

Moreover, students often shy away from asking small doubts in classes or discussing any
personal issues that they may be facing with the course. Particularly in this regard, office
hours provide a safe space to be open, curious and engaging with your Professor.

Start Reading and Writing Economics

Many elective Economics courses will require you to submit academic papers that are well
structured and researched. To develop your writing skills, it is advisable to start writing
Economic blogs or articles early on. Be an avid reader and follow other Economic
journals/newsletters/websites to stay in touch with the latest developments in the field.
Moreover, attempt to write Op-Eds or short articles about your understanding of the issue.
This will allow you to enhance your writing and researching abilities - arguably the most
important skills for your third year! You can even attempt to publish your articles in the
college journal () or other newspapers.

Connect with peers, Master’s and PhD batches, YIFs and other students with similar
interests. Use Alumni Networks as well!

62
The importance of networking cannot be stressed enough! Make use of the smart peer
groups that Ashoka offers. Get to know students from various cohorts, including Master’s
and PhD students in Economics and YIF Scholars. You will learn more about these
programs once you become familiar with Ashoka, however you will realize that there are
few opportunities to interact with students who are not your direct peers. Therefore, make
conscious efforts to get to know as many people and experience as possible! You never
know whose story might inspire you. Take time out to find students with similar career
interests. Ashoka offers you access to students from a diverse set of backgrounds. While
academics and courses certainly form a significant part of your Economics journey, peers
are equally important.

Attend Seminars

The Economics Department hosts many reputed speakers/academicians from a diverse set
of Economic backgrounds to share their research interests and academic work. You will
often get email reminders for such events wherever the department is holding a talk or a
seminar. The topics of discussions are extremely relevant, exciting and engaging. If you
are particularly interested in research or a particular wing of Economics, attending these
seminars will surely nurture your research interests. You can also take this opportunity to
connect with academicians from various reputed universities and see what their work
entails!

Start early and build good quantitative foundations

The Economics program at Ashoka is mathematically rigorous, and while you do not
necessarily need to be proficient in mathematics, it’s important to develop a good
understanding of mathematical ideas and their application. This requires building a good
foundation in your Math for Economics course. It is very important to start early, and take
your introduction courses seriously. Shaky math foundations might disallow you to derive
benefit from the Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Statistics courses that follow.
Well begun is surely half done!

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Put in the extra effort during the second year, electives are worth the wait!

Until the third year where students opt for elective economics courses, most other courses,
especially in your second year, focus on building your theoretical concepts. These courses
provide you with tool sets in order to train you to apply economic concepts. At times,
studying abstract models or mathematics might get overwhelming especially with little
study of applied economic issues. However, if you put in the effort to master the tools, you
will be able to reap the benefits in the electives in your third year. A strong foundation is
certainly the key to mastering your Economics major. The electives are purely applicative
and truly are worth the effort.

Freshers - Engage with Economics Society

For the freshers who may be finding it really hard to wait till the second semester for any
real engagement with Economics, the Economics Society offers a wonderful opportunity.
The Economics Society is responsible for cultivating a culture of Economics at Ashoka
beyond the classrooms, and as students making use of the relatively relaxed schedule in
the first year to engage with the society can be really beneficial. Moreover, given that
Ashoka is still fairly young and that the society is in its nascent stages, the incoming batches
will surely play a crucial role in shaping its trajectory going forward. Most reputed
universities around the world are known for their vibrant academic societies and it is
essential that Ashoka also works towards the same. Engaging with the society will also
allow you to interact and build good connections with the seniors, find fellow students with
similar interests as well as become a part of Ashoka’s growth story!

Do not obsess over grades, focus on learning, grades will follow

Lastly, while academic performance and grades are really important, do not let your
Ashokan experience be defined by them. Ashoka is a place for boundless learning, and let
your undergraduate journey be driven by curiosity, inquisitiveness and a spirit to keep
learning. Grades will eventually follow!

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 SECTION VII:
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER ASHOKA

Graduate School Preparation

Many of us aim to pursue a Masters or PhD programme after our Economics degree. Applying to
a graduate programme is a challenging process that requires significant thought and planning. In
order for you to get started on this track, here are few things you need to keep in mind.

FIRST, RESEARCH.

Start research on the different universities and programmes you might be interested in. The best
way to proceed is to simply visit graduate school websites and see what they offer. You might be
surprised to find the diverse range of courses available. While doing your research, keep 3 things
in mind: the country where you want to study, the course you want to pursue and the different
school options you have. You might also find it useful to check various rankings (QS, for instance)
to find your options. It might be useful to engage with professors or past students who studied at
your preferred university to better understand the structure of the programme. You can even write
to officers at the graduate school itself for any queries.

SECOND, DOCUMENT.

Once you gain perspective on the different options available, prepare a well-researched document
that notes your findings. It is often helpful to make a list of the colleges you want to apply for as
well as the particular course you are interested in. A good way to do this is to divide your college
options into categories such as ‘Safety Schools’, ‘Achievable Schools’ and ‘Dream Schools’. This
allows you to apply to a diverse set of schools and keeps your options open. However, remember
to be selective and not apply to too many schools - the process is tiresome and you might lose
focus soon. Alongside the college and course name, document important aspects of the application.
Some things you might include are:

● Duration of the course itself

● GPA Requirements

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 ● Number of Letter of Recommendations Required

● GRE/GMAT scores required

● College Fees

● Course Requirements (whether you need to take particular courses in college)

● Application Timeline, Deadline and Dates (many applications are rolling)

● Number of Essays Required/Topics of the Essays

● Scholarships Available, if any

● Entrance Exams Required, if any

● Ashokan Alumni in that school

Once you have this document ready, you will have a good idea of what and how much work needs
to be done before your application. You can accordingly decide when to take your GMAT/GRE,
when to take required courses, start preparing for entrance exams and begin writing your essays.

THIRD, NETWORK.

Once you know the details of your application, start talking to both professors and peers on how
to proceed. Connect with Professors to ask for a letter of recommendation (refer to next section),
as well as with your peers for guidance on GRE/GMAT and essays. Make sure you meet all
eligibility criteria and take any course required prior to your application. It is hard to make separate
accommodations for particular students, so plan accordingly.

Remember once you have decided to apply and have finished the first draft of your application,
you can ask to get your essays reviewed from relevant alumni. Ashokans are often very excited to
help fellow Ashokans! Get your essays and other parts of the application reviewed much before
your actual date of submission so that you can have ample time to make changes. Do not get
stressed or discouraged throughout the process. It is best to start thinking about schools a year prior
to your application date so that you have ample time to meet all requirements and apply.

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For an Economics based masters in particular, many schools prefer candidates who take courses
in statistics, math, and computer science in their undergraduate programme. Some courses you can
choose to pursue if you are sure about opting for a masters in Economics include: Calculus,
Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, Introduction to Computer Programming,
Probability Theory and Statistical Inference. To get an idea of what economics research is all about
(and to get to know a faculty member well), you should consider writing a senior honors thesis as
well.

Asking for Letter of Recommendations

Most jobs, graduate schools, study abroad programs, and internships require a letter of
recommendation or contact information for a reference. It is almost always submitted by the writer
directly to the organization so you never see it yourself. It is often part of the professors’ job to
write these letters for their students, so do not be shy about asking for a recommendation. However,
following are certain key points to note while seeking recommendations!

First, always ask with plenty of time in advance - at least 2 weeks, for your letter.

Professors may or may not be able to schedule your request if you do not give them sufficient prior
notice. Moreover, be prepared to share with your professor your resume and information about
what you’re applying for and why you are interested in doing it. Your professor may or may not
want to meet you to discuss your interest in the position. The letters matter less (and are easier to
write) for low-stakes opportunities like study abroad than for more selective or higher-stakes
opportunities, so be particularly careful about choosing your letter-writers for the higher-stakes
instances.

Who is a good letter-writer for you? An optimal letter-writer should ideally have you in at least
one class or should have supervised you in research, thesis, or other work. Moreover, their contact
with you should be relatively recent. You might also want to consider how well you performed in
their class or work and whether you have had interactions with them outside of the classroom. For
this purpose, do certainly attend office hours and build relationships with your referee prior to the
time of applications. In many cases, it might also help to seek references from professors with
similar educational backgrounds or work experiences to what you are seeking to pursue later.

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The professors may say no for any number of reasons. Notably, they might not have time, or might
not be confident that they can write you a strong letter for this position. If they say no, don’t take
it personally, and make sure you have time to move on to the next possible letter-writer. You will
certainly receive the guidance you require from the department. Just, plan early, engage in
conversations with your professors early-on and be confident in asking for recommendations!

Job Search and Internship Advice

An economics training prepares you for an array of careers. Some in-demand sectors where job
prospects are high include:

Careers for an Economist

Banking and Government and Education and Business

Finance Public Sector Communications

Financial Analyst Analyst for Central Professor/Academicia Management

Banks n Consulting

Investment Banker Public Policy Technical Writer Market Research

Researcher, Think Analyst
Tanks

Commodities Non-Profit Journalist/Columnist Marketing and

Broker Organizations Sales

Bank Management International Policy Information Analyst Actuary and Risk

Trainee Analyst - World Analyst
Bank, United
Nations

Economic Public Legal Profession Trader

Forecaster Administrator -
Civil Services

Securities Analyst Tax Auditor Statistician & Survey Start-up Founder

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 Analyst and
Entrepreneurship

Loan Counsellor Trade Analyst News Anchor Human Resources

Hedge Fund Urban Planner Data-Science

Manager Analyst

Private Equity Planning Self-Employed

Commissions Businessman

Before applying for jobs, it is advisable to know where your interests lie. Start planning early and
research about the sector you wish to enter. It might be helpful to build networks and start
communicating with relevant people who can offer you insights into the work you will be expected
to do. Build your LinkedIn profiles and connect to people, employers, alumni and peers with
interests alike. While the process might seem intimidating or overwhelming, remember to remain
calm. It is alright to not be sure and explore different career trajectories. What is more important
is to keep striving to acquire knowledge about different roles and interests, network, and more
importantly, develop your skills through active participation.

Internships are often a great way to explore work-roles before entering the market. Ashoka
University offers a 3-month long summer break, which you can utilize productively by interning.
It is advisable to search for summer internships at least 2-3 months prior to the start of the break -
most firms or research centers have deadlines that you should research about as early as possible.
Moreover, Ashoka University’s Career Development Offices (CDO) also provide internship
opportunities through firms that recruit interns on campus. If you are interested, please be proactive
in engaging with the office and applying for roles when they are available. You can always email
the CDO and the Internship Cell for more information ([email protected]).
Alternatively, you can seek internship roles individually through LinkedIn or personal networks.

Through internships and networking, once you are more confident about your career trajectory and
entering the job market, you can start your job search. First, you can approach the CDO to gauge
an idea about the different firms that recruit from campus. You can also suggest your
recommendations if you wish that a particular firm be approached through University.
Alternatively, you can also apply for roles individually. Before applying, make sure to thoroughly

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research about firms you want to apply to through their websites. Connecting with Ashoka alumni
is a great opportunity to engage further in firm research.

It is important to build your skills and resume before entering the job market. While the University
holds many workshops for career development skills including mock interviews and CV building,
start taking your own initiative to further improve your skills. It is important to work smartly and
build a diverse set of skills particular to your field, instead of blindly following the crowd. For
example, brush your econometrics application and STATA use if you are interested in research-
based roles. Alternatively, focus on Excel, PowerPoint and data-analytics software such as R and
Tableau if you are interested in the corporate sector. It is also advisable to engage with student
clubs and societies on campus to further your overall development. You can find a detailed list of
these clubs and societies here:

https://www.ashoka.edu.in/page/Student-life-29

For more information on the past track record of student placements and internship opportunities,
kindly visit: https://recruit.ashoka.edu.in/.

Alumni Experiences

One of the best ways to understand life after graduation is through learning about past experiences
of our alumni. Below are some accounts and tips from our students placed at various organizations
and graduate schools. Enjoy reading and feel free to connect with them through email (alumni ID)
or LinkedIn for further information!

INSIGHTS
ALUM SPEAKS

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Hi soon-to-be fellow Ashoka economics graduates,

Take a breath and let that sink in. As a person who failed to celebrate his ceremonial passing over
into the real world, enjoy the moment and appreciate the hard effort you have put in over the past
few years, and over your life. Providing yourself that time to gather your thoughts and aspirations,
breathe and remain mindful of your achievements is one of the takeaways I will heavily advocate
for in this piece. Read on to find out what else.

I did not know what I wanted to do when I was leaving Ashoka for a post at Citibank. Even after
heavily drawing on Citibank’s financial allure and that of a cozy, comfy lifestyle, my motivation
at the organization died a quick death. Its gravestone and accompanying formalities-based eulogies
were laid to rest barely nine months after I joined them. Riding on the wave of my passions, I was
tempted by an editorial position at The Express Group. My work laying the foundations of Edict
and my part-time overtures with Qrius, had inflamed a dormant and residual element within me
that I had seemingly, unknowingly and unwittingly failed to pay attention to. The glitz and glamour
of an international financial services conglomerate had quite expectedly entranced me to my own
doom.

Leaving a buried, not so visible aspiration behind was, however, the easy bit when compared to
the adjustments I had to make when forced to acclimatize to two new cities, climates, people,
environment, language and work culture over the space of nine months. The diversity of
perspectives and learnings, some encouraging and helpful, others degrading and painful to
swallow, has by far been the most valuable knowledge tidbits I have acquired, both in terms of my
job and myself.

If you have read till here, you might have been able to glean a few takeaways already from my
limited experiences thus far.

“None of your work has been directly economics-related…”

“How does volunteering and constant shifting of jobs/posts affect a profile?”

These might be some of the questions floating about in your mind, or on your CV. What follows
are a few pointers that might help you make sense not only of this gyaan but of your future selves
as well:

- Economics is not only Solow growth models, Acemoglu’s conception of institutions,

demand and supply graphs or the production possibility frontier. It is, in my eyes, more
importantly about how you think. Logical, precise and crisp reasoning are what is expected
to follow from an economics undergrad. Following the acquisition of these skills, it simply

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remains a question of how you sell yourself in this already commodified world. For
example, my cover letter for The Express Group had specifics of how I utilized these
thinking frameworks in my work for the Edict and in writing academic papers. The same
allowed me to volunteer my time as a researcher in mental health for a bit. Remember, it’s
not necessarily what you studied but how you performed tasks assigned to you.

- There is nothing wrong in volunteering, whether it be alongside a full-time role or not.

Taking the liberty to quote myself, an individual who has changed lines multiple times,
from above, it is about the skills you acquire and not necessarily the sector you are
working in. Disclaimer: This obviously does not factor in financial considerations where
working to earn becomes a necessary priority.

- Establish a strong network. It will come in handy during lean hiring periods. Another
incentive for one to want to volunteer could be to broaden one’s network. Currently, I
have seven highly experienced personnel across sectors such as development, journalism,
banking, research, grassroots communities and academia in my network who I can rely on
not only for job-related assistance but for professional and personal growth as well. A more
apt name for them would be mentor friends and not just mentors.

- Construct your time as an output, not an input. In an economy where our attention span
and time are baited for and sought in a mercantile, cutthroat fashion, the time that you give
is your most valuable output. Stressing between multiple job fronts and workplaces? Cut
at least one of them down, focus on minimal avenues and create the most sustainable
change not only for yourself but others in the process as well.

- Do not be afraid to ‘cold apply’. Right now, at the end of my PG degree at ISPP, my
most lucrative source of responses on the back of job applications has been cold
applications, or those that you send to the HR while not even maintaining a note of them
in your mind/diary/whatever works for you assuming that they will never call back. Build
your profile and sell yourself well. This brings me on to my next two points (I can ramble,
can’t I?)

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 - Expressing passion and fluffing up your LinkedIn/CV is fine as long as you are not lying.
Saying that you are passionate for writing and demonstrating that through your work
and eloquent vocabulary and expressive emotions is fine and good. Narrating the same
through the lens of passion for research is also fine (in this instance, you are not lying but
simply stating that your work as a writer has led you to pursue research. This is how I have
collected job offers from research organizations despite having never worked in one
before.) But, elaborating on an experience you have never had before is A BIG NO.
You will get caught out, sooner rather than later.

- Know yourself and what you have to offer well. As said above, your time is an output.
You giving anything your attention is an expenditure on your behalf. Even if you wish to
experiment with roles, do so in a limited fashion. One that allows you to immerse yourself
in the work and what it requires. BUT DO NOT SPREAD YOURSELF THIN. Giving
everything and everybody focused time will enable you to make more informed decisions
in the future, helping you build your profile.

- Finally, take care of yourself, PLEASE. This cannot be emphasized enough. Seek
counselling, take time off, detox yourself digitally, stay away from incessant news
updates and continue taking time out to learn, acquire new skills, spend time with
loved ones and remain in peace and solitude with and by yourself. You can only give
to others what you are able to recover and spend on yourself. These are investments whose
ROI will enable you to deliver and be there for others to the best of your capability.

For having survived and taken out precious time to read till here, I thank you.

Anything is indeed possible, even for an economics graduate, whether it be in terms of your career
path or write-ups (as my past and this piece demonstrate). Feel free to reach out to me and
remember to give time. There will be bumps, bruises, heartaches and celebratory jumps. Live each
of these moments to the fullest. Cry and laugh buckets. This journey is yours to own and guide for
yourself. You decide what works best for you. Remain kind, compassionate, eager, hungry and
patient. Everything becomes clear, or nothing ever does

Yash Budhwar, UG17, Journalist & Editor at the Indian Express

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One of the things that I feel are primal to a fulfilling professional start is to have a good mentor in
an organization that is suited to offer the most conducive environment to your learning. I spent my
first year after Ashoka working at a mainstream consulting firm and I remember thinking that
wow, this is it. I made it to a firm that is in the big league and that my experience will obviously
be amazing. What followed was a lot of hierarchy- what ultimately trickled down to my platter
after all those levels of higher ups was just very run-of-the-mill delivery support work that I didn’t
look forward to at all. I actually can barely count the few skills I picked up at this organization. As
an Ashokan, my penchant and zest for thinking and applying myself just waned away. I didn’t
have good mentorship for most of the year and I think that that was the most important to me- to
have a good mentor who can give me the opportunity to collaborate, work independently and also
ideate and innovate. I think that I would have had a way more fulfilling start at a smaller
organization- with maybe a greater sense of belonging, purpose, engagement and opportunity to
apply myself. That is one of the most important things according to me. So really, just work
somewhere that makes you feel excited about going to work consistently, makes you feel
comfortable and gives you the time and space to pursue what you want to on a daily basis.

Devika Bhatia, UG19, Associate at Grant Thorton

I did a lot of things in college that I thought could not have been remotely related to Economics
and Data Analysis. But that turned out to be not the case. From working with Neev to organize the
Asawarpur Mela to working as a Resident Assistant and from working as a president of Shramdaan
to leading security at Banjaara (2.0), I learnt how to combine skills like communication and
transparency to more academic skills like literature review and creating references.

My job hunt was not as smooth as I would have liked it, rather I was jobless till mid-May, 2020.
It was only after I came across a listing for a Research and Data Analyst for UNDP and after some
4 rounds of back and forth did I get the job. Looking back, I realized that my grades or my GPA
did not matter at all in any of the interviews or applications. All that mattered were things like
knowledge of economic concepts, awareness about skills related to data analysis and the
willingness to communicate clearly and effectively. These were the things that landed my first job.

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I think the takeaway from my journey, for myself, would be this: forget about how many marks
others are getting and try to understand and appreciate the art that Professors are trying to inculcate
in you. Go beyond what is expected of you, go beyond the homework(s) and assignments (I know
how ridiculous this sounds but trust me you will come to see them as stepping stones in hindsight)
and build meaningful connections with your peers and professors. These connections will come in
handy much more than you realize.

Cheers to the journey that we all undertake while studying Economics at Ashoka, from some
insignificant data points in the education space to statistically significant individuals that have the
power to do much more and the resources to do much better.

Cheers.

Daksh Baheti, UG19, Research and Data-Analyst at UNDP

Hello fellow Ashokans,

I’m currently working as the Growth Marketing Lead of the Financial Services vertical at Airtel
Payments Bank. Having completed a year recently, here are some of my insights into this crazy
world of employment:

Ø Profile over brand

While shortlisting colleges a few years ago, you may have received this advice: “The
course is more important than the college itself.” When it comes to jobs, I do think that the
same logic applies.

If you are seeking a job based only on brand name and not the actual job profile—you’re
going to have regrets. No matter how amazing the company sounds on your CV, if you
don’t enjoy the work you do, you’re probably going to burn out very quickly. Fortunately
for me, Airtel was a big brand and was also offering the profile that I wanted. I was initially

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 nervous about working in the banking and finance industry because my strengths lie in my
creative process, not so much in my understanding of Finance itself. However, because I
am working as a Marketing manager, I was able to use my strengths in doing the job well.

Ø Knowledge is power

Read up and stay informed about the industry and the company’s competition. These
insights give you an edge, and if you are able to point out new strategies/ ways to adapt to
them in your own firm, it shows that you are a holistic thinker. As Ashokans, we were
pretty much forced to think about everything critically, so I know that this is our strong
suit.

Ø Company culture

We all have a very stereotypical interpretation of what a professional setting looks and
sounds like. However, when I first joined the job, I was pleasantly surprised by how
relaxed, yet effective the work culture was. My advice would be to keep your eyes open
and observe how things work. Adjusting to the company culture (whether its fast paced or
relaxed) is very important in order to work efficiently. Similarly, spend some time learning
about who does what and who the relevant resources are for your work. You don’t want to
be running around the whole day to find people for the next task on your list.

Ø Learn from those who came before you

I am the only undergraduate + liberal arts student in my team of IIM-A gold medalists.
While I am able to bring in a new perspective and creativity, there is a lot that I do not
know. I stay confident in my learning but I also pay attention to everyone else’s thinking.
There is a lot of experience and wisdom that they have to offer, so take it in and be the best
version of yourself.

Diya Singh UG19, Growth Marketing Lead at Airtel Payments Bank

Life after Ashoka will be monotonous. You have to be okay with the idea of not interacting with
your college friends every day. As everyone gets busy with their lives, it becomes important to
set your own personal goals and work towards it. Personal goals can be as small as taking out
time to read the newspaper every day. As you get on with your job, there will be times when

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you’d just want to relax after work. Initially you may feel that work is taking your entire time.
However, it does get better with time and this is also another reason why personal goals are
important as it will help you focus on something else other than work.

In the work front,

1. Your bosses and your mentors understand that you are a fresher and you are building
your skills. What they ask for is to keep an open mind and be willing to accept their
inputs.

2. Do reach out to your seniors and your peers if you face any difficulties. Everyone
around you is more than willing to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask the silliest questions.

It is more important to clear your confusion than appearing to know the details when you
don't.

Yash Vardhan Gadiyan, Analyst Corporate Finance and Investment Banking, PwC

As I have transitioned from an undergraduate to a master’s student at HEC Paris, having

studied economics at Ashoka has presented a unique set of privileges and challenges.

The Ashokan degree itself is rigorous and highly competitive in an international environment. The
multidimensional education model of Ashoka ensures one never thinks in a vacuum, is always
questioning and thinking critically. It sets Ashokans apart. The strong emphasis on research and
data analysis is another distinguishing and essential feature. The bottom line is that if completed
with sincerity, it teaches you how to work hard, manage multiple deadlines simultaneously, and
develop a certain level of immunity to stress which is inevitable regardless of what you choose to
do next; entering the job market or completing graduate studies.

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 Having said this however, I do believe there are certain drawbacks, functional and
otherwise. While best-suited for advanced academic research, the central coding languages we
study are different from those used most widely in the workplace. It is essential to pre-empt this
mismatch and up-skill oneself accordingly through online courses, seminars and other such
options. Further, there is definitely scope for more electives, case-based studies and/or increasing
the minimum course requirement in order to make the degree more holistic. One logical way out
is to study complementary subjects as minors/concentrations. While economics itself is a versatile
subject, a combination holds greater value in terms of the hard and soft skills one may derive from
them. One may also initiate application-based research projects independently or under the
guidance of professors, establish/join related clubs and societies on campus (investment,
consulting, pitch, leadership, etc.) and look for meaningful summer internships in relevant spheres.
Not only do these aid personal and professional development, but are also looked upon favorably
by institutions one may wish to apply to for further studies, specifically business or management
schools.

Ideally, one should start searching for options and charting a route for life after Ashoka at
the end of the first year and make these decisions accordingly. What worked for me was narrowing
down on a field which relates my interest and aptitude, and then working backwards to choose a
course and institution, taking into account the specific geographical job market I wish to create a
space in, and the skills or experience necessarily required for the same. Personal efforts aside, one
must actively seek opportunities and immense exposure the university itself provides, allow the
plan to adapt as new doors open, and always have a fallback option. The crux of Ashoka is change
and one must not be inflexible to it.

The intensity of the coursework at HEC and the diversity in class, of people and opinions,
is familiar and comfortable. The most difficult and drastic shift has been the level of engagement
and kind of learning in class. Ashoka has spoilt us in some sense. We are always searching for
stimulating conversations, lectures, and questions which challenge our beliefs and notions, force
us to think laterally and find connections across fields and dimensions. Not every institution
follows such pedagogies, especially for professional degrees. We must recognize this rare license
and advantage the university grants us, acclimatize to new environments faster, put the skills and
knowledge we have imbibed over 3-4 years to good use, and continue learning more on the way.

Sunalika Singh, UG19, Masters in Management, HEC Paris

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 I am Shubhangi Poddar, an Economics and Finance graduate from Class of 2019. My first
job right out of college was as a research analyst at Monash University in Australia. The
application process involved some rounds of interviews along with testing your technical/ software
skills. The electives in my third year helped me explore different software like Stata and zTree for
data analysis which served of extreme importance in such a role. I co-authored a research paper
on “Livelihood Choices of the Food Insecure” which included developing and theorizing financial
models for food insecure households in developing countries.

Post this, I started working at the World Economic Forum wherein I am responsible for
project management, business development, content curation and impact assessment of projects
based in India. We work on responsible deployment of emerging technologies like AI, Blockchain,
Data policy and IoT using a multi-stakeholder approach- tying up with industry experts,
governments and private enterprises. I believe the academic rigor and extensive emphasis on
critical thinking and academic writing prepared me well for both my roles, thus far. I spent one
summer at Lehigh University, participating in a 12-week business idea accelerator program which
delved into learning how to set up your own start-up. The program focused a lot on practical and
on-the-job skills I picked up early on- be it pitching yourself, learning the process of developing
and expanding businesses or tools for data management, all of which were super helpful in my
career roles.

Two tips that really worked for me throughout the job application process and after were
to explore as many opportunities Ashoka offers you through the years- be it academically or via
internships, don’t shy away from those outside your comfort zone- these help you narrow down
your interest areas to have better focused target areas later on; it is always helpful to reach out to
seniors who are working in roles you are looking into to learn about exact expectations and
preparation guidance through their experiences!

Shubhangi Poddar, UG19, Community Specialist - World Economic Forum

My biggest learning from the job search process has been that there is no one right thing
we can do to end up at a place we see ourselves in. To me, it was never clear if I wanted to pursue
a career in consulting (something everyone around me was preparing for very passionately), or
take up an opportunity closer to my major - in social impact measurement, or the development

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sector in general. There were three things I did that helped me land a job that I am in today, and
could say that I do not see myself pursuing anything else but this at this point in my life.

The first was to seek advice, and respect it even if it’s not what you expected to hear. Our
department has professors who have seen the corporate side, or otherwise know it well enough
about it to be able to guide you on a route that might be right for you. Take a test of your likes and
dislikes and speak to them about what opportunities make sense for you right out of college - this
decision can be between two jobs, or a job and grad school. For me, it was between pursuing an
opportunity in core economic research versus pursuing a path that’s less academic in nature.

The second was to enter a broader, no restricted job description type of a role, and this was a
personal choice. I chose to work very closely with the CEO of a startup to get a flavour of business
from a micro-level. I knew it always interested me, but theory can be so different from reality
when it comes to your career. While I learnt a lot on the job, I felt the need to steer my career
towards data, analysis and development - the three things that I loved the most through my
undergraduate program. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon an opportunity and now I am
learning more than I could ever imagine on a daily basis.

The third, very similar to the first, is to speak to people in different industries you are considering.
There is always a downside to every job. It’s just a matter of personal preference - is that aspect
of the job something you see yourself doing on a daily basis? Interacting with people in the
industry, and particularly in the company will give you a fair idea of the culture and the people -
it’s easy to overlook these aspects when you’re on the job hunt, but these are the two most
important things that will define your time with the company and how you grow there.

If you are risk averse, try to create fall back options for yourself - a deferred MBA or masters
program, or an actual internship where the company wants to invest in your learning, unlike most
summer ones. It’s alright to pursue an internship right out of undergrad, I had that option for myself
too.

In the end, my big “advice” would be to learn from the process. It’s tempting to jump onto the first
opportunity we get, I did too, but it’s always not the best one for you. You can’t tell what’s wrong
and what’s right also at all times, but if you can see patterns where you recognize what excites you
and what doesn’t, bring that more into your decision-making process.

Srilatha Adabala, UG19, YLP-ISB Admit & Analyst at 60 Decibels

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I did an MSc. in Economics after the ASP and am interested in research jobs, working towards a
PhD. in Economics. Here are a few things I wish I knew before I started my masters:

1. As Ashokans we’re fairly well prepared to tackle graduate economics courses on

average. This doesn’t mean that there are no gaps or that everything is known but, you’re
not starting out from a point of disadvantage AT ALL. It’s great to remember that.

2. I personally found a masters to be a lot about learning the core tools in Micro, Macro
and Econometrics. These are given more importance than the electives and the approach is
largely about giving you the core tools so you can apply them to your fields of interest. It’s
a good idea to keep this mind so that you know what to expect.

3. There is a lot of peer-to-peer learning. Study groups can be your best friend.

4. In terms of research jobs, it’s good to know at least one software well. Even better if you
know more than one (Stata, R and Python are the classics). They aren’t used so much in
the coursework itself, but are essential for applying to research jobs.

5. Don’t expect it to be like Ashoka, other colleges are just different. Also graduate courses
are different. Lectures will probably be bigger, much more technical, with lesser interaction
and office hour waits longer, but at the end of the day professors are just as nice and willing
to help. The extra effort is worth it (and the constant comparison to Ashoka isn’t).

I’m sorry that these s ound a bit like life lessons from a self-help book. These are just some things
I learnt/ had to remind myself quite often through the process. Graduate school is difficult and
looks very daunting (even after one has completed it) but, it was fascinating to learn more about
Economics. Gaining some distance from the idea of exams, it was actually very enjoyable. There
were a lot of aspects of Development and Microeconomics (areas of my personal interest) that I
had no idea existed and that was exciting. It was great to know that while many of my peers were
in 9-5 jobs and not necessarily liking it, I was learning more about something I enjoyed very much,
with flexible hours (and if in a PhD, even being paid to do this!) – it's really kind of amazing as a
concept.

On a more serious note, graduate school goes by really fast and it’s a good idea to keep a rough
goal in mind and to not let it be overwhelming. Ashoka was always largely a comfortable space
for me and the adjustments of moving to a different country were big but it was good to give
myself some time to adjust to the new space and try to actively enjoy the courses.

Vaishnavi Agrawal, ASP19, London School of Economics

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Hi guys! I know you all are at different parts of your college journey, but I hope you find this write
up relevant and useful irrespective of which batch you are in.

A little about me first:

I graduated from Ashoka in 2018 with a degree in Economics and Finance. Post-college, I worked
for a boutique management consulting firm called MXV. It was undoubtedly the ideal first job - I
got to work on 5 very diverse projects across exciting sectors like travel, entertainment, hospitality
etc. The learning curve was steep as I was directly under my CEO and was staffed on critical
projects like growth planning, sales improvement, process improvements, due diligence and cost-
cutting.

After completing nearly 2 years at MXV, I realized while I loved my job and the consulting life, I
wanted to start focusing on a specific sector to ensure I don't remain a generalist all my life.
Education came very naturally to me as I was always intrigued by how people learn and believe
that now more than ever it is becoming important to learn, unlearn and relearn things in this fast-
paced environment. Eventually, I hope to do something in the business/strategy side of education.
To find my piece in the education puzzle, I will be doing the Teach for India Fellowship to get a
better on-ground understanding of the industry and meet like-minded people.

Now that you have a fair understanding of who I am, I want to shift gears and focus on the main
stakeholder - YOU! First of all, I hope you know that you are very privileged to be a part of such
an esteemed university! Ashoka is truly changing the landscape of higher education in India and
should soon be recognized as a reputed college globally. The Economics department has a stellar
faculty and I urge you to leverage their knowledge, experience, and the opportunities Ashoka gives
you. I'm going to focus this write up on four main areas:

1) Transferable Learnings From My Degree and What I Wish I Knew Whilst in College:

> Some concepts taught can directly be applied at work: I have used my learnings from behavioral
economics, experimental economics and statistics to run experiments for my client where our aim
was to increase F&B sales of a large theatre chain. Get a good grasp on STATA (or learn other
such tools) - it will give you a great edge at work if your tasks involve any statistical/ data analysis.

> The liberal arts education prepares you to be a critical thinker: The interdisciplinary thinking,
focus on reading and researching, encouragement to ask questions and to discuss with peers goes
a long way in making you job-ready.

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> Take your assignments seriously: Winging it and hoping that you're lucky to get through won't
really work once you're out of college. Taking your assignments seriously will not only ensure
you've really learnt a concept but will also build the foundations of a solid work ethic. Start picking
consistency over intensity in college itself, so the work life's a breeze and you don't find yourself
burning out closer to office deadlines.

> Focus on quant: Wish someone told me this! Data analysis is becoming a ubiquitous part of all
organisations and Ashokans tend to gravitate towards the qualitative aspects of Economics while
ignoring the math (prof Borah would agree with me). Use this time to sharpen your quantitative
and statistical skills - you'll be able to analyze situations and solve problems in a more robust and
logical manner

> Be curious and go deep: Your Economics degree covers a lot of interesting material, but many
a time the professors find it hard to go too deep given the paucity of time and that they need to
give you a flavor of a wide variety of topics in the field. I sincerely encourage you to put on your
nerd cap and keep the curiosity alive by doing all the class readings (perhaps read up further on
topics that interest you), engage in classroom discussions and teach your peers (it's the best way
to learn). I say this because I've seen that inherently curious individuals are the ones excelling in
their careers - they are self-motivated, thorough and knowledgeable.

> Leverage your star faculty: Know your faculty and their research interests well and don't hesitate
to meet them during office hours to chat about your assignment or just general parts of their
research that intrigue you. Try and build a rapport with as many professors as you can! I am still
in touch with some of them and they have been so generous and helpful in providing me with
guidance for projects at work and beyond!

2) How to Find the Perfect Job for Yourself?

> Have a rough idea of what you want: I'm sure a lot of you are unsure about where your passions
truly lie and how you must go about finding your niche. Two resources that helped me and I would
highly recommend are: a) The book 'Ikigai' and b) A detailed and beautifully written long-form
article by my favorite, Tim Urban : https://waitbutwhy.com/2018/04/picking-career.html.

Please don't psych yourself out and believe you need to find the perfect career for yourself in the
first shot! Use these tools to find functions and industries you may be interested in and feel free to
experiment! These resources will also help you structure your thoughts and figure out what you

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may want from your first job. Just remember that your first job is not a do or die as you may
imagine - you can always switch fields!

> Process of elimination: A good way to start is by knowing what you definitely don't want to do!
See what is left and try ranking them in order to narrow the focus of your job search. You may not
get your first job preference, so it's best to have a plan B and C handy.

> Have an open mind and be an active job seeker: As a student and recruiter, I've seen the terrible
attendance at pre-placement talks and career fairs! Please be forthcoming and sign up for all the
pre-placement talks you think you may be even remotely interested in (you never know which
company may sway you). Take the initiative to network with the employees of the firm and get a
better understanding of the role, firm, culture and projects. Read all the JD's posted on the Ashoka
portal thoroughly rather than selectively reading JD's of firms you think you are perhaps interested
in.

> Don't restrict yourself to campus placements: While Ashoka brings in some great companies,
widen your choice pool by looking for opportunities on LinkedIn and through your personal
networks.

> Use the vast network you have access to: Don't hesitate to reach out to Ashoka alumni, faculty,
and founders! I got a great internship opportunity at IIMB because I shared my interest in exploring
data analysis with a professor. I know people who have found their dream jobs by speaking to
alumni/founders, so please do the same. Leverage the alumni mentorship program, take the
initiative to stalk our alumni on LinkedIn and reach out to them!

3) How to Get the Job?

> The CDO's CV workshop really, really helped me: So, it's okay if you cut your summer vacation
short to attend this workshop, it's worth it! Richa transformed my CV and taught me the basic
principles of writing a concise, effective and comprehensive CV. As you may know, recruiters
spend less than a minute or two looking at your resume. So you really need to ensure it catches
their eye and represents who you truly are!

> Say your story well in the SOP: Introspect on who you really are and what you have done in the
past that supplements that and is also relevant for the job you are applying to. I had a very diverse
internship experience that may have seemed very disconnected to a layman. What got me an
interview with Bain and McKinsey was just knowing which aspects of my experience to focus on
and how I weaved it all together by giving examples of the work I did to showcase the skills I
believed I had that would be an asset to the firm. While many a time, you have to blow your own

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trumpet, be humble, and explicitly mention that you are willing and excited to further hone your
skills at the firm.

> Give yourself time to prepare for case studies: I spent about 40 days preparing for my case study
interviews and would have solved over 55 cases. Some resources I used were Case interviews
cracked (videos and book), Aditya Agarwal's (Ashoka alum) videos and Case in point. A few
additional tips for case interviews:

> Have multiple case buddies; being the interviewer is also a great learning

> Solve as opposed to merely read cases

> Document your learnings (as interviewee and interviewer) after each case. This will ensure you
don't make the same mistake twice.

> Make solving cases a part of your day-to-day life. For example, while sitting in the metro I began
guesstimating how many Rs.10 notes Huda City Centre would collect in a day

> Templates are a great start, but visualize the problem well and tweak templates accordingly

> Knowing the purpose of the problems and asking follow-up questions is very critical

> Your approach to the problem is more important than whether you arrived at a solution

> Have templates for common interview questions: Have a mental template of the points you'd
like to bring up for generic interview questions like tell me about yourself, why do you want to
join this firm, what are your weaknesses etc. Case in points gives you a good list of questions you
should prepare for.

> Research the firm and have questions ready for the interviewer: It won't take much time, but
when you have intelligent questions for the interviewer that link closely to the work the firm has
done, the industry or even a research paper, it tells the interviewer that you are a serious candidate
and have taken the effort to go that extra mile. A question that always worked for me was "What
challenges have you faced at this firm and what challenges do you think I should prepare myself
for before starting this role?"

> One size does not fit all: You may get lazy and send the same CV / SOP with some minor tweaks
to different firms. But please take the effort to highlight relevant experiences and skills in your CV
and SOP based on the firm and role you are applying to. For example, I may want to put in more
details of my volunteer experience if I'm applying for a job in the social sector. However, the same
experience is just mentioned in a single line if I am applying for a management consulting role.

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> Be yourself: I know this goes without saying, but please don't feel pressure to portray yourself
to be someone you think the recruiter is looking for. These recruiters have years of experience and
are a fairly good judge of if you'd be a good fit. If by chance you do get in by putting on a facade,
chances are you won't really enjoy your job for the company wasn't truly a good fit for the real
you!

4) Some Basic Tips for a Smoother Transition:

> Be mature and professional: A few ways to do that are: send a calendar invite for all meetings,
arrive 10 minutes before your meeting is scheduled, ensure you are always reliable and stick to the
deadlines you have committed to (it's a great way to earn the trust of your colleagues), note down
and send out minutes of the meeting along with actionable next steps discussed, over-communicate
rather than under-communicate etc.

> Go that extra mile: Since you are a raw graduate, to earn people's trust you will have to work
harder to prove your credibility. Spend time doing research that will help you give insights on the
project assigned to you. Be forthcoming and offer to do tasks like sending notes - this may seem
boring but is a great way to get noticed in a room full of experienced people

> Take the training seriously: It's usually a great crash course on all you need to know and a good
way to meet and learn from senior folks at the firm

> Upskill: It's important to try and know what you don't know early on and work towards upskilling
yourself before work gets too chaotic. You may get a fair idea of the skills you need to further
hone during training and can even ask your senior managers during induction. Take the initiative
to work on your weaknesses in order to do your job better. For instance, I enrolled for an excel
course to better understand how to use the same.

> Find a mentor: During induction, find a mentor within the firm whom you are comfortable with
and think you can learn from! Most firms even assign you a mentor. This mentor is your go-to
person for all silly doubts and insights on how to do your job better and what the firm's various
systems and processes are.

> Improve your world-view: Google alerts is a great way to stay on top of all the latest news and
information with regards to your sector/ specific project

> Embrace feedback: Most people are afraid of feedback sessions, but I think they are a great
opportunity to improve your skills and become the best version of yourself. As we would say at
MXV, they are more of a 'Feedforward' session!

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> To-do lists to the rescue: Work can be chaotic with many tiny tasks to keep track of and complete.
I love making lists and have found them to be a great way to ensure I am on track and don't miss
out on any task assigned to me. It also helps you feel in control of your work without getting
overwhelmed by the numerous instructions you may receive. Prioritizing items on the list is a
critical factor and you can initially ask your manager about how he/she would like you to prioritize
the tasks given to you.

I hope this wasn't a boring information overload for you guys and you have at least a few
takeaways. Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn if you want to chat further :)

Anushka Kapur, UG18, MXV Consulting and Teach for India Fellowship

Just a disclaimer, this is from a mere experience of two years. I do truly hope penning down my
experience helps in some form.

Pre-Interview and Interview

There were a couple of experiences that aided and informed my transition from Ashoka to a
Professional life. It started off with the interview process, which to say the least, is challenging.
With Deloitte, I had a week between my resume being shortlisted and the actual interview process.
I had no idea whatsoever about consulting or case interviews (including case interviews cracked!).
I focused on understanding the nature of cases, the literature but spent the majority of time
practicing guesstimates and case studies. The whole week I spent solving guesstimates inspired by
all that I saw at Ashoka, “calculate the number of potatoes used in the mess in a day”, “the number
of windows in SH1”,” the number of orange juices bought from Sandeep Bhaiya”. It was a
challenging but an extremely fun experience, I did this with my roommate and we had a
great time. I knew we were interviewing along with YIFs, some who had many years of
experience; I told myself, Focus on your strengths.

Deloitte was recruiting from Ashoka knowing it’s a liberal arts college, so they wanted people
offering a diversity of perspectives to problem solving. Conforming would simply mean I
introduced myself as an Economics student (that is more in line with consulting), but I came in as

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an Economics and Performing Arts student. I believed my analytical abilities were inextricably
linked to both these disciplines. When the interviewer, who was intrigued, questioned this
introduction, I went on to state the various instances where thought processes from one discipline
had nuanced MY thinking in the other. They were already interested. Believe in your unique
experience.

At multiple points in the interview. There were technical terms in marketing and finance that I did
not know but rather than pretending to understand them, I bluntly asked them if they could explain
it to me. They don’t expect you to know everything but they do expect you to admit when you
don’t. It is encouraged.

During Professional Life

I think it's unavoidable to be nervous about your first job. I had so many questions around whether
I have the tools and skills to adapt and excel. This is a part of a parcel of the process and it is
absolutely fine. They know you don’t have PowerPoint, Excel, Tableau or management knowledge
(they recruited undergrads) and hence will spend a significant amount of time and resources to
train you. What is absolutely important though, is to try and adapt and learn quickly.

In my case at least, I was thrown into a sea of largely B school grads. It is intimidating because the
nature of work is more closely tied to the knowledge and skills they gained through their
academics. However, stay true to your perspective. That is exactly what they want. When
working on projects, our critical thinking skills elevate the team’s work, because we highlight
or tackle things that the others wouldn’t have even thought about. It is appreciated.

How does Economics fit into all of this? Well I think the need of the hour in most organizations is
analytical abilities. It could be from absorbing abstract data or figuring out how to link various
strings of information or understanding customer needs, just to name a few. Whether it’s breaking
down abstract issues with game theory or understanding the business landscape through
macroeconomics, all of our courses inform your analytical abilities. So just enjoy what you’re
studying, not with the focus of whether it will be useful. In my opinion they all helped me analyse
problems more holistically.

Best of luck!

Feel free to get in touch.

Sarayu Krishnan, UG17, Deloitte Consulting

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From my limited experience, when one applies to a graduate school of their choice, some important
considerations are to weigh whether you want to gear up towards academia and a PhD or enter the
job market right after. To approach this, visit the reading list of the course you will take up, check
the profiles of the professors you will be studying under, write to them and even try and find
possible faculty and alumnus associations with Ashoka. This helps select the programme but also
gives you inside information which you can quickly leverage to shortlist schools. Another factor
to make the most of the Masters’ degrees is to select the length of the programme based on whether
you have an idea for a Masters’ thesis in mind, and how much work you would be able to put into
it.

Recognising that academics are paramount for admissions (and a career after), I think Ashoka
prepares us for that. The economics’ department can really drive you to pursue cutting edge
research if you have a liking for one of its branches, especially with the wealth of electives offered
and the tools taught. So, approaching your current professors for mentorship on a senior year thesis,
or simply writing a paper you are passionate about, with their guidance, can go a long way both
for grad school and for simply making the most from your Ashoka degree. This does two things:
even amidst a global recession, the fundamental work you do will be recognised by your
prospective employers, but more importantly, it will prepare you to write ‘job market papers’ in
less time. To this end, advancing skills which are job-flexible: different statistical software
available, and growingly, Zoom conferencing accelerate your resume. Another trivialized skillset
is to learn languages which help in networking (depending on which region you will study in). The
world is growingly operating in niches instead of a mainstream path now; so for anyone to make
the most of your career, identifying that niche will be crucial for the job market.

Rhythm Banerjee, ASP 19, Masters in Development Studies at The Graduate Institute
Geneva

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 After majoring in Economics and Finance at Ashoka, I decided to pursue an MSc in
International Finance at HEC Paris. I shortlisted my colleges, the courses I wanted to pursue and
had multiple discussions with the Econ faculty. Professor Saha really helped me in pinning down
the exact program I wanted to pursue. Personally, for me, grad school was the next step after
Ashoka. I was not looking for jobs right after my undergrad and was sure I wanted to complete my
Masters in Europe. All my grad school interviews required a strong knowledge of finance and
economics which I obtained because of Ashoka, the faculty, and my degree. Although I did get
into the program that I wanted to pursue, in retrospect I think I could have reached out to HEC
alums to find out more about the program and the interview process before applying. During my
time in HEC as well, a lot of the courses seemed easy because of the detailed way in which they
were taught to me during my undergrad at Ashoka. A strong example of this would be my thesis
at HEC; I was able to successfully defend and conduct extensive research, because of my training
and papers written under the Econ faculty’s guidance.

While I did apply for multiple internships through Ashoka, not a lot of the opportunities matched
the location I had in my mind and the sector I was interested in. My reasoning is that this is because
most banks in India recruit from big colleges and Ashoka is still up and coming. When I came to
HEC I knew I wanted to pursue a career in banking but I wasn't sure whether I wanted to do so
through the markets side or through M&A. I ended up interviewing for both roles, and got a
summer in Deutsche Bank (S&T) and an off-cycle in Macquarie (M&A), both in London.
Something I learnt in HEC because this degree pushed me directly into the job market was the
importance of networking. It is harder to do so with Ashoka since we are a new college, but
network with all the alums who are remotely associated with the field you are interested in. What
helped me while applying for jobs in London was not just sending (in my case HEC alumni) a
request, but also writing them a message, organising calls, and making sure they remember me.
Whether my friends look to enter the job market in India, Europe, or US, they all agree on one
thing: networking is the key. Since I wasn't applying for jobs during my time at Ashoka, I can only
tell you what helped when I did.

Another thing that helped me apply for internships both during my time at Ashoka and at HEC
was tailoring my CV to fit the role. For instance, while applying to IBD I had to ensure that all
'key skills' necessary for the job could be gleaned from my CV and experiences.

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Personally, Ashoka and the econ faculty in particular were great since I was looking for a grad
school at that time. Consider these tips to make the best use of Ashoka for your Masters and PhDs,
and general tips that helped me land a great role. Good luck!

Priyanka Shankar, UG19, MSc. in International Finance at HEC Paris

Greeting Ashokans!

While Ashoka focuses on a myriad of skills and qualities that you can nurture over the course of
your Economics undergraduation, I’m going to focus on the things that the course does not prepare
you for.

The Breadth of Finance

While Ashoka offers courses in Finance, the course structure may prove to be less useful from the
perspective of the job market. The finance courses at Ashoka are centered around theoretical
knowledge of financial thought and history. While it is equally important to understand the concept
of ‘Finance’ from a theoretical perspective, if you are considering to enter the financial sector, it
is imperative that you research and acquire practical knowledge. You can use a variety of resources
to gain skills that will help you perform key financial analysis. It is important to remember that in
the field of finance, your breadth of knowledge is important – you must attempt to know something
about everything! In this spirit, you can even follow many Wall Street meme pages that give you
access to financial terminology. If you are the type of person who requires a disciplined
understanding of a subject, you can even explore courses such as the CFA. Remember, the world
of finance is your oyster, and it is imperative that you explore it beyond the scope of courses at
Ashoka. Read, engage and learn!

Networking

I realized the importance of networking during my time at Oxford. While Ashoka offers job
opportunities through formal placement committees, the procedure is different in masters schools
abroad. Often firms engage in social parties throwing dinners or coffee conversations to allow you
to make an impression on them. It is absolutely important that one gains the confidence and the

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skill to walk up to an important stranger, and convince him/her to offer you a job – remember, the
notion of independent living doesn’t only include the right to party your way but also to making
your contacts on your own. Moreover, you will also realize that your peers who have already
studied in schools abroad are often better equipped with networking skills, since they have prior
exposure to contacting firms for internships etc. Don’t get overwhelmed – LinkedIn is your friend,
and confidence your asset. Try to gain networking skills prior to your master’s education.

Clarity

Often a times, Ashokans are confused about why they are applying for a particular role at a
particular organization. Bearing witness to such application at my time at Ashoka, I just want to
advice you to seek clarity on both the role and the company PRIOR to applications. Being a part
of the interview process for job selections at London, I have realized that firms can easily tell
whether an applicant is serious or not. It is important that you can face an interviewer and tell
him/her why you’re interested in THEM and not any other firm at the same level of reputation.

Feel free to contact me for any more guidance about jobs or Oxford! Always happy to help
Ashokans!

Aditya Khemka, UG18, Msc. In Financial Economics at Oxford University & Investment
Banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs

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SIGNING OFF
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
Dear students,

I am delighted that the student representatives have put together a guide to navigating the
economics program. This is a wonderful student-led initiative. It was started by representatives
of 2019-20 and has been continued by the representatives since then. This guide has been many
months in the making and much midnight oil was burnt in the process.

I am confident that this document will become the starting point for any conversation about
studying economics at Ashoka. I also see this as a living document that can be revised by
successive cohorts.

With its linear structure and the variety of options (both at the program level and at the level of
electives), the economics program offers many choices. That can also appear confusing. I am
sure this guide will help you exercise those choices in an informed way.

For more conversation, I urge each of you to reach out to your student reps, the HoD, the UG
coordinator and the faculty that teach you. It only takes an email.

I wish you immense riches, of the intellectual kind, in your study of economics.

Best wishes

Bharat Ramaswami (Head of the Department, 2019-20)

Ratul Lahkar (Head of the Department, 2020-21, 2021-22)

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