Guidance for Graduate Advising

Last update: 2026-09-24

Guidance for Graduate Advising

  • Research focus: Empirical research using microdata in industrial organization and applied microeconomics.
  • Core training during the master’s program: Students are expected to build strong graduate-level foundations in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics, along with programming skills in scientific computing using languages such as R and Python.
  • Prerequisites: Students are expected to have at least a basic understanding of modern empirical IO and structural estimation, as well as their theoretical foundations. See Cabral’s Introduction to Industrial Organization and Einav and Levin (2010), “Empirical Industrial Organization: A Progress Report,” as useful references.
  • Required coursework:
    • Microeconomics I and II
    • Macroeconomics I
    • Econometrics I, II, and III
    • Industrial Organization
  • Additional coursework for Ph.D. preparation:
    • Microeconomics III and/or IV
    • Macroeconomics III and/or IV
  • Workshop participation: Regular attendance at the Empirical Microeconomics Workshop is required from the second semester of the first year.
  • Master’s thesis: Students are expected to conduct original empirical research using microdata and write a master’s thesis based on this research.
  • Ph.D. supervision: Available only to students who have a strong command of core graduate-level material and have demonstrated the potential to conduct internationally publishable empirical IO research. External Ph.D. applicants are generally not accepted unless they have a strong and informative recommendation that provides concrete evidence of their potential as a researcher.

For Students Entering the Master’s Program in Fall 2026

  • If you are considering me as a potential advisor for your master’s thesis, you must contact me by 5:00 p.m. on October 12 (Japan Standard Time) to schedule a meeting.
  • Before the meeting, please send me a short research proposal (no longer than one page) that addresses the following:
    • Describe a research question in empirical industrial organization or applied microeconomics that you would like to investigate.
    • Explain why answering this question is academically and/or policy relevant.
    • Describe how you would approach the question, including the empirical methods and data you plan to use.