Taking a summer session is a great way to explore an academic topic you feel passionate about. Summer Pre-College programs also allow students to learn more about a topic that they may not have access to at their normal high school. If you are hoping to study Behavioral Economics and want to take a summer program in it, you have a couple of options. Two caveats: these programs can be expensive so make sure you check their price tags and many are not behavioral economics specific. While many of these cover topics in and related to behavioral economics, they often cover other economic topics as well.
U Chicago - Principles of Microeconomics
This program happens twice a summer: June 12-29 or July 5-21. It’s a wonderful program because U Chicago’s summer programs have pre-college students taking actual college-level classes. Their econ class covers “theory, quantification, data, applications, and contemporary issues: (a) the behavior and decision-making on the part of individuals, business firms, and the government; and (b) the role of choices, tradeoffs, costs, prices, incentives and markets in the American economy.” This is a great foundation for any student interested in Behavioral Economics.
NYU Precollege
NYU has two great courses for Behavioral Econ students. They offer Introduction to Macroeconomics and Introduction to Microeconomics. These are college-level courses and high school students can get college credit for these courses. NYU has a lot of Precollege programs which can also be an asset to high school students socially.
Summer@Brown
Last year Brown’s summer program included two wonderful classes for behavioral econ students: Econometrics: Statistical Tools to Understand Economic Data or Free Will and the Brain: Neuroscience of Decision-Making. While they have not released a full offerings list for this year, there is a high probability that they will have similar courses this year. They always have a full section of courses in Business, Economics, and Legal Studies. They offer over 300 courses… so trust us, we think you’ll find something. This year’s program runs from Sunday, June 25 to Friday, July 28, 2023. They offer both on-campus or online options (but we suggest going to RI in person if you can.)
Economics Policy Academy at Georgetown
Georgetown’s program helps students understand “not only the key philosophical and theoretical concepts behind an economic policy which affect all facets of our life, such as price interventions and regulations but also the main issues the U.S. economy faces today.” Sorry, that was a mouthful, but important background information for anyone interested in econ. This year’s dates are July 16 – July 28, 2023.
Columbia - Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Social Justice
Columbia offers both 3-week and 1-week courses. This course is one of their 3-week courses and it runs from July 18–August 4, 2023. In general, their econ programs skew a little towards business. However, this can be a great way to learn more about business and its overlap with economics.
UCLA Economics Summer Institute
UCLA offers an online session from June 26, 2023 – July 14, 2023, and an in-person session from July 16, 2023 – August 5, 2023. It’s important to note that this program is only for those in 10th grade in Spring 2023. Their program covers economic policy, principles of economic analysis, and data analysis skills. This is great for students who want a really strong foundation in economics.
Harvard- Business and Leadership Economics
Harvard’s program is open to Juniors and Seniors and has around 30 class offerings. There are a few economics-based options for their two-week summer course, we advise looking through them as they range in topic and scope. However, their courses in Digital Media: Society, Culture, and Economics and Economic Development may be particularly interesting. They also offer a course in Genes, Minds, and Culture which may speak to those on the behavioral side of the field.
Foundation for Teaching Economics and Foundation for Economics Education programs
These are a little different from the other programs on this list. Instead of being hosted by a college, they are hosted by a foundation. While they are hosted by a foundation, they are held on college campuses that change every year. Recently they have also introduced a virtual session option. They have a long list of dates and locations where their programs will be happening, which we suggest checking out if you are interested.
Oxford
Taking a summer session is a great way to explore topics that you hope to study in college before you graduate high school. While many of these programs aren’t behavioral economics specific, they will give you a great background and many of them also explore the field.
Need help finding the right program for you? We can help! Contact us here.