The Evidence-Based Poverty Alleviation Concentration (EBPAC) provides you with the opportunity to learn about poverty and anti-poverty policy through the lens of economics. In the concentration, you are exposed to current economic research on poverty and anti-poverty policy and learn the statistical methods for causal inference that economists employ in the discipline. This concentration prepares you for careers in economic research, public policy, government, non-profit leadership and beyond.

This concentration is part of the Notre Dame Poverty Initiative’s Poverty Research Fellows (PRF) program. As members of the PRF program, you have the opportunity to participate in multidisciplinary programming that connects you with faculty across Notre Dame who are building an understanding of what causes poverty and how to end it. You are also encouraged to apply for PRF summer internships. These funded summer internships offer the opportunity to work on faculty-led poverty research initiatives at Notre Dame.

Admissions information

Admission to the concentration is selective. Economics and international economics majors typically apply for the concentration in the fall of their sophomore year and take the first required core course in the spring of their sophomore year. Applications from juniors will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Interested juniors should contact the concentration’s director, Adrienne Judson, for more information.

Apply now on the Poverty Research Fellows (PRF) website.

Important dates

• Applications for Fall 2026 will open on Sept. 21 and close on Oct. 21
• Join us for our information night on Oct. 7 from 6:30-7:30pm in 129 DeBartolo Hall
• Join us for a sample lecture from the Economics of Poverty course on Sep. 22 from 2-3pm in 312 DeBartolo Hall

Requirements for admission

• Applicants must have a major in economics or international economics
• Applicants must complete Principles of Microeconomics by the end of the semester in which they are applying for the concentration

Factors determining admission

• Motivation to pursue anti-poverty work and commitment to the ND Poverty Initiative’s mission
• Mathematical background
• Performance in prior economics courses
• Overall GPA

Concentration requirements

To earn a degree in economics with a concentration in evidence-based poverty alleviation, you must:

• Complete the six required core courses for economics
• Complete the concentration’s two required courses
• Meet the EBPAC experiential learning requirements
• Take three approved electives related to the concentration’s focus

Requirements differ for international economics majors. Please visit our FAQ page for details.

Required courses

There are two required courses for all EBPAC students:

1. The Economics of Poverty (ECON 30500)
2. Causal Inference for Poverty Alleviation (ECON 40500)

The Economics of Poverty provides an overview of what poverty is, how economists measure poverty, how poverty has changed over time, and what policies have and haven't worked to alleviate poverty. This course is typically taken in the spring following your acceptance into the concentration. Principles of Microeconomics (ECON 10010/20010) must be taken prior to this course, and Statistics for Economics (ECON 30340) or an equivalent statistics course must be taken either beforehand or in the same semester.

Causal Inference for Poverty Alleviation dives into the statistical methods that economists use to evaluate anti-poverty polices. The ultimate goal of the course is to prepare you to become a producer or a consumer of economics anti-poverty research. If you wish to write a senior thesis, we recommend that you take Causal Inference for Poverty Alleviation in your junior year. Econometrics (ECON 30341) is a prerequisite for this course.

Experiential learning requirements

Students in the concentration are required to enroll in two semesters of the EBPAC Enriching Experience as well as either:

• A third semester of the Enriching Experience
• One Immersive Learning Experience.

The EBPAC Enriching Experience (ECON 30501) is a one-credit course that introduces you to researchers and practitioners in the anti-poverty space. In this course, you will engage in vocational-discernment and career-development activities, build your professional network, and be exposed to the diverse set of careers that relate to poverty alleviation.

EBPAC Immersive Learning Experiences (ECON 30502) are one-credit experiential learning courses that offer you a unique opportunity to engage directly with real-world efforts to combat poverty over fall or spring break. You will either observe ongoing anti-poverty research while visiting social service providers who are partnered with the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO), or  explore how evidence-based policies are developed and implemented at the federal level while visiting Notre Dame’s Washington DC office.

Electives

To complete the concentration, you must take three approved electives (EBPA attribute) that are related to the concentration’s focus. One elective must be a 40000-level course, and one must be writing-intensive (ECWI attribute). A sample list of courses with the EBPA attribute is available below. This list is non-exhaustive, and course offerings change each semester. Please visit ND Class Search to view all current EBPA electives. You may contact the concentration’s director to determine if a particular course is acceptable. For the elective requirements for EBPAC students who are international economics majors, on the honors track, or writing a senior thesis, please visit our FAQ page.

Sample Electives:

• Advanced Labor Economics
• Data Analytics and Economic Evaluation for Social Impact
• Economics and Seven Deadly Sins
• Economics of Education
• Economics of Family
• Health Economics
• Human Capital in Developing Countries
• Law and Economics
• Power and Inequality in Labor Markets around the World
• Public Economics
• Urban Economics