Opportunities for Computer Science Graduates in the Field of Economics [closed]

Question

I know this question has been asked quite a few times already but I have several other different questions to ask too. So, I am asking all of them here.

Let me give you a quick summary of my background first.

I am a cs graduate as the title suggests. I have been working as a data engineering/ science consultant for the past couple of months. And I will hopefully get a public administrative job (civil service) soon.

I am extremely interested in the field of economics and that's why I have gotten admitted to a masters program in economics. I am very much interested into doing research on the interface of economics and computer science and want to do a PhD in this field.

Now I have several questions and advice that I ask for.

1. As a CS graduate how much struggle I am to face in this field? What will be the best way to approach this field as a newcomer?
2. Which field of economics offers most opportunities to a CS grad?
3. What kind of cs tools are used in economics?
4. If everything else is average on my CV, will it be possible for me to get into a decent North American/ European/ Australian or probably a good Asian economics grad program with just a masters degree? I have heard that econ grad programs are elitists.
5. How feasible is it to get into a biostatistics phd program with this background?
6. How much discrimination will I face in the future job sector with this kind of background? Please note that my first target is academia, if that becomes impossible then probably Big Tech Companies as an economist or data scientist or maybe Govt Agencies. Please also note that I am not talking about only US universities when I say academia.
7. And finally please suggest me some research topics that I can do as a CS graduate. Please note that I am decently skilled in machine learning and data science related fields and have worked with time series data. My target is to get some research paper published.

Answer 1

1. As a CS graduate how much struggle I am to face in this field? What will be the best way to approach this field as a newcomer?

You'll probably struggle in the econometrics and statistics portion, just like everyone else. You may also have trouble with the terminology, which will require more work in the theory sections than some might anticipate. Writing skills are very important to economists, and often neglected in other quantitative fields.

2. Which field of economics offers most opportunities to a CS grad?

If you're asking about making the most money, then probably macro/finance and econometrics. Economists tend to highly employable, however.

3. What kind of cs tools are used in economics?

At a fundamental level: merges, joins and data manipulation in general are very important in practical work. Economists also can be impressed by a nice web-scrapped data set that addresses important questions. Linear regression will be taken from a "tool that is less accurate than other ML tools" to become something you understand in an entirely new way. Some ML tools are making a segway into economics, but the current understanding is that they serve a different function, see the causal effect research area for deep discussion.

4. How feasible is it for me to get into a decent North American/ European/ Australian or probably a good Asian economics grad program with just a masters degree? I have heard that econ grad programs are elitists.

For better or worse to society in general, having a strong signal of the quality of your education will benefit you personally throughout your life. "Hard" is a matter of perspective and depends on what you have available.

5. How feasible is it to get into a biostatistics phd program with this background?

You'd have to ask elsewhere, that's out of my area.

6. How much discrimination will I face in the future job sector with this kind of background? Please note that my first target is academia, if that becomes impossible then probably Big Tech Companies as an economist or data scientist or maybe Govt Agencies. Please also note that I am not talking about only US universities when I say academia.

This is fairly subjective, but I would point out that typically no one cares what your UG degree is in once you get another one. On occasion, economists are known to are envious of math-intensive degrees, though.

7. And finally please suggest me some research topics that I can do as a CS graduate. Please note that I am decently skilled in machine learning and data science related fields and have worked with time series data. My target is to get some research paper published.

Your advisors will be far more able to target this than I. Research topics involve a delicate blend of personal preference, expertise, connections, and serendipity.