This class is very difficult but you will get a ton of useful knowledge out of it. Thomas puts a lot of thought into the lectures and they are very worthwhile. Definitely a class where you get out what you put in. He is very accessible outside of class and more than willing to help if you go to him with problems. One of the best professors at Duke.

Definitely one of the best professors I have had. He really puts a lot of effort into the class. Make sure you go to lectures and do the problem sets, otherwise you'll be screwed for the final. This class was one of the most challenging I have taken/will take, but it is extremely applicable and useful.

One of Duke's best professors. He made a very difficult subject understandable and even enjoyable. He has a great sense of humor and his lectures are great. If you put effort into the class, he will be incredibly open to meeting with you outside of class for any further questions you might have. Awesome guy!

Awesome guy, great professor. I learned a ton and enjoyed it. Take econometrics with him!

Professor Thomas is amazing. He is a great instructor and explains difficult concepts in a clear way. He definitely works to give students an appreciation for econometrics and not just the math behind it. Outside of class he is a really nice and funny guy. Take his class!

I really don't understand the negative ratings. He is funny, interesting, and approachable. If you put the time into the class, he will do everything to make sure you understand the material.

Duncan is an awesome prof. The material is inherently challenging, but he is enthusiastic about helping students understand and is super accessible outside of class. Takes his time to slow down and make sure everyone is on the same page. Appreciates class attendance, demonstration of interest. Take this class with him.

Prof Thomas taught my econometrics course, one that is required for the economics major. I dreaded taking the class; however, I found it to be one of the most enjoyable and useful classes I've taken at Duke, although it was very hard. Lectures are clear, help is abundantly available, there isn't a focus on grades, and above all, Duncan is fair.

Duncan is absolutely one of the best professors I've ever met in Duke! He teaches in a really different way. His course is difficult, because he lets you think and make your own judgment rather than just doing math. If you work hard on it, you will find it challenging but also fun. Take the course with him and you will learn a lot!

One of the best professors at Duke. Funny and engaging; clearly very sharp as well. Wants you to learn something in his class, but doesn't give easy grades out. Near impossible to get an A unless you're a stat wiz to start with, or you're willing to give up a social life. But he'll make sure you actually learn something in his class.

Doing well in quant classes requires good math intuition. Duncan stresses on building this intuition for everyone in the room, and will do so tirelessly until everyone "gets it". He truly cares about making this a class that is worth the ridiculous sum of money we pay in tuition. Be motivated, be consistent, ask questions, and you'll do well.

Professor Thomas puts in a tremendous amount of effort into helping you develop an intuitive understanding of some really tough material. If you keep up with lectures and put up with work you should do just fine.

I am 6 years removed from my masters , and for the previous 5 years I worked in an M&A consulting role. This class would have been incredibly valuable in my prior job, and anyone considering a career finance/M&A/consulting should take this class. You learn a ton, and Duncan is a great professor. One of the best classes I have taken.

Duncan is one of the most prepared lecturers I have ever had. knows every bit of his slides inside out and comes prepared to tackle any questions that students have. For grading, he is EXTREMELY fair. Take the class with him and participate, ask questions, and do the homework. He definitely helps your grade out if you participate and seem engaged.

Best teacher in the "worst classroom ever"! :)

The lectures are fast paced , so it is critical to keep on top of things. Office hours, class attendance, quiz preparation and a good study group are the keys to being successful in this course. The material is quite challenging, but what you put in to this class, is what you will get out.

Duncan is truly passionate about teaching & really cares about your learning, and it shows in his readiness for lecture and his willingness to help students. The class is tough & the problem sets make you think, but if you put the time & effort into them & ask for help when needed, your learning will reflect on the exams.

Very inspiring and engaging lecturer. Really cares for students individually. Difficult material that is covered fast, but learned a lot in class. Favorite Economics class so far, and possibly the most applicable to any subject matter and life.

Really good professor. Cares about his students, & most of all his students learning the content. One of the few Econ core classes I've taken where you absolutely need to go to class. He puts notes online, but the content is extremely difficult, & he does a great job teaching the material so class is necessary

Professor Thomas is phenomenal. It's no secret 208 is a dreaded class, but he gives you the sense he's there with you step-by-step throughout the semester. He clearly cares about the kids in his lecture, and while the material is difficult he does a surprisingly good job of contextualizing it. If you can't take 208 abroad, take it with him.

Professor Thomas is great. He truly cares about the students and is always willing to help. Not only can you expect to learn a lot from the lectures but also the problem sets. You can tell he spent tremendous time and effort in preparing for the lectures and designing the problem sets. The class is hard and demanding but that's how you learn stuff.

Professor Thomas is an amazing teacher! He explains the difficult econometrics concepts so well, and stresses the importance of building intuition as opposed to cramming formulas. Take this class with him, and you would truly learn concepts that you can apply in the future.

I wasn't required to take this class but it was certainly worth it due to Professor Thomas' emphasis on building an intuitive understanding of econometrics. I therefore recommend the class to anyone who actually wants to move past the bs and actually understand how soc sci/humanities research works. The prof also comes with a great sense of humor.

D. Thomas is excellent. He runs a tight ship. His expectations are high and he expects you to meet them; but most importantly, they are fair. If you put in time and work, you will succeed. Unequivocally, ECON208 is the best of the core Economics classes. Also one of the great intellectual challenges of the department. A very rewarding semester.

Take econometrics with him. This was the most intellectually stimulating class Ive ever taken at Duke. Duncan is caring, takes great care in designing the syllabus and his slides, and always goes an extra mile to make sure everyone is on the same page. Participate a lot, show that you understand the material, and you will get the grade you deserve

This course is unequivocally thrilling. He shows you the intuition and the math behind all of the major quantitative analysis techniques-- allowing people who are both less and more mathematically inclined to "get it." This class is not the hell that people call it-- go over the slides, go to office hours and talk to him. An A is well within reach.

I highly recommend taking this class with Professor Thomas. His lectures are incredibly well designed and really encourages students to stay engaged and always ask questions. Huge focus on actually learning the material instead of just last minute cramming for exams. It's a rare treat to take a class as intellectually stimulating as this one.

He is very cynical, but it grows on you. He makes fun of economists, the class, the university, and by the end I suddenly felt like I understood the real world of economics rather than a bunch of equations simplified and dumbed down for students, as I felt in even the most advanced econ classes before this one. Pay attention. Pays off big-time.

Professor Thomas' econometrics class is incredibly stimulating. It's hard and his expectations are high but the lectures are designed to make sure everyone can keep up and he makes it very interactive. If you don't pay attention, he will notice but if you work hard, you will leave understanding much more about economics than just econometrics.

I had a great time taking Econometrics with Prof. Thomas. He does an excellent job in conveying the concepts and structuring lectures in a very logical order. Although the material itself is quite challenging, once mastered, it will be easy to realize why he says the class will benefit you later on.

Prof. Thomas is funny and really cares about his students. His class really pushes you to think critically about econometric modeling. Its a pretty fast-paced lecture, but he always makes sure everyone is following. Problem sets can be lengthy, but are only due every other week, and they prepare you more for the exam than in any other class.

Professor Thomas is a great professor, and I would recommend you take the class with him. The class is not easy, but Professor Thomas is really good at engaging students to make sure everyone understands the material. There are problem sets every other week that take a lot of time, but if you are on top of your work, it is not too bad

Duncan's the best professor I've had at Duke. He is deeply invested in his profession and will go very far to help you. To give you an example, I once emailed him about a question I had on the material. He came to class 15 minutes early and made an entire presentation just to answer my question. He truly is one of a kind.

Such a great lecturer. He tries to make some pretty dry material interesting by applying it to real life. Metrics was difficult but he was easily accessible and helpful during office hours. Hes kind and funny but be ready to work for that grade. You earn what you put into it

He tries as much as possible to make Econometrics 'intuitive' - and it's clear that a lot of effort has gone into making the experience engaging. It's definitely the best Economics class at Duke and he's definitely one of the best professors on campus. Take a class with him, flunch him and stay on top of the work.

Professor Thomas is one of the few professors at Duke that truly care about his students' success, and it shows in the class. He wants everyone to do well by understanding metrics both mathematically and intuitively, so he makes lectures mandatory with pop quizzes. Problem sets are very hard and take long but worth it. Final grades are very fair.

Prof. Thomas is the best teacher Ive ever had. He dedicates so much time to his class & students. If you work hard & engage in lectures/OH, Thomas will teach you the invaluable skill of thinking critically to solve problems spanning far beyond Econ. The class is demanding, but w/ dedicated effort youll learn a ton and grading is extremely fair.

BEST ECON CLASS AT DUKE, taught by the greatest professor at Duke. Ive never tried harder in any other class, and have never learned more in my life. Duncan and his TAs are inspirational, caring and responsible for his students. So long as youre willing to put in the work, they will put aside so much time and energy to help you succeed.

Hardest and most useful course for Econ major. Professor Thomas is very engaged and committed to his job and wants you to do well. You will need to keep up with the work and work hard to understand well the content. The class is pretty complex.

Started off as the most intimidating course I've ever taken, but Professor Thomas was super devoted to making sure we learned the material. Really enjoyed the practical applications of this class and even though I thought I was going to fail, he took care of my grade in the end. Even if it's harder with Professor Thomas I would still recommend

Duncan Thomas is incredible, and his class was absolutely the most valuable one I took at Duke - no question (writing this a few years later). I know there are ways around Econometrics / easier profs, etc. Do yourself the favor of taking Duncan Thomas's class. and sit in front. This has come up in my career again and again when, little else has.

Great professor who really understands the materials and tries to present it in an engaging manner.

Hes a great teacher. Its a very hard course but its difficult to find ways in which Dr. Thomas could do better with the material. He made it very interesting and engaging.

Econometrics is difficult but Professor Thomas is a really wonderful professor. He genuinely cares about his students and is extremely fair with grading. If you put the work in, you will not fail. Make sure to pay attention during lectures, do all of the problem sets thoroughly, and go to as many office hours as you can.

Professor Thomas is the best professor in the Econ department at Duke. His lectures are engaging, and while the material can be tough at times, his humor makes it much more bearable. He also does a great job of making office hours welcoming and worthwhile. I wish he taught other econ core classes.

Professor Thomas is easily the best professor I have had at Duke University. He genuinely cares about the learning of his students and does everything in his power to help students clearly understand class concepts. His class is the single most useful course I have taken at Duke. The class is worth the work.

Honestly, this is one of the most challenging & rewarding classes I've ever taken. The material is absolutely difficult and homework takes around 20 hours. The exam is also not easy. But I've learned a ton in this class and they've been very useful. Would take it all over again despite the nightmares.

This class takes up a ton of time (biweekly p-sets), but Thomas is incredible. Great lecturer, very fair and caring. If you just put in the work and make sure you don't fall behind, you'll do well. When you get this stuff, it's so rewarding and gives you such useful knowledge for your job and the real world. Hot take but really enjoyed 204.

Very, very hard class but also very, very useful. Duncan is extremely helpful and humorous. 204 teaches me an analytical mindset to approach real-world problems that I can apply to other coursework and actual research. The most useful course I have taken at Duke.

Dr. Thomas is the most caring professor I've had thus far at Duke. His lectures are amazing and he genuinely + deeply wants every student to succeed and understand the material. Although there are lots of jokes that ECON204 is a class of nightmares, that is certainly not the case with Duncan. He does all he can to assist and has amazing TAs too.

Prof Thomas is a fantastic guy. He cares so extremely much about everyone understanding the material. If anyone has a question in lecture, he will happily reexplain the concept as many times as needed. A genuinely excellent prof and a very rewarding class. It will definitely be useful in the future.

Prof Thomas is great - probably the best in the Econ department. The material is hard but very useful and applicable to real world settings. He makes the material as intuitive as possible in lectures and his humor helps to lighten the mood of the class. Expect to work hard but there is great TA support and Prof Thomas himself is super accessible.

One of the greatest professors in the Econ department if not the greatest. Taking this class with him at 8:30 AM was made bearable because of his funny jokes and engagement with the class. He's so helpful and is even willing to teach a lecture multiple times if he has to in order to help a student. Absolutely take Econometrics with him.

Don't take the easy way out and take Econ204 with Duncan. You'll probably struggle immensely, but in the end, it's so worth it. Even at 8:30am with pop quizzes, this was probably the best and most useful class I'll ever take at Duke. Duncan teaches it so well and really tries to develop an intuition of metrics that anyone can absorb. No regrets.

Econ204 is a difficult course, but if you want to learn this material you should take it with Professor Thomas. He is an unbelievable teacher and will build your intuition for this subject matter so well. He is also really funny and approachable. This was the most well executed course I've taken at Duke and the one I've learned the most in.

Duncan gives great lectures. This was seriously one of the best taught classes I have ever taken. This class has biweekly psets which take ~10 hours each, but they are graded reasonably. Tests are hard but heavily curved. Highly reccomend! Also, for your sake and for Duncan's, have some math skills going into the course.

Professor Thomas was the most engaging professor I've had. His class was challenging but actually useful. I am now a commodities trader in New York and still use his notes. The class will be difficult and the problem sets aren't fun when you're doing them, but it's really cool to actually have a comprehension of what is taught in his class. 10/10

Duncan was truly amazing. Even though the 8:30 timing sucked, I wanted to attend all the lectures as I was able to learn so much. The material is super interesting and Duncan is always eager to help. The course is not easy and will take a lot of time, but it is so worth it. Duncan is also just a super interesting person with so many cool stories.

Is this class difficult? Yes. However, I have learned more in this class than any other taken at Duke. These posts are simply a reflection of the heavy grade inflation at Duke, not Prof Thomas. If anything, he is one of the best. He incites critical thinking and challenges students. At 80k a year, you'd think you would want to learn something.

Though the class is difficult, if you put in the work, you should be fine. There are pop quizzes, but each one is 1-2 questions that take less than 5 minutes in total. The average score on the final was low, but so was class attendance. This is one of those classes where you get out just as much as you put in.

This is the best class I've taken in econ. Duncan's class was at 8:30, yet it was super engaging. He has a very conversational lecture style, and everything is based on real data. This class is challenging, but you'll be fine if you put in the work and show up. If you wanna learn econometrics well take it with Duncan, if not, take it in the spring.

Duncan is simply amazing. Econometrics is the cornerstone to applying economics, so I don't know why it's expected to be easy. It is an 8:30 & it's a rough curve initially. I mainly focused on class, didn't have to read the textbook. If you really truly want to benefit, take it with him. This class, and what you'll learn from him is worth millions

Duncan is very invested in this class and is unarguably one of the best professors in the department. If you're serious about truly understanding econometrics, take it with him. However, if you're not prepared to commit 10+ hours/week (which I find completely reasonable for a core econ class) you always have the option to taking it in the spring.

Don't expect Econ 204 to be an easy A like some of the econ electives you may have taken before. It's the hardest core econ classes. That said, Duncan is excellent at explaining concepts, and the class is highly organized with fair tests and quizzes.

The class is hard. The class is at times extremely frustrating. It's also not unfair or impossible to succeed. Go back through each powerpoint after class and make sure you understand the intuition that is being conveyed. Ultimately you learn a lot, and he really does care when students are interested in learning more about econometrics.

took him because everyone said he was amazing. he is, outside of class. in class he's goes too fast. i've never been so COMPLETELY stumped by a final. still, he genuinely cares about his students and their education (which is super clear in office hours). all in all, spent over 15+ a week, and although i really respect him i would not recommend.

This was BY FAR the most interesting, applicable, and intellectually stimulating class I have taken at Duke. I was terrified going into the class and heard about how hard it was, but Duncan's lecture style makes complicated concepts simpler and the office hours make homework extremely doable. This class showed me how economic theory is applied.

If you actually want to learn econometrics, take this class with Duncan. He gives extra credit, curves exams, and allows you to drop your midterm if you do better on the final. He cares about actually teaching you why concepts work rather than just telling you that they do. This is the best class I've taken in the major.

Awesome class, awesome guy

Class has clear structure. Much emphasis on intuition

Good class with emphasis on intuition. Grading is fair and clear

wonderful!

One of the best professors I've had at Duke. Duncan's low pressure cold calling, combined with a commitment to memorize our names signaled his investment in our learning. He emphasized conceptual intuition and not getting bogged down in equations. Pop quizzes are curved heavily. Generous cutoffs was shocked to get an A, exam grading likely soft too

If there's one person to learn econometrics from, it's Duncan. By far one of the most challenging classes, but certainly worth taking with him — you'll actually learn something.

Hardest but the most real class I've taken in college (lots of fluff courses in the Econ dept) You will actually learn econometrics and how to critique bad quantitative research. I finally understand statistics. Reasonable policy on pop quizzes; cold calling isn't intimidating, very available outside of class. I will look back on this class fondly.

It's rare for a professor to send emails to students to check up on them and ask them how they are doing. It's rare for a professor to be kind enough to ask for feedback on the class. 8:30am lectures were brutal, but having him made it better. He asks for feedback like he actually plans to use it, not like he's collecting it for a secret bonfire.