While in the Applied Economics Program, students should avail themselves of the opportunity to become proficient in one of the three widely used Econometric software packages-SAS, Stata, or Eviews.
Note, however, that Statistics instructors tend rely on Excel. They will allow you to turn in your work done with any package, but you cannot expect software support from your instructor except with Excel.
In both Core and Elective Econometrics courses, and in the more econometric software intensive electives, the software package in use correlates with the discipline of the instructor: Microeconomists tend to prefer SAS and Stata, while Macroeconomists tend to prefer Eviews. Here, too, instructors will generally allow you to turn in your work done with any package, but you cannot expect software support from the instructor, except with his or her software of choice. You might choose a software package along the same disciplinary lines, or go with one available at your place of employment. If you are completely free to choose, note that Eviews, with a graphical user interface, is easiest to learn, at least at first.
From Summer Semester 2009, the Applied Economics Program will have 68 SAS, Stata, and Eviews equipped terminals available-50 for teaching purposes, and 18 for student use. You should seriously consider purchasing a package for personal use, especially if you do not have access to your software of choice at work. All these are offered in relatively inexpensive student editions:
SAS https://spars.jhu.edu/logon.asp $50.00 License + $50.00 CD
Stata 10 http://www.stata.com/order/new/edu/gradplans/gp-direct.html $48/$95/$155
Eviews 6.0 Full blown will be available to students at $85.00 + shipping. Order forms are available at the front desk; bring your J-card.
It is intended to offer three-hour introductory tutorials for a fee of $65 each:
There are also on-line Resources for learning Stata
It is also intended to offer two further sequential three-hour tutorials for SAS for a fee of $65 each during the course of the Fall and Spring Semesters [SAS II and SAS III].