INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS: AP/ECON 1000 3.0 A

(S1) SUMMER SEMESTER 2012

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS,

FACULTY OF LIBERAL ARTS AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES, YORKUNIVERSITY

COURSE OUTLINE

Course Instructor:Sadia Mariam Malik

Office:1094 Vari Hall

Phone: 416-736-2100 ext. 20532

Email:

Class Lecture Time:Mondays and Wednesdays (11:30 am – 2:30 pm)

Lecture Venue:ACW 109

Office Hours:Tuesdays and Thursdays – 1:00–2:00 pm and by appointment

Course Objectives

This course will familiarize students with the basic principles and tools of microeconomic analysis which will help them to understand what economics is all about; why it is important to study economics; whatis an economic way of thinking; and how individual economic units such as consumers and firms make optimal decisions. By the end of this course, it is expected that students will have a firm understanding of the basic concepts of micro-economic analysis such as demand and supply; consumer behaviour; the behaviour of firms; costs, pricing and profit maximization strategies under different market settings; and the impact of government regulation on market incentives and production.

Required Course Material

1)“Microeconomics: Canada in the Global Environment.” Seventh Edition. ByMichael Parkin and Robin Bade. ISBN: 978-0-321-67841-9. Pearson 2012.

2)MyEconlab by Pearson 2012.

  • MyEconlab is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment system that comes packaged with the text books of both micro and macroeconomics by Parkin and Bade. So if you plan to take on Macroeconomics (Econ 1010), this package is all that you need.
  • Note that if you are planning to buy the used text book, you will still need to purchase the license for MyEconlab.
  • It is required that you make use of this important resource to organize your study, improve your understanding of key concepts and theories, learn their application to real world scenarios, and to prepare for your exams. I will use this system to assign you online quizzes from time to time in order to facilitate you to get more practice for exams.I would also suggest that you use this resource to practice on your own. There are a number of practice tests available that will instruct you in case you make a mistake and will help you organize your study accordingly.
  • MyEconlab can be assessed online through with an access code that is provided with the purchase of the new textbook. Using your friend’s account or registering under someone else’s name will not work. You will need to create your own account.
  • In order to familiarize you with MyEconlab, I will arrange an orientation session in the first week of the semester. Round the clock technical support is also available with the publisher in case you experience any difficulty in using the software.

Optional Course Material

Study Guide accompanying the required text book by Parkin and Bade. Although the study guide is not a required text, it is entirely up to you to study it for more practice and greater understanding.

Evaluation

The assessment of your results in the course will be based upon one midterm exam, a final exam and online quizzes. The contribution of each of these in the final grades will be as under:

Midterm Exam 30%

Final Exam 50%

Online Quizzes 20%

Total100%

Exam Dates and Rules

  • Tentative date for the midterm exam is Monday, May 28, 2012. The final exam will be held in the period of June 20-22, 2012. The precise date for the final exam will be announced later.
  • Both midterm and final exams will consist of multiple choice questions.
  • No student will be allowed to write the exam prior to the scheduled date.
  • No student will be allowed to write the exam in order to improve the letter grade.
  • YorkUniversity is committed to respecting the religious beliefs and practices of all members of the community. In case, any of the exam dates clash with the day of your religious observance, you are responsible for contacting me at least two weeks in advance. To arrange for an alternative date, you must complete an examination Accommodation Form available at
  • Cheating and plagiarism are considered to be serious offences by YorkUniversity. Please visit the Academic Integrity web site to read the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty.
  • Cell phones, electronic translators, programmable calculators, iPods, MP3 players, and other electronic devices are not permitted into exams. You will only be allowed the use of non-programmable calculator and English language dictionaries. Other permissible items to carry in exams are pens, pencils, student ID, coats and purses.

Make-up Exams Policy

  • No make-up exams will be given for a missed midterm exam. If for any reason you miss a midterm,your final exam will have a greater weight and will count towards 80 percent of your total points earned, instead of 50 percent.
  • In case you miss the final exam, you will be allowed to write a deferred exam onlyby completing the Deferred Standing Agreement Form and by providing a completed Registrar's Office Attending Physician's Statement.

Online Quizzes Policy

  • In terms of online quizzes, you will be assigned a total of 4 quizzes out of which one lowest scored quiz will be dropped at the end of the semester. The announcement regarding the assigned quizzes and the due date will be made both in class and through email. Please check your emails and/or visit Myeconlab regularly. After the due date for each assigned quiz, you will have access to your quiz and the correct answers. Please note that in order to complete these online quizzes, you will need to study assigned chapters in textbook in addition to attending class lectures.

Grade Distribution based on Percentages Earned

Thegrade distribution will be based upon the total percentage points that you will earn in the semester. The standard cut-off points, provided by YorkUniversity, will be used to convert percentages to letter grades. Theseare provided as under:

90-100 A+80-89 A75-79 B+70-74 B

65-69 C+60-64 C55-59D+50-54 D

40-49 E 0-39F

Organization of the Course

This course consists of six lecture hours per week. Lecture notes and power point presentations will be made available online through Quickr course website. The link for the Quickr instructions for students is:

Teaching Assistants will be available for further help. Their names and office hours will be announced later in the class and on the course website.

Computer, Email, and Web Access

In order to access Quickr and MyEconlab, you must have access to computer and internet. It is your responsibility to check your email and access these two online resources on a regular basis.

Topics to be Covered and Lecture Schedule

Date / Topic / Assigned Readings/ Corresponding Chapter in the Text
May 7 / Introduction/Administration
MyEconLab Orientation
What is Economics and Economic Way of Thinking? Key Principles and Concepts / Course Outline
Chapter 1
May 9 / The Economic Problem and the Emergence of a Market Economy / Chapter 2
May 14 / How Markets Work? The Crucial Tools of Demand and Supply / Chapter 3
May 16 / Elasticity / Chapter 4
May 23 / Efficiency and Equity / Chapter 5
Midterm: Monday, May 28, 2012
May 30 / Possibilities, Preference and Choices / Chapter 9
Date / Topic / Assigned Readings/ Corresponding Chapter in the Text
June 4 / Organizing Production / Chapter 10
June 6 / Outputs and Cost / Chapter 11
June 11 / Perfect Competition / Chapter 12
June 13 / Monopoly / Chapter 13
Subject to the availability of time / Monopolistic Competition / Chapter 14
Final Exam

Course Work

Econ 1000 is not a straightforward course. Many of the concepts may appear simple but their application requires deeper understanding and clarity. Students are advised to devote ample time (at least 5 hours per week) to study for this course. Although power point presentations and lecture notes will be made available online, these should not be considered as substitutes for reading the appropriate chapters in the text.

Reading the textbook and studying other assigned course material are vital to improve your understanding of basic economic concepts and theories and to get good grades. However, remember that there is a world outside the text book and it is important to learn how to apply your text book knowledge to real world situations. In this context, reading Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, or Economist regularly is a smart idea. These news journals deal with business and economic news that are useful to remain abreast with what is going on around you and to enable you to think like an economist. Using the tools of economic analysis learned in the class, you should be able to critically evaluate the real world situations.

Important Dates

Last date to enrol without permission of course instructor: / May 11, 2012
Last date to enrol with permission of course instructor: / May 18, 2012
Last date to drop courses without receiving a grade: / June 1, 2012

1