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SAMPLE SYLLABUS – SUBJECT TO CHANGE
ECON-UA9010 Section L01,
Intermediate Microeconomics
NYU London
Instructor Information
● Name: Nigar Hashimzade, Prof. of Economics
● Office hours: Thursdays, 12 noon – 1 pm
Course Information
● Lectures: Thursdays 9 am – 12 noon
○ Room G03, 6 Bedford Square
● Prerequisites:
○ Introduction to Microeconomics (ECON-UA 2)
○ Mathematics for Economics 2 (MATH-UA 212)
Course Overview and Goals
The aim of the course is to provide students with a thorough understanding of the core
concepts and methods of microeconomics. The course can serve as a foundation for
more advanced undergraduate electives which require a microeconomics background.
Students will develop understanding of economic models specified in standard
mathematical and/or game theoretic terms. Course content includes core topics of
consumption, production, and decision-making by firms, both with and without market
power, under perfect and imperfect information, as well as the analysis of market failure
due to externalities and public goods. Depending on time available, the course will cover
a selection of further topics, such as asymmetric information, general equilibrium, and
behavioral economics. Because this course caters to the policy concentration stream, the
level of mathematics is somewhat lower than it would be on the theory concentration, and
the course will make extensive use of diagrams and stress the intuition of results.
Whereas the level of mathematics is not advanced, all students must be prepared for
some mathematical analysis involving the use of calculus.
The course is taught in 14 three-hour sessions with two 10 to 15 minutes breaks. Each
session will be a combination of traditional lectures, problem-solving, discussion of
homework and assessments, and open question and answer time. The mix of these
components is not fixed and will vary from week to week.
The topics listed below for each session should be regarded as a guide. While the
objective is to adhere as closely as possible to the outline, the rate at which the course
progresses cannot be predicted exactly, and it may be possible to proceed more rapidly
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SAMPLE SYLLABUS – SUBJECT TO CHANGE
(and introduce some supplementary topics) or necessary to take things a bit more slowly,
in which case some minor reductions of the course content may be required.
Upon Completion of this Course, students will be able to:
● understand and apply the main elements and techniques of microeconomic theory
at intermediate level;
● solve and interpret stylized problems based on microeconomic models;
● use these models to analyze real-world microeconomic phenomena and to
evaluate issues of microeconomic policy.
Course Requirements
Grading of Assignments
The grade for this course will be determined according to these assessment components:
Assignments/ % of
Activities Description of Assignment Final Due
Grade
Homework Ten problem sets (non-electronic) 10%
Mid-term exam In-class exam 30%
Essay A 2,000-words paper on a pre-approved 30%
topic.
Final exam In-class exam 30%
Failure to submit or fulfill any required course component results in failure of the class
Grades
Letter grades for the entire course will be assigned as follows:
Letter Percent Description
Grade
Clear and thorough analysis, responding
A 93.5% and higher directly to questions set. Demonstration of
both rigor and the ability to explain economic
intuition.
Well organized, clearly expressed response to
B 82.5% - 87.49% questions asked. Evidence of good analytical
skills and appropriate reading.
Answers broadly correct with effective grasp of
C 72.5% - 77.49% basic concepts. Ability to apply material from
textbook and lectures, but lacking depth and
subtlety.
D 62.5% - 67.49 Some effort and understanding although
analysis may be incomplete and/or flawed.
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Letter Percent Description
Grade
Evidence of lack of effort and/or containing
significant errors in even basic parts of
F 59.99% and lower answer. Incomplete/incorrect exposition of
material from textbook/lecture notes. Lack of
understanding of significant portions of core
course content.
Course Materials
Required Textbooks & Materials
● Pindyck, R. and Rubinfeld, D. Microeconomics (2017, Ninth Edition).
ISBN: 978-1-292-21-331-6.
○ The previous edition (2013, Eighth Edition; ISBN: 978-0132857123) can
also be used, in conjunction with the classroom lecture notes and
exercises
Optional Textbooks & Materials
● Besanko, David and Ronald R. Braeutigam Microeconomics (2015, Fifth Edition).
ISBN: 978-1-118-71638-0
Resources
● Access your course materials: NYU Classes (nyu.edu/its/classes)
● Databases, journal articles, and more: Bobst Library (library.nyu.edu)
● NYUL Library Collection: Senate House Library
(catalogue.libraries.london.ac.uk)
● Assistance with strengthening your writing: NYU Writing Center
(nyu.mywconline.com)
● Obtain 24/7 technology assistance: IT Help Desk (nyu.edu/it/servicedesk)
Course Schedule
Session/Date Topic Reading Assignment
Due
Session 1: Introduction: Chapters 1 & 2 N/A
Markets and Prices.
Session 2: Consumer Chapter 3 N/A
Behaviour.
Session 3: Individual and Chapter 4 HW 1
Market Demand.
Uncertainty and
Session 4: Consumer Chapter 5 HW 2
Behaviour.
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Session/Date Topic Reading Assignment
Due
Session 5: Production. The Chapters 6 & 7 HW 3
Cost of Production.
Session 6: Mid-Term Exam Chapters 1-5 N/A
The Cost of
Production (cont).
Session 7: Profit Maximisation Chapters 7 & 8 HW 4
and Competitive
Supply.
The Analysis of
Session 8: Competitive Chapter 9 HW 5
Markets.
Market Power:
Session 9: Monopoly and Chapter 10 HW 6
Monopsony.
Session 10: Pricing with Market Chapter 11 HW 7
Power.
Monopolistic
Session 11: Competition and Chapter 12 HW 8
Oligopoly.
Investment, Time,
Session 12: and Capital Chapter 15 HW 9
Markets.
Session 13: Externalities and Chapter 18 HW 10
Public Goods.
Session 14: Behavioural Chapter 19 Essay
Economics
Final Final Exam Chapters 10-12, 15, 18 N/A
Assessment:
Co-Curricular Activities
• None
Classroom Etiquette
• Please arrive punctually as lectures begin on time and late arrivals disrupt others.
• Phones must be turned off during classes (there is a break in each session during
which phones can, of course, be used).
• Laptops or tablets can be used for taking lecture notes but for no other purposes.
NYUL Academic Policies
Attendance and Tardiness
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