University of Alberta
Department of Economics ECON-281 B2
Intermediate Microeconomic Theory I Winter 2022
Instructor:
Boris Ortega Moreno Office: Room 8-25 Tory.
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: Room 8-25 Tory. Wednesday 1:10PM-2:10PM and Friday 10AM-11AM, or by appointment. Addi- tional office hours might be scheduled before the exam and/or assignment due dates.
Lectures:
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12:00PM to 12:50PM.
Room: Tory 1-091.
Prerequisite:
ECON-101 or equivalent. The Department may cancel your registration if you do not meet this prerequisite.
Purpose of the Course:
This course discusses the theory of consumer behavior; theory of production and cost; price and output determina- tion under competitions, monopoly and other market structures.
Books and Materials:
The required textbook for this course is:
Perloff, J. Microeconomics, Pearson, 2018 (8th edition).
The lectures will be based in the most recent version of the text; however, you can use the 7th edition as well.
Other materials, such as sample questions will be posted on eClass.
Tutor Center and Review Sessions:
There is a tutor available for all sessions of ECON-281 students. The tutor’s office hours are to be announced.
Students are welcome to ask the tutor questions about the lecture material, the assigned readings, or on the practice problems. The tutor cannot give answers to assignment questions.
Evaluation
The final grade for the course will be determined according to the following weights:
Course Work Weight Tentative Due Dates Homework Assignment #1 5% January24th
Homework Assignment #2 5% February14th
Midterm Exam 35% February14thin class Homework Assignment #3 5% March14th
Homework Assignment #4 5% April4th
Final Exam 45% April21st9AM
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The formula given above will be used to compute a grade out of one hundred for the course. In translating these numeric grades to letter grades, letter grades will be assigned in an attempt to achieve a grade point average between 2.6 and 3.2. Note however that, depending on circumstances, the grade point average of the class may lie outside of this interval. Final grades are based both on absolute and relative performance.
The final exam will be cumulative, covering material from the entire term. More weight will be given to the material covered after the midterm exam. Assignments will be posted on eClass and are due to the Economics Department office (8th floor Tory) by 1:30PM on the due date. Late assignments will receive 50% of the score obtained and must be submitted by the last day of class (April8th). Students who miss the midterm exam will have the weight of the midterm placed on the final exam. A single (A4 or letter size) sheet of paper per student is allowed during the midterm and the final exam. Everything on that paper must be hand-written (front and back). No other materials, including electronics, are allowed during the midterm and final exam. The midterm and the final exam will have a maximum of 110 points; however, only 100 points will be needed to obtain the maximum mark. Points obtained above the 100 threshold are not cumulative.
Students are only eligible for a deferred final exam if they have completed more than half of the term work, not including the final exam. Students must apply to their home Faculty for a deferred final exam, regardless of the reason. They must do so within 48 hours of the scheduled exam (they can do so by phone). The instructor cannot grant deferred final exams. Students approved for a deferred final exam have to contact the instructor asap to make arrangements for the deferred exam.
Grades are not given for attendance or in-class participation.
Course Outline
The table below summarizes the tentative course outline. Please note that all dates listed are approximate. The exact chapters/sections covered in each week may vary as the term proceeds. Any modification will be announced in class.
Topic Chapter Date Week
Introduction 1 Jan. 5 and 7 1
Demand and Supply Analysis (except sections 2.5 and 2.6)
2 Jan. 10, 12, and 14 2
Applying the Supply and Demand Model (except section 3.4)
3 Jan. 17, 19, and 21 3
Consumer Choice (except section 4.5) 4 Jan. 24, 26, and 28 4 The Theory of Demand (except
section 5.4)
5 Jan. 31, Feb. 2 and 4 5
Firms and Production 6 Feb. 7, 9, and 11 6
Midterm 1-6 Feb. 14 7
Costs (except section 7.5) 7 Feb. 16 and 18 7
Reading Week - Feb. 21 to Feb. 25 8
Costs (except section 7.5) 7 Feb. 28, March 2 and 4 9 Perfectly Competitive Markets 8 March 7, 9, and 11 10 Applying the Competitive Model 9 March 14, 16, and 18 11 Monopoly (except sections 11.5 and
11.6)
11 March 21, 23, and 25 12
Factor Markets 15 March 28, 30, and April 1 13
Price Discrimination (except section 12.7)
12 April 4, 6, and 8 14
Students are required to read the respective textbook chapters before class; however, readings are in no way a substitute for class attendance. Regular class attendance is essential and expected.
Other Notes:
Audio or video recording of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Recorded material is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
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Policy about course outlines can be found in the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University Calendar.
The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behavior and avoid any behavior which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offense. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
Student Accessibility Services: If you have a condition that may require some classroom or exam modifications, please contact SAS (www.ssds.ualberta.ca) to obtain a determination as to what accommodations should be made.
Student Success Centre: The Student Success Centre (www.studentsuccess.ualberta.ca) offers a variety of learning resources, including a variety of workshops in learning effective study and exam strategies. Sessions are available in person and online, for a fee.
Centre for Writers: The Centre for Writers (www.c4w.ualberta.ca) offers free one-on-one writing coaching to all students. Students can request consultation for a writing project at any stage of development, including completed and graded work.
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