Course syllabus - Basic Microeconomics

Objectives

The aim of this course is to give students a basic knowledge and understanding of the unregulated and regulated price mechanism, in order to allocate the limited resources of consumers and producers to satisfy their unlimited and conflicting needs, respectively optimize their production, in competitive and monopoly markets.

Learning outcomes

Upon the completion of the course the students will be able to: 
* Use the demand and supply functions to determine the market equilibrium. 
* Show and explain how consumers make optimal decisions, as well as the income and substitution effects, price and income elasticities.  
* Show and explain how firms make optimal decisions based on their costs in both short- and long run.  
* Show and explain the profit maximizing price and production for a firm operating in a competitive market.  
* Show and explain how comparative static analysis (changes in supply and/or demand), is used to evaluate the impact of government intervention (such as price ceilings, floors and taxes) on consumer and producer surplus. 
* Determine the profit maximizing price and output for a monopoly and a monopsony firm. 
* Explain and show the optimal provision of public goods and services

Course content

The Basics of Supply and Demand; Consumption theory; Production theory; Cost theory; Perfect competition; Monopoly, Monopsony & Natural Monopolies; Analysis of Competitive Markets; Public Goods

Tuition

Lectures and problems solving seminars

Requirements

Basic eligibility and English 6, Mathematics 3b or 3c or Mathematics C

Examination

Written examination (TEN1), 6 credits, grade Excellent (A), Very good (B), Good (C), Satisfactory (D), Sufficient (E), Insufficient, complementary work possible (Fx), Insufficient (F) 
Exercises (OVN2), 1,5 credits, grades: Fail (U) or Pass (G) 

A student who has a certificate from MDU regarding a disability has the opportunity to submit a request for supportive measures during written examinations or other forms of examination, in accordance with the Rules and Regulations for Examinations at First-cycle and Second-cycle Level at Mälardalen University (2020/1655). It is the examiner who takes decisions on any supportive measures, based on what kind of certificate is issued, and in that case which measures are to be applied.

Suspicions of attempting to deceive in examinations (cheating) are reported to the Vice-Chancellor, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, and are examined by the University’s Disciplinary Board. If the Disciplinary Board considers the student to be guilty of a disciplinary offence, the Board will take a decision on disciplinary action, which will be a warning or suspension.

Grade

AF-skala

Interim Regulations and Other Regulations

The course overlaps 7,5 credits with:
NAA100 Microeconomics
NAA124 Microeconomics 1
NAA128 Basic Microeconomics
 
And 6 credits with:
NAA107 Microekonomics
NAA111 Microekonomic theory
NAA121 Microekonomics
NAA123 Microekonomic theory