Preliminary syllabus, subject to change without notice.

Class Times

The class meets Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00pm to 3:15pm in PCA-150.

Textbook

This is not to be confused with Perloff's Microeconomics: Theory and Applications with Calculus, which is a very different book.

Office Hours and Contact Info

Regular office hours are 1:00-1:45 and 3:30-5:00pm on Tuesday and Thursday. I will be happy to make an appointment for another time if that is more convenient. My office is DM-311A, my phone number is 305-348-3287, and my email is <boydj@fiu.edu>.

TA Information

Your TA is Li Xu lixu@fiu.edu. He will grade all of the homework, so any questions you have about the homework grading should be directed to him. He is available in the Economics Tutoring Center (VH-136) on Mondays from noon to 5pm.

Grades

Grades will be based on two in-class midterm exams (worth 25% each), a final exam (40%), and the remaining 10% on homework. In addition to being announced in class, homework assignments will be posted on the class web page.

Exams

The first exam is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, February 7. The second exam is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 22.

The final will be in our regular classroom (PCA-150) at the officially scheduled time: 12 noon on Thursday, April 26. It will be comprehensive.

Homework

Homework may be done individually or in groups of no more than 3. If you do your homework in a group, please turn in a single set of answers with everyone's name at the top. This makes life easier for both me and the TA. I strongly advise you to attempt all the questions yourself, even if you work with a group. You will learn more that way and likely do better on the exams. In fact, working problems beyond those assigned is a good way to improve your understanding of the material.

If you are unable to turn in the homework in class, it can be turned in at the Economics Department by the due date for full credit. Late homework may be subject to a penalty and will not be accepted once the assignment is returned.

Homework Assignments

Homework assignments will appear here when they are made. The answers to many of the unassigned problems are in the back of the book. I recommend you attempt these problems too.

Course Outline and Schedule

This course covers microeconomics: supply and demand, consumer choice, cost and production, competitive and non-competitive markets.

Detailed Outlines

  1. Chapters 2-5

Tentative Schedule

As we proceed through the course, the dates and list of chapters covered will be updated. You will get more from the course if you start reading the chapters by the time we start them.

Jan. 10: Chapter 1: Introduction
Jan. 10, 12: Chapter 2: Supply and Demand
Jan. 17, 19: Chapter 3: Applying the Supply and Demand Model
Jan. 24, 26: Chapter 4: Consumer Choice
Jan. 31, Feb. 2: Chapter 5: Applying Consumer Choice
Feb. 2: Review Chapters 1-5
Feb. 7: First Exam: Chapters 1-5
Feb. 9, 14: Chapter 6: Firms and Production
Feb. 16, 21: Chapter 7: Costs
Feb. 23, 28: Chapter 8: Competitive Firms and Markets
Mar. 2, 7: Chapter 9: Applying the Competitive Model
Mar. 9: Chapter 10: General Equilibrium and Economic Welfare, part I
Mar. 12-18: Spring Break
Mar. 20: Review of Chapters 6-10
Mar. 22: Second Exam: Chapters 6-10
Mar. 27: Chapter 10: General Equilibrium and Economic Welfare, part II
Mar. 29, Apr. 3: Chapter 11: Monopoly
Apr. 5, 10: Chapter 12: Pricing and Advertising
Apr. 12, 17: Chapter 13: Oligopoly and Monopolistic Competition
Apr. 19: Final Review
Apr. 26: Final Exam 12 noon in PCA-150

Policies

Missed Exams

Normally, one missed mid-term will result in your remaining mid-term exam and final respectively being worth 40% and 50% of your grade. Any exceptions must be arranged in advance. Missing two mid-term exams or the final will means an automatic F in the course.

Incompletes

We strictly follow university policy on incompletes. This means that incompletes will only be considered when an emergency prevents you from attending the final exam.

Academic Honesty

While you may use a calculator on exams, any other use of computers, notes, books, or advice from others on exams is considered cheating and will be dealt with accordingly. See the university policy on Academic Misconduct for more details.

Important Dates

Jan. 9
Classes begin
Jan. 16
Martin Luther King Holiday (no class)
Jan. 17
Last day to drop with full refund
Feb. 3
Last day to drop with 25% refund
Feb. 3
Last day to apply for Spring Graduation
Mar. 2
Last day to drop with DR
Mar. 12-18
Spring Break (no class)
Apr. 21
Last day of regular classes
Apr. 26
Intermediate Micro Final at 12 noon
Apr. 23-28
Finals Week
May 3
All grades available online