NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY The City University of New York School of Arts & Sciences Department of Social Science Course Outline

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1 NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY The City University of New York School of Arts & Sciences Department of Social Science Course Outline Course code: ECON 1401 Course title: Microeconomics Class hours/credits: 3 class hours, 3 credits Prerequisite: CUNY proficiency in reading and writing Pathways: Individual and Society Catalog Description: The price system and capitalism. Demand, supply and elasticity, the costs of production and how these costs are determined under perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition and oligopoly, factors of production under perfect competition and the various forms of monopoly. RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOK* Title: Principles of Microeconomics Edition: 11th Author: Karl E. Case, Ray C. Fair, and Sharon M. Oster Publisher: Prentice Hall * The textbook used in a particular section will be chosen by the instructor. COURSE INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES/ASSESSMENT METHODS LEARNING OUTCOMES 1 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic economic issue of scarcity. 2. Demonstrate an understanding of how markets allocate resources and outputs. 3. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of marginal analysis in decision making. 4. Demonstrate an understanding of comparative advantage and the gains from trade. 5. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of prices in a market system. 6. Demonstrate an understanding of how market structure impacts prices and output. 7. Demonstrate an understanding of the role government plays in a market economy. ASSESSMENT METHODS* 1. Multiple choice question and/or short essay on graded exam 2. Essay on graded exam 3. Essay questions on homework 4. Short essay on graded exam and essay on homework 5. Essay question or multiple choice question on graded exam 6. Essay question on graded exam and problem on homework 7. Essay question on graded exam and essay question on homework 8. Demonstrate an understanding of how economies grow. 8. Essay question on graded exam 9. Develop an appreciation of how basic microeconomic 9. Essay question on graded exam and essay on homework principles affect their lives. 1 consistent with the National Standards outlined by the Council for Economic Education

2 GENERAL EDUCATION LEARNING OUTCOMES/ASSESSMENT METHODS LEARNING OUTCOMES 1. KNOWLEDGE: Develop knowledge from a range of disciplinary perspectives, and develop the ability to deepen and continue learning. 2. SKILLS: Develop and use the tools needed for communication, inquiry, analysis, and productive work. 3. INTEGRATION: Work productively within and across disciplines. 4. VALUES, ETHICS, AND RELATIONSHIPS: Understand and apply values, ethics, and diverse perspectives in personal, civic, and cultural/global domains. * may vary slightly per instructor to suit their own needs ASSESSMENT METHODS* 1. Multiple choice question and/or short essay on graded exam 2. Essay on graded exam and homework s 3. Essay questions on homework 4. Short essay on graded exam and essay on homework ASSIGNMENTS and other course requirements* Homework 1 Basic math and graphing exercise Homework 2 Preparation for Exam 1 Homework 3 Preparation for Exam 2 Homework 4 Preparation for the Final Exam METHOD OF GRADING elements and weight of factors determining the students grade* Homework 10% Exam 1 25% Exam 2 25% Final Exam 40% ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY STATEMENT Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion. The complete text of the College policy on Academic Integrity may be found in the catalog. COLLEGE POLICY ON ABSENCE/LATENESS A student may be absent without penalty for 10% of the number of scheduled class meetings during the semester as follows:

3 Class Meets Allowable Absence 1 time/week 2 classes 2 times/week 3 classes 3 times/week 4 classes It is the responsibility of the instructor to keep accurate records of every student s attendance and to inform each class orally and in writing of the applicable attendance policy during the first two weeks of class meetings each semester. Excessive Absence If a student s class absences exceed the limit established for a given course or component, the instructor will alert the student that a grade of WU may be assigned. If a student remains officially registered for a course and never attends that course, a final grade of *WN will be assigned. If the student withdraws officially from the course, he/she will be assigned a grade in accordance with the existing withdrawal policy of the College. Appeals A student wishing to appeal the excessive absence status and the impending grade should request a meeting with the chairperson of the department in which the course is offered. The chairperson will consult with the instructor to render a decision. A student wishing to appeal a WU grade may do so through the Committee on Course and Standards. Lateness It is the responsibility of the instructor to keep a record of lateness and to inform each class orally and in writing of the lateness policy during the first two weeks of class meetings of each semester. SAMPLE SEQUENCE OF TOPICS AND TIME ALLOCATIONS (number of hours)* I. The Scope and Methods of Economics 3.0 A. Why Study Economics? B. Working with theories and models 1. methodology 2. terminology C. Working with graphs II. The Economic Problem: Scarcity and Choice 3.0 A. The Problems of Scarcity 1. Unlimited wants and scarce resources 2. The economic question of What, How and for Whom 3. The Production possibilities curve B. The Factors of Production 1. Land 2. Labor 3. Capital 4. Entrepreneurship

4 III. Demand, Supply, and Market Equilibrium 3.0 A. Law of Demand 1. The Demand Schedule 2. Sketching a Demand Curve 3. Market demand B. Law of Supply 1. The supply schedule 2. Sketching a supply curve C. Market Equilibrium D. Two kinds of changes - Demand E. Two Kinds of Changes in Supply 1. Changes in the quantity supplied 2. Changes in supply F. An Evaluation of the Price System IV. Elasticity 3.0 A. Concept of Elasticity 1. Visualizing elasticity from graphs 2. Measuring elasticity 3. Elasticity of demand and total revenue 4. What determines elasticity B. Other Types of Elasticities 1. Income Elasticity of Demand 2. Cross Elasticity of Demand V. Household Behavior and Consumer Choice 3.0 A. The Meaning of Utility B. Consumer Equilibrium C. Marginal Utility and Demand D. Indifference Curves 1. Marginal rate of substitution 2. Types of indifference curves E. The Budget Line VI. The Production Process: The Behavior of Profit-Maximizing Firms 3.0 A. Outlay costs versus opportunity costs B. Short run and long run costs C. The Production Function

5 D. The Law of Diminishing Returns E. The Average - Marginal relationship F. The Total - Marginal relationship VII. Price and Output Determination: Perfect Competition 6.0 A. What is Perfect Competition B. Costs, Revenues and Profit Maximization in the Short Run 1. Total Costs and Total Revenues 2. Marginal Cost and Marginal Revenue 3. Analyzing Short-Run Equilibrium 4. Deriving supply curves from marginal cost curves C. Long-Run Equilibrium of a Firm and an Industry 1. Adjustment process 2. Long run industry supply curve VIII. Price and Output Determination: Pure Monopoly 3.0 A. The meaning and types of monopoly 1. Cost and Revenue schedules 2. Using the MC=MR principle 3. Relationship between "P" and MR 4. Monopolies and profit maximization B. Evaluating Monopoly 1. Efficiency 2. Equity 3. Growth IX. Price and Output Determination: Oligopoly 3.0 A. Characteristics of Oligopolies B. The Kinked Demand Curve C. Oligopolies in Collusion D. Pure Leadership X. Price and Output Determination: Monopolistic Competition 3.0 A. What is Monopolistic Competition B. Importance of Product Differentiation C. Importance of selling costs D. Waste and non-price competition XI. Marginal Productivity Theory 3.0

6 A. Factor Demand: The Marginal Productivity Theory 1. Determination of VMP 2. Determination of MRP 3. MP theory VMP or MRP = MFC B. Monopsony and Oligopsony XII. The Pricing and Employment of the Factors of Production 3.0 A. Theory of Wages 1. Trends of wages and productivity 2. Wage-determination models B. Theory of Rent C. Theory of Interest 1. Determination of the interest rate 2. Loanable-Funds and Liquidity-Preference Theories D. Theory of Profit 1. Friction and Monopoly theory 2. Uncertainty theory 3. Innovation theory 4. Functions of profits XIII. Externalities, Public Goods, Social Choice 3.0 XIV. International Trade and Finance 3.0 A. Arguments for and against Free Trade B. Comparative Advantage and Absolute Advantage C. The Balance of Payments *guidelines from which instructors may select or adapt Reviewed/Revised by: Randall Hannum Date: November 2015