Preliminary syllabus, subject to change without notice.

Class Times

The class meets Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00pm to 6:15pm in DM-110.

Textbook

If you have a copy of an earlier edition, you may use that instead. The three editions are similar, but there are some changes.

Office Hours and Contact Info

Office Hours

If you have questions, you may ask immediately after class, or come to my office. My regular office hours are 12:45-1:45pm and 3:30-4:45pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 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> or <John.Boyd@fiu.edu>.

TA Information

Your TA is Estella Acheampong. Office Hours TBA. Her email is eache005@fiu.edu.

Grades

Your grade will be based on biweekly quizzes and a final exam. There is no midterm.

Quizzes

Six short quizzes will be given during the last 30 minutes of class. They will be given on every other Thursday, beginning on Jan. 26. The quizzes will be over the material covered in the previous two class weeks.

The quiz dates are: Jan. 26, Feb. 9, Feb. 23, Mar. 16, Mar. 30, and Apr. 13. The quizzes will focus on the material covered since the previous quiz (usually, previous two class weeks). Your lowest quiz score will be dropped, with your total quiz grade based on your top 5 quiz scores. Your quiz letter grade will count for 70% of your grade.

Quiz and Exam Grading Scales

Here are preliminary grading scales for the quizzes and final, based on those used in the fall semester. I usually adjust the scales a bit, depending on the difficulty of the quizzes and final.

Quiz Scale
Based on top 5 Quizzes
A+ 90-100%
A 85-89.9%
A- 77-84.9%
B+ 71-76.9%
B 65-70.9%
B- 59-64.9%
C+ 53-58.9%
C 47-52.9%
C- 41-46.9%
D+ 35-40.9%
D 26-34.9%
F 0-25.9%
Final Exam Scale
A+ 95-100%
A 85-94.9%
A- 80-84.9%
B+ 75-79.9%
B 65-69.9%
B- 60-64.9%
C+ 55-59.9%
C 45-54.9%
C- 40-44.9%
D+ 30-39.9%
D 25-29.9%
F 0-24.9%


Sample Quizzes and Final Questions

Here are some previous quizzes from the Fall and Spring semester of the 2020-2021 school year, as well as sample final questions from that year. The material covered differs slightly from what we did, so some questions might pertain to a different quiz this term.

  1. Quiz 1: Spring 2021, Fall 2020
  2. Quiz 2: Spring 2021, Fall 2020
  3. Quiz 3: Spring 2021, Fall 2020
  4. Quiz 4: Spring 2021, Fall 2020
  5. Quiz 5: Spring 2021, Fall 2020
  6. Quiz 6: Spring 2021, Fall 2020
  7. Additional Final Exam Questions, with answers

Quizzes and Answers

Links to copies of the quizzes (with answers) will be posted below. The answers are at the end of each quiz.

Final Exam

The final will be at the officially scheduled time and date, which is currently 5pm, Tuesday, April 26, in DM-110. This is subject to change. In the last semester the day was changed late in the the semester. The final will be comprehensive. The final counts for 30% of your course grade.

The final will likely consist of approximately 32-35 multiple choice questions.

Calculating Your Final Grade

I average your letter grades for the quizzes and final using weights of 70% and 30%. To do this, I convert letter grades to numbers using a 12-point scale. Thus A+ = 12, A = 11, A-=10, etc., with F = 0. For example, if you got a B (=8) on the quizzes and an A (=11) on the final, your average is .7*8 + .3*11 = 8.9. This rounds to 9, which is a B+.

As of Fall 2016, the official FIU grading scale does not include A+, C-, D+, or D- as course grades. Those will be rounded down to obtain the official course grade.

Slides

Each week's slides will be available here by Friday of that week.

  1. Week 1: Jan. 10 and 12

Course Outline and Schedule

This course covers microeconomics: supply and demand, consumer choice, cost and production, competitive and non-competitive markets, and a short introduction to game theory.

Detailed Outline

Here's an outline of topics covered from last spring.

Tentative Course Schedule

The plan is to cover about a chapter per week. As we proceed through the course, the dates and list of chapters covered will be updated to show what we actually did. You will get more from the course if you begin reading each chapter before we start it.

Quiz days are denoted by an asterisk (*).

Jan. 10: Chapter 1: Adventures in Microeconomics
Jan. 12, 17: Chapter 2: Supply and Demand
Jan. 19, 24, 26*: Chapter 3: Using Supply and Demand to Analyze Markets
Jan. 31, Feb. 2, 7: Chapter 4: Consumer Behavior
Feb. 9*, 14: Chapter 5: Individual and Market Demand
Feb. 16, 21, 23*: Chapter 6: Producer Behavior
Feb 28-Mar. 5 No Class! Spring Break
Mar. 7, 9: Chapter 7: Costs
Mar. 14, 16*: Chapter 8: Supply in a Competitive Market
Mar. 21, 23: Chapter 9: Market Power and Monopoly
Mar. 28, 30*: Chapter 10: Market Power and Pricing Strategies
Apr. 4, 6, 11: Chapter 11: Imperfect Competition
Apr. 13*, 18, 20: Chapter 12: Game Theory
Apr. 18: material from Chapter 14: Investment, Time, and Insurance
Apr. 25: Comprehensive Final Exam: 5pm, DM-110

Policies

Missed Quizzes and Exams

Since your grade is based on the top 5 quizzes, you are allowed to miss one quiz without penalty. If you miss a second quiz, you should contact me as soon as possible to arrange a makeup. Unless there are very special circumstances, missing three or more quizzes or the final will mean 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 quizzes and exams, any other use of computers, notes, books, or advice from others during quizzes or exams is considered cheating and will be dealt with accordingly. For more details, see the university policy on Academic Misconduct (scroll down to sec. 2.44).

Important Dates

Jan. 9
Classes begin
Jan. 17
Last day to add or drop with full refund
Jan. 20
Enrollment cancelled for uncovered unpaid fees.
Jan. 29
Last day to apply for Spring Graduation
Feb. 3
Last day to withdraw from FIU with 25% refund
Feb.27-Mar.4
Spring Break
March 20
Last day to drop with DR or withdraw from FIU with WI grade
April 22
Last day of regular classes
April 24-29
Finals Week
April 25
Intermediate Micro Final: DM-110, from 5pm to 7pm.
May 3
Last day for faculty to submit grades
May 4
All grades available online