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
- Goolsbee, Levitt, and Syverson Microeconomics, 3rd ed. Worth Publishers, 2020.
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.
- Quiz 1: Spring 2021, Fall 2020
- Quiz 2: Spring 2021, Fall 2020
- Quiz 3: Spring 2021, Fall 2020
- Quiz 4: Spring 2021, Fall 2020
- Quiz 5: Spring 2021, Fall 2020
- Quiz 6: Spring 2021, Fall 2020
- 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.
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.- Revised April 23, 2022: Chapters 2-12 & 14.1
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