SØK 3520 Microeconomics

SØK 3520 Microeconomics

Course code: 
SØK 3520
Department: 
Economics
Credits: 
7.5
Course coordinator: 
Robert Gunder Hansen
Course name in Norwegian: 
Mikroøkonomi
Product category: 
Bachelor
Portfolio: 
Bachelor - Common Courses
Semester: 
2023 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Bachelor
Teaching language: 
Norwegian
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

Through the study of microeconomics students will learn the fundamentals of how markets and economic institutions function.

The course is a thorough study on price formation and the production and income distribution in markets. The analysis covers both markets for consumer goods and markets for production resources. There is a special emphasis on the analysis of price trends and industry development in short and long term.

Furthermore, criteria for economic efficiency and high value added are discussed. In particular the course discusses if conditions for individual economic decisions are leading to effective utilisation of community resources. One sees here both the decisions in competitive markets and decisions in markets with limited competition.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

During the course students will:

  • Acquire understanding of the basic relationships between individual economic decisions and the social consequences in different market situations. Students will understand the basic principles of how changes in some markets have ripple effects to other markets.
  • Understand the distinction between descriptive and normative theory.
Learning outcomes - Skills

After completed course students should:

  • Master basic economic models system, and understand the distinction between exogenous and endogenous variables.
  • Be able to describe economic optimisation problems related to individual choices and firms' production and price decisions.
General Competence

Students will be able to identify welfare and distributional consequences of a market economy. They will be aware of the trade-offs between efficiency and other considerations not captured by the basic economic models.

Course content
  1. Introduction to microeconomic analysis
  2. Market economics: supply and demand.
  3. Individual choices: available choices, the budget constraint, and preferences.
  4. Applications:
    • Choice of labor supply - economic valuation of time.
    • Savings and consumption over time.
    • Effects of changes in prices and income.
    • Demand functions and elasticities.
  5. Firms' economic decisions: Technology, costs, and production:
    • ​Technology: The production function.
    • The cost function.
    • Maximization of profit.
    • Short and long run adaptation.
  6. Market theory:
    • ​Price formation under different cost structures.
    • The formation of prices and income in the short and long run.
    • Sectoral dynamics.
    • How taxation affects the market equilibrium - prices and production.
  7. Economic efficiency.
  8. Limited competition: ​Monopolies and market power.
  9. Innovation and productivity.
Teaching and learning activities

The course consists of 30 lecture hours + 10 hours of digital assignment review and feedback.

E-learning
In course delivery as online courses, lecturer will, in collaboration with the student administration, organize an appropriate course implementation, combining different learning activities and digital elements on the learning platform. Online students are also offered a study guide that will contribute to progression and overview. Total recommended time spent for completing the course also applies here.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Qualifications

Higher Education Entrance Qualification

Disclaimer

Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this.

Required prerequisite knowledge

MET 2910 Mathematics or equivalent.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Invigilation
Weight: 
100
Grouping: 
Individual
Support materials: 
  • BI-approved exam calculator
  • Simple calculator
Duration: 
5 Hour(s)
Exam code: 
SØK35202
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination every semester
Type of Assessment: 
Ordinary examination
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
30 Hour(s)
Feedback activities and counselling
10 Hour(s)
Digital lessons with guidance and review of assignments.
Prepare for teaching
30 Hour(s)
Group work / Assignments
50 Hour(s)
Working with tasks in the aftermath of lectures
Student's own work with learning resources
60 Hour(s)
Examination
5 Hour(s)
Digital resources
15 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
200

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 7,5 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 200 hours.