The course will focus on Microeconomic theory as an approach to organizing economic ideas through modelling.
This course will examine some basic components of economic theory concerning the allocation of scarce resources:individual non-strategic decision making by consumers and firms, Markets and General Equilibrium, Game Theory for extending the models of consumers and producers to strategic settings (with an emphasis on asymmetric information and mechanism design), and models of how decisions are made in non market settings through political institutions or within firms.
Along the way we will consider how to include uncertainty in models and how to establish the existence of equilibria/optima and the comparative static properties of these predicted outcomes.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Individual Decision Makers: State and prove the fundamental properties of consumer and producer behaviour in neoclassical economics
- Markets: explain and apply the results of, Game Theory and General Equilibrium in understanding the properties of basic market structures.
- Mechanism Design: use mechanism design techniques to establish the structure of optimal incentive contracts and apply contract design to solve economic problems.
- Uncertainty: explain and apply the results of, and methods used in, expected utility theory
- Non-market allocation: state and prove the fundamental results of social choice, voting and managerial hierarchies; know the characteristics of some practical solutions to non-market allocation systems.
- Modelling: Describe relevant economic situations as games or optimization problems.
- Solving: Use curvature and monotonicity properties to establish the solutions and comparative static properties for relevant economic models.
Other Information
Indicative Assessment
- Typical assessments may include but is not restricted to in-class exercises, written and oral assignments, quizzes, examinations, group project tasks, oral presentation, and other assessment deemed appropriate to show attainment of the learning outcomes set for the course. Further details will be made available via the Class Summary. (100) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
2 hours a week: lecture 1 hour a week to the modelling workshop, 6 hours a week: reading, research, group work, writing and assignment, 1 hours a week: tutorials and seminarsInherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Please see class summary for prescribed texts
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 34
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5280 | Standard Rate |
| 2025 | $3840 |
Grandfathered Rate*
*continuing students in nominated programs only. See fee website |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6720 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2893 | 17 Feb 2025 | 24 Feb 2025 | 31 Mar 2025 | 23 May 2025 | In Person | View |
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7853 | 21 Jul 2025 | 28 Jul 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | In Person | N/A |