INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS: AP/ECON 1000 M
WINTER SEMESTER 2013
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS,
FACULTY OF LIBERAL ARTS AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES, YORK UNIVERSITY
COURSE OUTLINE
Course Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Class Lecture Time:
Lecture Venue:
Office Hours:
Sadia Mariam Malik
1094 Vari Hall
416-736-2100 ext. 20532
smmalik@yorku.ca
Tuesdays and Thursdays (10:00 am – 11:30 am)
ACE 102
Tuesdays and Thursdays – 1:00-2:00 pm and by appointment
Course Objectives
This course will familiarize students with the basic principles and tools of microeconomic analysis which
will help them to understand what economics is all about; why it is important to study economics; what
is an economic way of thinking; and how individual economic units such as consumers and firms make
optimal decisions. By the end of this course, it is expected that students will have a firm understanding
of the basic concepts of micro-economic analysis such as demand and supply; consumer behaviour; the
behaviour of firms; costs, pricing and profit maximization strategies under different market settings; and
the impact of government regulation on market incentives and production.
Required Course Material
1) “Microeconomics: Canada in the Global Environment.” Eighth Edition. By Michael Parkin and
Robin Bade. Pearson 2012. Please note that seventh edition is fine too.
2) MyEconlab by Pearson 2012.

MyEconlab is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment system that comes
packaged with the text books of both micro and macroeconomics by Parkin and Bade.
So if you plan to take on Macroeconomics (Econ 1010), this package is all that you need.

Note that if you are planning to buy the used text book, you will still need to purchase
the access code for MyEconlab.

It is required that you make use of this important resource to organize your study,
improve your understanding of key concepts and theories, learn their application to real
world scenarios, and to prepare for your exams. I will use this system to assign you
online quizzes from time to time in order to facilitate you to get more practice for
exams. I would also suggest that you use this resource to practice on your own. There
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are a number of practice tests available that will instruct you in case you make a mistake
and will help you organize your study accordingly.

Although MyEconlab can be assessed online through www.myeconlab.com. You will
need the following to access MyEconlab: 1) An access code that is provided when you
purchase the new textbook or purchase the program separately 2) Course ID which is
malik50852 3) A valid email address.

In order to familiarize you with MyEconlab, I will arrange an orientation session in the
first week of the semester. Round the clock technical support is also available with the
publisher in case you experience any difficulty in using the software.
3) Study Guide accompanying the required text book by Parkin and Bade. The study guide is not a
required text and it is entirely up to you to study it for more practice and greater understanding.
Evaluation
The assessment of your results in the course will be based upon one midterm exam, a final exam and
online quizzes. I will assign you a total of six online quizzes during the course of the semester and will
drop the two lowest scored quizzes at the end of the semester. The contribution of each of these in the
final grades will be as under:
Midterm Exam
30%
Final Exam
50%
Online Quizzes
20%
Total
100%
Exam Dates and Rules

Tentative date for the midterm exam is Thursday, February 28, 2013. The final exam will be held
in the period of April 10-26, 2013. The precise date for the final exam will be announced later.

Both midterm and final exams will consist of multiple choice questions. Midterm exam will cover
everything that we will be able to cover from the first day of class till the last lecture before the
midterm. The final exam will be comprehensive with 75-80 percent of the questions selected
from the post midterm material and the remaining 20-25 percent of the questions from the premidterm material.

No student will be allowed to write the exam prior to the scheduled date.

No student will be allowed to write the exam in order to improve the letter grade.
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
York University is committed to respecting the religious beliefs and practices of all members of
the community. In case, any of the exam dates clash with the day of your religious observance,
you are responsible for contacting me at least two weeks in advance. To arrange for an
alternative date, you must complete an examination Accommodation Form available at
http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/pdf/exam_accommodation.pdf

Cheating and plagiarism are considered to be serious offences by York University. Please visit
the Academic Integrity web site http://www.yorku.ca/acadinte/students/index.htm to read the
Senate Policy on Academic Honesty.

Cell phones, electronic translators, programmable calculators, iPods, MP3 players, and other
electronic devices are not permitted into exams. You will only be allowed the use of nonprogrammable calculator and English language dictionaries. Other permissible items to carry in
exams are pens, pencils, student ID, coats and purses.
Make-up Exams Policy

No make-up exams will be given for a missed midterm exam. If for any reason you miss a
midterm, your final exam will have a greater weight and will count towards 100 percent of your
total points earned, instead of 60 percent.

In case you miss the final exam, you will be allowed to write a deferred exam only by completing
the Deferred Standing Agreement Form and by providing a completed Registrar's Office Attending
Physician's Statement.
Grade Distribution based on Percentages Earned
The grade distribution will be based upon the total percentage points that you will earn in the semester.
The standard cut-off points, provided by York University, will be used to convert percentages to letter
grades. These are provided as under:
90-100 A+
80-89 A
75-79 B+
70-74 B
65-69 C+
60-64 C
55-59 D+
50-54 D
40-49 E
0-39
F
Organization of the Course
This course consists of six lecture hours per week. Lecture notes and power point presentations will be
made available online through the course website. The link for the course website is:
http://jacinth.eso.yorku.ca/LotusQuickr/2013w-apecon1000m-03/Main.nsf
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Once you are on your course website, please make sure that you log in using your passport York Account
in order to access lecture slides and other course materials.
Teaching Assistants will be available for further help. Their names and office hours will be announced
later in the class and on the course website.
Topics to be Covered and Lecture Schedule
Week of
Topic
Assigned
Corresponding
the Text
January 8
Introduction/Administration
Course Outline
Readings/
Chapter in
What
is
Economics
and Chapter 1
Economic Way of Thinking? Key
Principles and Concepts
January 15
The Economic Problem and the Chapter 2
Emergence of a Market Economy
January 22
How Markets Work? The Crucial Chapter 3
Tools of Demand and Supply
January 29
Elasticity
Chapter 4
February 5
Efficiency and Equity
Chapter 5
February 12
Possibilities,
Choices
Preference
and Chapter 9
Reading Week: February 16-22, 2013
February 26
Midterm Review
Midterm: February 28, 2013
March 5
Organizing Production
Chapter 10
March 12
Outputs and Cost
Chapter 11
March 19
Perfect Competition
Chapter 12
March 26
Monopoly
Chapter 13
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April 2
Final Exam Review
Final Exam Date to be announced by the University’s registrar
Course Work
Econ 1000 is not a straightforward course. Many of the concepts may appear simple but their
application requires deeper understanding and clarity. Students are advised to devote ample time (at
least 5 hours per week) to study for this course. Although power point presentations and lecture notes
will be made available online, these should not be considered as substitutes for reading the appropriate
chapters in the text.
Reading the textbook and studying other assigned course material are vital to improve your
understanding of basic economic concepts and theories and to get good grades. However, remember
that there is a world outside the text book and it is important to learn how to apply your text book
knowledge to real world situations. In this context, reading Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, or
Economist regularly is a smart idea. These news journals deal with business and economic news that are
useful to remain abreast with what is going on around you and to enable you to think like an economist.
Using the tools of economic analysis learned in the class, you should be able to critically evaluate the
real world situations.
Important Dates
Last date to enrol without permission of course director:
Last date to enrol with the permission of course director:
Last date to drop courses without receiving a grade:
January 21, 2013
February 4, 2013
March 15, 2013
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