TROY UNIVERSITY
SORRELL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
ECO 3352: Intermediate Microeconomics
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12:00-12:50pm, Bibb Graves 143
Instructor: Daniel Sutter
E-mail: dsutter@troy.edu
Office: 137B Bibb Graves
Phone: 670-5771
Office Hours: M 9-11am, 2-3:30pm; W 9:30-11am, 1-2pm
Other times by appointment
Prerequisites: ECO 2251 and ECO 2252.
Description: Theory and determination of prices. Prerequisite: ECO 2251 and ECO 2252.
Objectives: On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
1. Conduct a detailed examination of price theory and consumer choice;
2. Discuss utility-maximizing behavior on the part of consumers and profit-maximizing
behavior on the part of firms;
3. Examine market structure and performance;
4. Present basic game theoretic models and discuss their applications;
5. Discuss the welfare properties of different market outcomes.
Purpose: To provide strong familiarity with the theories and quantitative techniques of
intermediate microeconomics. In particular, these theories and techniques will be used to show
how optimal, or best, economic solutions are reached. BABA/BSBA Management major
specified elective (Production and Operations Management concentration).
Textbook: Robert Frank, Microeconomics and Behavior, 8th edition, 2010.
Grades: Grades in this class will be based on three in-class exams during the semester,
homework assignments to be distributed and collected during the semester, and a final exam. In
place of taking the final exam, students may elect to write a paper on a topic to be announced
during the semester. Grades will be based on points earned during the semester, and points will
be assigned as follows:
Exams
Homework
Final Exam
300
150
150
Total
600
(3 total, 100 each)
The grading scale will be: A 540+ points, B 480-539, C 420-479, D 360-419. A curve will be
established if the grades on exams are less than 75%.
Exams: The exams will be of a mixed format. Question types will include multiple choice,
short answer, mathematical calculations, and graph & essay questions. All exams and the final
exam are closed book, closed notes. Coverage for the exams is as follows: Exam #1, Chapters 1
through 4; Exam #2, Chapters 5 through 8; Exam #3, Chapters 9 through 13; Final Exam,
Comprehensive. The dates for the exams are as follows: September 16, October 14, December 2
Exam Policy: All students are expected to take the in-class exams on the days administered. I
am willing to reschedule an exam for a student if necessary, provided you make arrangements
prior to the exam. If you miss an exam without prior approval from me, you will receive a grade
of 0 unless you had a medical or other emergency which could not be anticipated, and which you
can satisfactorily document.
Homework: There will be three sets of homework problems, corresponding with the coverage
for each exam. The sets of homework problems will be due the class before the exam, so that
solutions can be distributed to assist in exam preparation. Students may work together and
discuss the problems, but each student must turn in his or her own set of answers. Problems will
be distributed at least two weeks before they are due. Homework due dates: September 14,
October 12, November 30
Optional Paper: Students in this class can if they elect choose to write a paper for the class in
lieu of taking the final exam. Papers will be graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis, and a
student who completes a successful paper will receive the grade they have earned based on 450
points for the exams and homework. Alternatively, a student who satisfactorily completes a
paper can take the final exam, but their grade will not be lower than the grade they have going
into the final. Details on the paper option will be provided during the semester. There will be a
set of preliminary tasks for the paper which students will have to complete in order to do the
paper option; final papers will not be accepted unless all of the preliminary dates have been met.
Extra Credit: Students can earn extra credit by attending two evening talks sponsored by the
Johnson Center for Political Economy. The speakers and dates will be announced in class. This
will be the ONLY opportunity to earn extra points in the class.
Attendance: The grade scale does not include attendance, and I do not take attendance. I
presume you are all old enough to determine when to attend class. As a general rule, students
who attend more often do better in class. Attendance is particularly important on days when we
have a quiz or in-class experiment.
Additional Services: AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: Troy University supports
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,
which insure that postsecondary students with disabilities have equal access to all academic
programs, physical access to all buildings, facilities and events, and are not discriminated against
on the basis of disability. Eligible students, with appropriate documentation, will be provided
equal opportunity to demonstrate their academic skills and potential through the provision of
academic adaptations and reasonable accommodations. Students with disabilities, or those who
suspect they have a disability, must register with the Disability Services Coordinator in order to
receive accommodations. Students currently registered with the Disability Services Office are
required to present their Disability Services Accommodation Letter to each faculty member at
the beginning of each term. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Adaptive Needs
Program (Eldridge Hall), or call 670-3220/3221.
Detailed Schedule of Class Coverage
Week #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Date
8/17
8/22
8/29
9/7
9/12
9/19
9/26
10/3
10/10
10/17
10/24
10/31
11/7
11/14
11/21
11/28
12/5
Coverage
Overview of course; chapter 1
Chapters 1 & 2
Chapters 2 & 3
Chapters 3 & 4 (Class does not meet on Monday)
Chapter 4; Exam #1 on 9/16
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8; Exam #2 on 10/14
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 11 continued (Class does not meet on Friday)
Chapter 12
No class; Thanksgiving week
Chapter 13; Exam #3 on 12/2
Review (Class meets only on Monday)
Date & Time for the final exam will be announced