EC2A5      Half Unit
Microeconomics II

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Availability

Requisites

Mutually exclusive courses:

This course cannot be taken with EC2A3 or EC230 or MG207 at any time on the same degree programme.

Pre-requisites:

Students must have completed EC1A5 before taking this course.

This course builds upon the foundations of Microeconomics I (EC1A5) and challenges you to apply microeconomic analysis to tackle real-world economic challenges and policy debates. You will develop the ability to deconstruct complex scenarios, identifying the core economic mechanisms at play and how they can guide public policy. The use of mathematics is limited (in particular, with no calculus), but a strong emphasis is placed on cultivating robust graphical analysis skills and a solid intuition of microeconomics. Course topics and readings are curated to address issues of current relevance and importance, such as the economic impacts of the pandemic and environmental concerns. The classes encourage critical thinking and are designed to enable you to think about what may go wrong if we ignore the context in which we operate. In your formative assignment you will discuss a policy issue of your choice through the lens of the course content. This approach hones your ability to articulate complex ideas compellingly and you will receive feedback that will help you in your future careers. By the end of this course, you will have sharpened your ability to approach multifaceted economic challenges systematically, providing insightful advice grounded in microeconomic theory, and communicating your analyses with precision and clarity.

20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of classes in the Autumn Term.

Student learning will be supported through office hours and through a dedicated discussion forum.

Students will receive feedback on two pieces of formative work during AT. Students are expected to make positive contributions to class discussions.

There is no set course textbook because of the topical nature of the applications chosen. A list of selected texts and readings will be provided at the start of term, given the topical nature of the course.

Exam (100%), duration: 120 Minutes, reading time: 15 minutes in the January exam period