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Dr Chiara Sotis SAL.1.26

This course is available on the BSc in Accounting and Finance, BSc in Economic History, BSc in Environment and Development, BSc in Environment and Sustainable Development and BSc in International Relations. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

Note, EC2A5 is mutually exclusive with EC230.

Students will have completed Microeconomics I (EC1A5) or equivalent.

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 AT.

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: 2 hours, reading time: 15 minutes) in the January exam period.