Program Overview

Course Overview

The course PHPE 402, Approaches to Microeconomics, provides students with an in-depth knowledge of the principles of microeconomics and their application.

Course Details

• Dates: 24 February 2025 to 22 June 2025
• Starts: Trimester 1
• Fees:
  • Domestic students: NZ$1,137.45
  • International students: NZ$4,516.80
• Lecture Start Times: Monday, 9:10 am
• Campus: Kelburn
• Estimated Workload: Approximately 150 hours or 8.8 hours per week for 17 weeks
• Points: 15

Entry Restrictions

• Prerequisites: Permission of the PPE programme director
• Corequisites: None
• Restrictions: None

Taught By

The School of Economics and Finance — Wellington School of Business and Government

Disclaimer

This course outline may be subject to change.

Key Dates

Important dates, including mid-trimester teaching breaks, can be found on the University's key dates calendar. Assessment dates will be announced once the course has begun.

About This Course

The topics covered include:

1. Thinking like an economist - overview and linking foundations with practice
2. A primer on game theory and institutional economics
3. Consumer choices
4. Producer choices
5. Equilibrium: markets and economies
6. Choices in imperfect markets

Course Learning Objectives

Students who pass this course should be able to:

1. Understand the complex theories and principles of microeconomics.
2. Evaluate the literature on the theory of microeconomics.
3. Apply the principles of microeconomics in a policy context.

How This Course Is Taught

This course is optimized for face-to-face delivery on campus. All lectures will be recorded and available throughout the course. Interactive face-to-face sessions will be held during scheduled lecture times. The lectures will involve a mix of presentation, seminar-style discussions, and working on theoretical and applied questions.

Assessment

• Assignment 1: Excel tools (best 3 of 4; equal weight) - 20%
• Assignment 2: Reflective post (elect one) - 10%
• Assignment 3: Reflective response (elect one) - 10%
• Quizzes (x3): 10% each - 30%
• Term Test (in-person): 30%

Mandatory Requirements

To pass this course, students must:

1. Achieve an overall pass mark of at least 50%.
2. Write a discussion thread on at least one of the topics covered in the first eight weeks of the course.

Lecture Times and Rooms

• 24 February 2025 to 13 April 2025
• 28 April 2025 to 1 June 2025

What You'll Need to Get

• Software: MS Excel spreadsheet software (available on all University computers)
• Equipment: For online tests, students may need to provide their own device (laptop or personal computer) with specified capabilities.

Who to Contact

• Dr. Adrian Slack: Course Coordinator
• Lee Vassiliadis: Course Administrator