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Unit of study_

ECON4905: Topics in Industrial Organisation

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit is concerned with the study of the economic theory of industrial organisation with an emphasis on oligopoly behaviour and its market outcomes. The unit examines market competitiveness in the framework of general equilibrium theory, as pioneered by Arrow and Debreu; monopoly and nonlinear pricing strategies; dynamic oligopoly; welfare outcomes of industrial organisation; and some aspects of government policy and regulation, especially in relation to mergers and collusion.

Unit details and rules

Unit code ECON4905
Academic unit Economics
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Abhijit Sengupta, abhijit.sengupta@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Participation Attendance
n/a
0% - n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2
Final exam Final exam (take home)
Take home exam
50% Formal exam period 2 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2
Assignment Project
Submit a paper/project report
12.5% Formal exam period 1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2
In-semester test Mid-semester test (take home)
Take home exam
25% Week 08
Due date: 24 Apr 2020 at 14:00
1.5 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2
Presentation group assignment Online In-class presentation
Present a paper (from a list) and submit accompanying slides via Zoom
12.5% Week 12 1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Microeconomic foundations 1 Seminar (3 hr)  
Week 02 Microeconomic foundations 2 Seminar (3 hr)  
Week 03 Microeconomic foundations 3 Seminar (3 hr)  
Week 04 Repeated games and dynamic oligopoly 1 Seminar (3 hr)  
Week 05 Repeated games and dynamic oligopoly 2 Seminar (3 hr)  
Week 06 Repeated games and dynamic oligopoly 3 Seminar (3 hr)  
Week 07 Repeated games and dynamic oligopoly 4 Seminar (3 hr)  
Week 08 Mid-semester test Seminar (3 hr)  
Week 09 Topics in pricing Seminar (3 hr)  
Week 10 Topics in economics of the internet 1 Seminar (3 hr)  
Week 11 Topics in economics of the internet 2 Seminar (3 hr)  
Week 12 1. Aspects of regulatory policies 1; 2. Presentations Seminar (3 hr)  
Week 13 Aspects of regulatory policies 2, Presentations Seminar (3 hr)  

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All relevant readings are contained in the document “A Guide to Topics, Assessment and Readings,” available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. demonstrate a solid understanding of the ideas of microeconomic theory that underpin models of industrial organisation and to display an intuitive understanding of the results generated by these theories and how they relate to underlying assumptions
  • LO2. apply the fundamental microeconomic principles to diverse problems in industrial organisation, related policies, to novel contexts, and to independent research.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.