UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

BUSINESS SCHOOL
Department of Finance
FN 100: Principles of Microeconomics
Course Syllabus
2024/25 Academic Year

Lecture Hours: Friday 1100 – 1300 HRS; Yombo 5

Seminar Hours and Leaders: Various seminar groups and leaders (as per individual selections)

Course Instructors:
Instructor & Office Consultation Hours Email
Lead Instructor: Dr. N. Robert, C716 UDBS Thursday 12hrs-1400 [email protected]
Co- Instructors: Dr. A. Mdewa, C629 UDBS Wednesday 1400-1600 [email protected]
Dr. E. Minja, B320 UDBS Friday 1400-1600 [email protected]
Mr. A. Sanga, C717 UDBS [email protected]

Assistants: Mr. G. Mboya [email protected]

Mr. G. Christopher [email protected]

Seminar Leaders:

A: COURSE OVERVIEW & INTRODUCTION

FN 100 introduces students to economics at individual/household and firm level. It primarily
focuses on how these units make decisions (allocate resources) – covering basic concepts and
theories such as utility, demand and supply, theory of prices, the theory of the firm, and
distribution of income. The course provides a foundation for further study in economics, but is
sufficiently self-contained to provide grounding for those who do not intend to take the subject
any further.

B. COURSE OBJECTIVES
The objective of the course is to introduce students to formal economic reasoning and enable
them acquire a basic understanding of:
i. The theory of consumer behavior
ii. Theory of production and the firm
iii. Demand and supply and
iv. Relation of market conditions, firm behavior and equilibrium

C. LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successfully completion of the course a student should be able to apply terminologies as
well as graphical and mathematical techniques for basic microeconomic analysis. Specifically,
students should know and be able to:
i. explain and apply utility theory to consumer behavior,
ii. understand and explain the basic theory of demand and supply, including nature and
application of price, cross, and income elasticities;
iii. explain the basic theory of production and costs; and
FN 100: Principles of Microeconomics: Course Outline 2023/2024 Page 1 of 5
 iv. explain and analyze production and pricing behavior/decisions for firms operating in
markets characterized by perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition,
and oligopoly.

D. COURSE PREREQUISITE AND DELIVERY METHODOLOGY

The learning process in this course consists of 2-hour lectures and 1-hour seminars per
week for 15 weeks. Most of the interactive discussions and tutorials will be handled in
the seminars.

The course builds from the assumption of knowledge of basic economics by the
students. Students are expected to go through the relevant readings and assigned
materials before lectures. Some material covered in the course may be difficult to
understand merely by reading the text. Students are expected to attend all classes, work
in groups, participate in discussion and ask questions.

E. COURSE EVALUATION /ASSESSMENT

Assessment will be done both on a continuous basis comprising of quizes, tests, take
home assignments and individual participation, as well as a final examination. The
grades will be distributed as follows:

A. Continuous Assessment
Semester Tests: Test 1 25%
Quiz 05%
Seminar presentation & participation** 10%
Total continuous assessment 40%

B. Final Examination 60%

Total 100%

** These will be assessed through seminar leaders

When necessary, tests will be held on Saturdays or Sundays. Prior notice will be given in
addition to the tentative indication in the course schedule. Requests regarding inability
to sit for tests in these days will not be entertained.
All incompletes in tests, assignments quizzes etc at the end of the semester will be
assigned a score of zero (0).

F. PLANNED COURSE SCHEDULE, READINGS AND OUTCOMES

Time Topic/activity Readings Instructor

FN 100 Syllabus, Evaluation and Policies
1.0 Introduction to formal economic reasoning
CFO, 1, 2
1.1 Meaning and scope choice in a world of scarcity
Week 1 & 2 Perloff, 1
1.2 Applying the Cost-Benefit principle Dr. Neema
Schiller,
1.3 Comparative advantage as the Basis for Exchange
1, 2
1.4 Macroeconomics versus microeconomics
1.5 Economic reasoning, society, and well-being

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 2.0 The Theory of Consumer Behavior
2.1 Utility and Indifference curves CFO, 6
Week 3 & 4 2.2 The Budget Constraint Perloff,3
Mr. Sanga
2.3 Consumer equilibrium Schiller,
2.4 Changes in Income and Prices and its effect on the 3, 5
equilibrium
3.0 Demand and Supply
3.1 Demand
3.1.1 Demand Schedules and Curves
3.1.2 Change in quantity demanded versus change in
demand
3.1.3 Individual versus Market Demand
3.1.4 Elasticity and its applications
3.2 Supply CFO, 3, 4,
3.2.1 Supply Schedules and Curves 5
Week 5, 6, 7 3.2.2 Change in quantity supplied versus change in Perloff, 2,
Dr. Mdewa
supply 4
3.2.3 Individual versus Market Supply Schiller,
3.2.4 Elasticity and its applications 3, 5
3.3 The Market demand and market supply
3.3.1 Surpluses and shortages
3.3.2 Market equilibrium (price and output)
3.3.3 Price ceiling and Price Floor
3.4 Demand, supply and government policies
3.4.1 Price ceilings and floors
3.4.2 Subsidies
Week 8 TEST
4.0 Theory of Production and the Firm
4.1 Objectives of Production
CFO, 7-9
Week 9, & 10 4.2 Factors of Production
Perloff, 6 Dr. Minja
4.3 The production possibility curves and Production
Schiller, 6
functions
4.4 Cost curves (Short run and long run)
5.0 Market Conditions, Firm Behavior and
Equilibrium CFO, 12-
5.1 Perfectly Competitive Market (Demand and 15
Week 11, 12,
Supply) Perloff, 8, Dr. Neema &
13 & 14 Dr. Minja
5.2 The monopolistic market 9, 11, 14
5.3 The monopolistically competitive market and Schiller,
oligopoly 7-11
5.4 Firm behavior in the real world
Week 14 & 15 Revisions, reviews and catch up
* Where for some reasons a class is not held we will need to arrange for make-up session

G. TEXTBOOKS AND REFERENCES

Being an introductory comprehensive course in Microeconomics, any good Principle of
Economics/ Microeconomics text book will be very useful. Students are advised to make every
effort to secure a copy of one of the textbooks shown below (latest editions where possible).

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Main Textbooks (This is the book the instructor will be making references to most of the time)
1. Case, Karl E and Ray C. Fair and Sharon M Oster [CFO] (2012) Principles of Microeconomics
[with MyEconLab] Global Edition, (10th Ed), Pearson Higher Education
2. Perloff, Jeffrey (2011) Microeconomics with Calculus [with MyEconLab] International Edition,
(2nd Ed), Pearson Higher Education

Other References (These may be available in the libraries [main and/or UDBS])
1. Schiller, Bradley R (2012), The Micro Economy Today (13th Ed) McGraw-Hill/Irwin
2. Mankiw, N. G (2012) Principles of Economics (Harcourt College Publishers)
3. Samuelson, Paul, A and William D Nordhaus (2010) Economics (19th Ed) McGraw-Hill Irwin

COURSE POLICIES
All relevant University policies are applicable during the duration of the course. In addition
please take note of the following:

Class Attendance, Participation and Maintaining a conducive in-class learning

Environment: As per University regulations students are required to attend all classes – 2
lecture hours and 1 seminar hour per week. Students are also expected to actively participate in
class discussions/presentations. Attendance will be taken from time to time and records kept
for administrative purposes.
Students are expected to make every effort in maintaining conducive in-class learning
environment. This includes avoiding distractive activities such as coming to class late and the
use of cell phone during class time. Disciplinary measures will be taken to students failing to
maintain conducive in-class learning environment.

Students with Special needs: If any member of this class feels that he/she has a need or
problem that requires the attention of the instructor, the instructor will work with that student
and relevant University offices to ensure that the student is not put at a disadvantageous
position in the learning process. Please advise the instructor of such need or problem at some
point before, during, or immediately after the first class.

Make up Tests and assignments: No make-up tests, quizzes or assignment will be given except
under exceptional circumstances. Where there are circumstances preventing a student from
sitting for a test, the student is expected to make every effort to notify the instructor prior to
the test. The deadline for scheduling make-up tests is the beginning of the class when the
student returns to class.

Students Records and Coursework: The instructors handling the course will make every effort
to ensure proper keeping of students’ record. Students are required to properly keep all works
that they have done in the course (i.e. tests, assignment etc.). Where there is a dispute, the onus
to produce evidences rests with the student. It is also a responsibility of a student to ensure
completeness of the coursework and that any incomplete issues are addressed before the end of
the semester.

Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct: Academic dishonesty is behavior in which a

deliberately fraudulent misrepresentation is employed in an attempt to gain undeserved
intellectual credit, either for oneself or for another person. It includes, but not limited, to
knowingly allowing other students to see examination answers, cheating, plagiarism, collusion,
the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to

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another person, taking an examination for another person, and any act designed to give unfair
advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.
Academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in
any form. Students are required to act honestly academically and actively protect their work
against misuse by others. All university procedures and regulations concerning academic
dishonesty will strictly be enforced and will be used to discipline all persons involved in
academic dishonesty.

Remember: If you have any problem or doubt with the lectures, the materials covered, the
assignments or the tests please ask the course instructors or seminar leaders. We are here to
work with you.

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