Economics, Industrial Organisation, Advanced Course, 7.5 credits

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

On successful completion of the course, students are expected to

• demonstrate broad knowledge of Industrial Organization within the main topics of the course.
• demonstrate a deeper understanding about market structures and how these markets work under different assumptions about the kind of information available for the agents.

Competence and skills

On successful completion of the course, students are expected to

• demonstrate deeper skills in picking a relevant theoretical model to analyse different firm strategies under the assumptions of strategic and non-strategic interaction among agents.
• demonstrate deeper ability to analyse and discuss effects on effectivity and welfare from different firm strategies.
• in a broader sense demonstrate an ability to analyse the role of the social planner, problems to regulate markets and with enforcing competition policy.

Judgement and approach

On successful completion of the course, students are expected to

• demonstrate an ability to discuss research questions within the field of industrial organization with a scientific approach.

Content

The focus will be on industrial organization. This microeconomic theory is useful in the analysis of firm behaviour during imperfect competition and with different degree of strategic interaction among firms. The course deals with issues in information economics and game theory. Example of topics in the course includes monopoly pricing, oligopoly pricing, advertising and asymmetric information, cartels and market regulations.

Examinations and grades

Written Examination, 5 credits (Code: B005)
Grades used are Fail (F), Sufficient (E), Satisfactory (D), Good (C), Very Good (B) or Excellent (A).

Assignment, 2.5 credits (Code: B006)
Grades used are Fail (F), Sufficient (E), Satisfactory (D), Good (C), Very Good (B) or Excellent (A).

According to the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 6, Section 18, a grade is to be awarded on the completion of a course, unless otherwise prescribed by the university. The university may determine which grading system is to be used. The grade must be determined by a teacher specifically nominated by the university (the examiner).

In accordance with university regulations on grading systems for first and second-cycle courses and study programmes (Vice-Chancellor’s decision ORU 2018/00929), one of the following grades is to be used: fail (U), pass (G) or pass with distinction (VG). For courses included in an international master’s programme (60 or 120 credits) or offered to the university’s incoming exchange students, the A to F grading scale is to be used. The vice-chancellor, or a person appointed by them, may decide on exceptions from this provision for a specific course, if there are special grounds for doing so.

The grades used on this course are Fail (F), Sufficient (E), Satisfactory (D), Good (C), Very Good (B) or Excellent (A).

Comments on grades

To obtain a passing grade for the course as a whole, a minimum of grade E is required for all components on the course. To arrive at a course grade, the grades awarded for each examination assignment, grades A-E, are first converted to the numerical values 5-1. An average value is then calculated, also taking into account the number of credits for each examination assignment in relation to the total number of credits for the course. The course grade is thus awarded by means of a weighted average of the examination assignments included on the course.

Modes of assessment

Written Examination, 5 credits (Code: B005)

Written Assignment, 2.5 credits (Code: B006)
Written assignment with oral examination, as well as opposition to another written assignment.

For students with a documented disability, the university may approve applications for adapted or other modes of assessment.

For further information, see the university's local examination regulations.

Specific entry requirements

Economics, basic course, 30 credits and successful completion of 15 credits from Economics, intermediate course, 30 credits.
In addition, successful completion of 18 credits in statistics at basic level including 6 credits on the course Data Mining and Business Analytics, Basic Course, 15 credits
alternatively
Successful completion of 22 credits in statistics at basic level including Regression Analysis, basic course, 7.5 credits.

For further information, see the university's admission regulations.

Other provisions

Students who have been admitted to and registered on a course have the right to receive tuition and/or supervision for the duration of the time period specified for the particular course to which they were accepted (see, the university's admission regulations (in Swedish)). After that, the right to receive tuition and/or supervision expires.

Transitional provisions

Students who have commenced but not completed the course as prescribed in the version of the syllabus in force from spring semester 2021, are entitled to take the examination Industrial Organisation, Written Examination, 2,5 Credits (code: B004) on three occasions within a period of 12 to 18 months from end of spring semester 2024.

Reading list and other learning resources

Required Reading

Luis M B Cabral (Second Edition)
Introduction to Industrial Organization
MIT Press, ISBN: 9780262035941

Additions and Comments
In addition to the main text book, papers and other material will be covered during the course. A list of this additional compulsory literature is specified further in the instructions compiled for the course.