Undergraduate Course: Economics 1A (ECNM08027)
Course Outline
| School | School of Economics |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This calculus-based course develops a rigorous understanding of core microeconomic models and analytical techniques. It emphasises the formal tools required for intermediate study in economics and introduces students to the use of mathematical methods in economic reasoning. The course is primarily intended for students planning to progress to further study in economics, though others may also enrol. |
| Course description |
This calculus-based intermediate microeconomics course provides a rigorous treatment of core economic models and equips students to apply these models across a variety of contexts. The semester focuses on individual choice, rational and behavioural decision-making, and market supply and demand.
Relevant mathematical tools - including linear equations and their graphs, systems of equations, optimisation and differentiation, functions of several variables, elasticity, exponential and logarithmic functions, and basic probability - are introduced and used in economic applications throughout the course.
The course is delivered through lectures and tutorials, with a strong emphasis on learning-by-doing. Students are expected to engage actively with problem-solving exercises as an integral part of the learning process.
The course is primarily designed for students intending to continue to Year 2 Economics, although others are welcome. Students seeking a less mathematically intensive introduction may find Economic Principles and/or Economic Applications more suitable.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Enrolment is restricted to first-year students on programmes required to take the course as per their DPT, or as an explicitly-named option; this is most undergraduate programmes with Economics in the title, MA (Hons) Accounting and Business, and MA (Hons) Accounting and Finance. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Semester 1 visiting students may enrol on the course - AS level Mathematics at Grade B, or Higher at Grade B, or equivalent, is recommended to take this course. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 30,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 9,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
155 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
70 %,
Coursework
30 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Weekly homework/quizzes - 10%
Class exam - 20%
Degree exam - 70% |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Apply core microeconomic principles¿including cost¿benefit reasoning, supply and demand, and basic game theory¿to explain and predict simple economic outcomes.
- Analyse consumer decision-making using budget constraints, preferences, and optimisation concepts and evaluate the effects of price changes, taxes, and other interventions using elasticity, consumer surplus, and standard welfare tools.
- Solve problems involving uncertainty, risk, and asymmetric information, and interpret their implications for market performance.
- Understand the influence of altruism, bounded rationality, and behavioural biases on individual choices relative to the standard economic model.
- Demonstrate proficiency in these concepts through structured problem-solving in an exam setting, using appropriate analytical, graphical, and computational methods.
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Reading List
Required textbooks
- Frank & Cartwright, Microeconomics and Behaviour (4th UK edition)
Suggested textbook (for maths)
- Renshaw, Maths for Economics (5th ¿ or any - edition) |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sean Brocklebank
Tel: (0131 6)50 6955
Email: Sean.Brocklebank@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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