ECON104-26S1 (C) Semester One 2026

Introduction to Microeconomics

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 16 February 2026
End Date: Sunday, 21 June 2026
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 1 March 2026
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 10 May 2026

Description

Scarcity, exchange and trade. Market analysis and policy. Consumer choice theory. Theory of the firm. Imperfect competition. Externalities and public goods.

ECON104 aims to:
• Develop economically literate citizens.
• Provide students with experience in basic economic methodology and analysis.
• Introduce students to the process of economic reasoning.
• Enhance students’ ability to critically interpret the economic ‘wisdom’ of the popular media.
• Provide preparation for further study in the subject (specifically with reference to courses at Canterbury).

ECON104 studies microeconomics, which examines theories of how consumers and producers behave and interact in individual markets. The course covers a general study of the workings of markets and a more in depth analysis of the two sides – supply (producers) and demand (consumers). The course also covers issues that do not fit the conventional assumptions of the supply and demand framework.

ECON104 is a prerequisite for ECON207 and 208, both of which are compulsory for students majoring in Economics or Business Economics. ECON104 is also required by NZICA and serves as a prerequisite for management courses.
Mathematics, in the form of simple algebra, will be used to introduce students to formal economic analysis and to complement the graphical and verbal exposition of material.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will be able to 'think like an economist', and apply basic economic principles such as the role incentives play in people's behaviour.
2. Students will understand the concept of market efficiency, and will be able to analyse the impact of government policies.
3. Students will be able to identify and evaluate occasions when markets function best without direct government involvement.
4. Students will be able to identify and evaluate occasions when markets left on their own are unlikely to result in the best outcomes, and discuss the role of government in these markets.
5. Students will be able to use the theories of economics to describe and explain the behaviour of people and firms.

Restrictions

Timetable 2026

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 10:00 - 11:00 C1 Lecture Theatre
16 Feb - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
02 Tuesday 13:00 - 14:00 K1 Lecture Theatre
16 Feb - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00 C1 Lecture Theatre
16 Feb - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
02 Wednesday 13:00 - 14:00 A1 Lecture Theatre
16 Feb - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
Lecture C
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 10:00 - 11:00 C1 Lecture Theatre
16 Feb - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
02 Friday 13:00 - 14:00 A1 Lecture Theatre
16 Feb - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
Tutorial A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 15:00 - 16:00 Ernest Rutherford 460
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
02 Thursday 11:00 - 12:00 Rehua 702
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
03 Thursday 12:00 - 13:00 Rehua 702
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
04 Tuesday 12:00 - 13:00 Meremere 105 Lecture Theatre
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
05 Tuesday 17:00 - 18:00 Ernest Rutherford 225
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
06 Monday 09:00 - 10:00 Ernest Rutherford 225
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
07 Monday 10:00 - 11:00 Rehua 529
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
08 Monday 17:00 - 18:00 Karl Popper 612
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
09 Thursday 13:00 - 14:00 Karl Popper 105
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
10 Thursday 14:00 - 15:00 Karl Popper 105
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
11 Wednesday 08:00 - 09:00 Jack Erskine 244
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
12 Wednesday 08:00 - 09:00 Jack Erskine 441
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
13 Monday 17:00 - 18:00 Ernest Rutherford 460
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
14 Monday 14:00 - 15:00 Rehua 702
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
15 Friday 16:00 - 17:00 Karl Popper 612
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
16 Friday 14:00 - 15:00 Jack Erskine 441
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
17 Friday 16:00 - 17:00 A7
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
18 Friday 14:00 - 15:00 Ernest Rutherford 460
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
19 Friday 15:00 - 16:00 A7
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
20 Friday 16:00 - 17:00 Psychology - Sociology 411
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
21 Friday 16:00 - 17:00 Jack Erskine 244
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
22 Wednesday 12:00 - 13:00 Rehua 702
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
23 Friday 16:00 - 17:00 Jack Erskine 441
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
24 Friday 16:00 - 17:00 Ernest Rutherford 460
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
25 Wednesday 14:00 - 15:00 Karl Popper 105
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May
26 Monday 13:00 - 14:00 Rehua 329
2 Mar - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 31 May

Course Coordinator

Stephen Hickson

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Tutorial Attendance & Participation 10%
Online Progress Test One 5%
On-Campus Term Test One 25%
Online Progress Test Two 5%
On-Campus Term Test Two 25%
Final Exam 30%

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended Reading

Parkin, M., & Bade, R; Microeconomics ; Pearson, Australia, 2016.

Some very readable books which give a very good introduction to the key ideas in economics include:
"New Ideas from Dead Economists" by Todd Buchholz
"The Undercover Economist" by Tim Harford
"Freakonomics" by Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,003.00

International fee $4,538.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Department of Economics and Finance .

All ECON104 Occurrences