ECONOMICS  College of Business and Public Administration
 Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa 50311

Frequently asked questions about Econ 173 online
Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis

Is the summer section entirely online? Yes, except the final exam. Slideshows, quizzes, weekly tests, and problems are viewed and submitted online. The final exam is given in a classroom in Aliber Hall just before fall classes begin. For summer 2011 the final exam will be given on Friday, June 24, 2011 at 9:00 AM. For students in the Des Moines area, I am available for help in my office on campus by appointment.
Does this course cover the same material as the regular-term classroom section? Yes! In fact, the classroom section sometimes omits topics like uncertainty, information, and input markets for lack of time, but these topics are always covered in the web course.
How much math do I need to know? The prerequisite is a course in calculus. You need to understand derivatives — what they mean and how to find them. Most students who have taken calculus recently have little trouble in Econ 173. But students who have not taken calculus recently, or who did poorly in calculus (C or below) usually have trouble in Econ 173. If you are worried about your calculus background, I suggest you read my Review of Basic Calculus before the course begins.
How much time will this course require? Plan on spending about 20 hours per week. This is NOT a self-paced course. Assignments are due every weekday. You must keep up or lose points.
Can I work ahead? You can and you should! Reading assignments, slideshows, quizzes, and problem assignments will be posted about one week ahead. However, if you are assigned to comment on another student's solution to a problem, you must wait till that student actually posts a proposed solution. Weekly tests must be taken sometime during a window of about twelve hours on Fridays.
Do I really need to buy the textbook? Yes! The first 3 weeks of the course are based heavily on my lecture notes, but thereafter we must rely on the textbook.
Do I need special software? You need
  1. A web browser. Internet Explorer 8 and Google Chrome sometime have problems with Blackboard, but Internet Explorer 7, Apple Safari, and Mozilla Firefox work well. You can get a free copy of Safari from www.apple.com/safari/. You can get a free copy of Firefox from www.mozilla.org.
  2. Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 8 or higher. Most computers come with Acrobat Reader already installed, but you can download a free copy from the Adobe Web Site, www.adobe.com.
I am not a Drake student. How can I get transfer credit for this course? Do the following.
  1. Before enrolling, go to the course home page (www.drake.edu/cbpa/econ/boal/173) and print the syllabus, course objectives, and perhaps an old final exam. Then go to www.drake.edu/cbpa/econ/boal/173/exams.html and print a recent final exam.
  2. Take these items to your university's Economics Department or College of Business and request approval.
  3. After completing the course, go to www.drake.edu/studentrecords/ and order a transcript sent to your university.
What do students think of this course? See anonymous comments.

Updated February 2011.

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