Overview
The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the basic analytical principles and tools of modern economics, and to illustrate how these can be used to help understand observed economic phenomena, contemporary economic problems, and government economic policies.
The organization of the course reflects the division of the discipline into two main branches: microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics (Econ 110A and Econ 111) deals with the behavior of individual economic agents (households, firms and governments), the determination of prices and quantities in individual markets for commodities and resources, and with the role of governments in the functioning of the market system.
Macroeconomics (Econ 110B and Econ 112) studies the determination of aggregate economic quantities, such as the level of national output (and its rate of growth), the level of total employment and the rate of unemployment, and the average price level and rate of inflation. Macroeconomics also examines how government policies influence the aggregate behavior and performance of the economy.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, student will be able to:
- Use the basic analytical principles and tools of modern economics to understand and assess observed economic phenomena, contemporary economic problems, and government economic policies.
- Explain how resources are allocated and income is distributed in an economy.
- Describe and model the behaviour of economic agents, including households, firms, and governments, and explain how these behaviours affect the determination of prices and quantities in individual markets for commodities and resources.
- Describe and model the relationships between aggregate economic variables, including national output, the level of aggregate consumption and investment, interest rates, employment and unemployment, and the average level and rate of change of all prices.
- Explain how government policies influence the aggregate behaviour and performance of an economy.
Topics
- Module 1: Introduction
- Module 2: Supply and Demand
- Module 3: Consumer Behaviour
- Module 4: Producer Theory
- Module 5: Ouput Markets
- Module 6: Trade and Protectionism
- Module 7: Factor Markets
Terms
Evaluation
30% - Practice Assignments (myLab) (best 5 of 7)
30% - Discussion and Reflection Activities (x2)
40% - Proctored Final Exam
*Evaluation Subject to Change*
Live Sessions
This course has optional live sessions (e.g. webinars, synchronous activities).
Proctored Exams
Exam Centre Location, Eligibility, and Fees
Students enrolled exclusively in online courses may choose one of two options to write this course’s proctored assessments:
- You may choose to write the assessments online under supervision of Examity proctoring services. A $100 fee will be charged to your SOLUS account. This fee is known as the Off Campus Exam Admin Fee and is applied in SOLUS at the earlier of: term tuition posting date, or the date at which exam writing method is changed to online. The fee is assessed once per ASO course with proctored assessments.
- You may choose to write the assessments in-person on Queen’s campus in Kingston at no additional charge.
Students enrolled in at least one on-campus course are expected to write this course’s proctored assessments on-campus during the scheduled exam time. They will not be permitted to write this course’s proctored assessments online.
Students were prompted to indicate their preferred exam writing method when enrolling in the course in SOLUS. The exam writing method may be changed by contacting the ASO Exams Team at aso.exams@queensu.ca.
Information for students writing online assessments using Examity
Selected assessments in this course will be administered in onQ using online proctoring provided by Examity, a third-party, cloud-based service. This proctoring solution was chosen to support our efforts in maintaining academic integrity when online proctoring is required. Queen’s has conducted an extensive privacy and security review of Examity and has entered into a binding agreement with terms that address the appropriate collection, use and disclosure of personal information in accordance with Ontario’s privacy legislation. To learn more about online proctoring, please see the information provided by the Office of the University Registrar.
If you registered to write online with Examity, all information pertaining to the technical requirements and preparation for writing online will be posted in onQ well in advance of your exam. 
The use of Examity as described is unique to courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Science Online. Other Faculties use online proctoring solutions in different ways under different regulations. Students should contact the appropriate Faculty examination team if they have questions.
Timing of Final Examinations
The exam period dates for each Term are listed on the Faculty of Arts and Science webpage under "Important Dates". Student exam schedules for the Fall Term are posted to SOLUS immediately prior to the Thanksgiving holiday; for the Winter Term they are posted on the Friday before Reading Week, and for the Summer Term they are individually noted on the Arts and Science Online syllabi. Students should not make any travel plans until after the examination schedule has been posted. Exams will not be moved or deferred to accommodate employment, travel/holiday plans or flight reservations. Students experiencing extenuating circumstances preventing them from writing their exams as scheduled should review the information about the Academic Consideration process.
Textbook and Materials
ASO reserves the right to make changes to the required material list as received by the instructor before the course starts. Please refer to the Campus Bookstore website at to obtain the most up-to-date list of required materials for this course before purchasing them.
Required Textbooks
eText: Ragan, Christopher T.S., Microeconomics: 17th Canadian Edition. (Pearson, 2023).
Courseware: MyLab Economics on the Pearson website (subscription included with etext).
Time Commitment
Students can expect to spend, on average, about 10 - 12 hours per week (120 hours per term) on the course.
Evaluation
30% - Practice Assignments (myLab) (best 5 of 7)
30% - Discussion and Reflection Activities (x2)
40% - Proctored Final Exam
*Evaluation Subject to Change*
Live Sessions
This course has optional live sessions (e.g. webinars, synchronous activities).
Proctored Exams
Exam Centre Location, Eligibility, and Fees
Students enrolled exclusively in online courses may choose one of two options to write this course’s proctored assessments:
- You may choose to write the assessments online under supervision of Examity proctoring services. A $100 fee will be charged to your SOLUS account. This fee is known as the Off Campus Exam Admin Fee and is applied in SOLUS at the earlier of: term tuition posting date, or the date at which exam writing method is changed to online. The fee is assessed once per ASO course with proctored assessments.
- You may choose to write the assessments in-person on Queen’s campus in Kingston at no additional charge.
Students enrolled in at least one on-campus course are expected to write this course’s proctored assessments on-campus during the scheduled exam time. They will not be permitted to write this course’s proctored assessments online.
Students were prompted to indicate their preferred exam writing method when enrolling in the course in SOLUS. The exam writing method may be changed by contacting the ASO Exams Team at aso.exams@queensu.ca.
Information for students writing online assessments using Examity
Selected assessments in this course will be administered in onQ using online proctoring provided by Examity, a third-party, cloud-based service. This proctoring solution was chosen to support our efforts in maintaining academic integrity when online proctoring is required. Queen’s has conducted an extensive privacy and security review of Examity and has entered into a binding agreement with terms that address the appropriate collection, use and disclosure of personal information in accordance with Ontario’s privacy legislation. To learn more about online proctoring, please see the information provided by the Office of the University Registrar.
If you registered to write online with Examity, all information pertaining to the technical requirements and preparation for writing online will be posted in onQ well in advance of your exam. 
The use of Examity as described is unique to courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Science Online. Other Faculties use online proctoring solutions in different ways under different regulations. Students should contact the appropriate Faculty examination team if they have questions.
Timing of Final Examinations
The exam period dates for each Term are listed on the Faculty of Arts and Science webpage under "Important Dates". Student exam schedules for the Fall Term are posted to SOLUS immediately prior to the Thanksgiving holiday; for the Winter Term they are posted on the Friday before Reading Week, and for the Summer Term they are individually noted on the Arts and Science Online syllabi. Students should not make any travel plans until after the examination schedule has been posted. Exams will not be moved or deferred to accommodate employment, travel/holiday plans or flight reservations. Students experiencing extenuating circumstances preventing them from writing their exams as scheduled should review the information about the Academic Consideration process.
Textbook and Materials
ASO reserves the right to make changes to the required material list as received by the instructor before the course starts. Please refer to the Campus Bookstore website at to obtain the most up-to-date list of required materials for this course before purchasing them.
Course Notes
Students will obtain their lesson notes, assignments, and any supplementary material from the course onQ site beginning the first day of term.
Required Textbooks
All the required readings for the course are contained in the textbook and its related website MyEconLab:
- Microeconomics, 17th Canadian Edition, with MyLab Economics Access Code by Ragan, Christopher
Included with your text is a subscription to the MyEconLab site. This site contains many exciting features including self-testing facilities, video links, and a complete e-book.
This textbook has proven itself for many years and in many countries to be one of the best first year economics texts. It contains all of the material presented in a modern form with superb diagrams to aid the learning process.
Time Commitment
A course such as this on campus would have three lecture hours per week, usually with an assignment to follow. Students can expect to spend, on average, about 10 - 12 hours per week (120 hours per term) on the course.