Queens College - CUNY
Professor
Ryan Edwards
Course Syllabus
in PDF format. Key portions of the syllabus also appear
on this website
below.
Slides from Lecture:
In PDF, one slide to a page:
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NOTE: To put multiple slides on a single page for printing, follow these instructions:
- Save the PDF file to your computer. Either right-click the link on this page to save the file, or click the little floppy disk (ha ha) you see if you left-click it and the acrobat helper appears in Internet Explorer.
- Open it in Acrobat.
- Go to File: Page Setup.
- You'll see your printer. Click Properties.
- Make sure you're on the Layout tab. Choose the number of Pages Per Sheet that you want. Click OK, OK, and then File: Print.
In Powerpoint:
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I wrote the slides using Apple's Keynote, however, so these slides may not be quite right. Please refer to the PDF's as canon, if something looks weird to you.
Problem Sets:
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Problem set answer keys are available via Blackboard or by
emailing me
Other Course Materials:
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We are a nation of over 300 million people now, twice our size in 1950. The world as a whole is home to some 6.5 billion people, or about twice the number living in 1965. What are the factors that produce population growth, why has growth been more rapid in the rest of the world than in the U.S., and what are the prospects for the future? What are the implications of changing population sizes and compositions around the world for economic and environmental well-being?
These are big questions, and in this course we will explore how to answer them. Along the way, we will find in order to understanding population-level dynamics, we will also need to examine the microeconomic behavior of individuals. How do people choose to work or retire, save or consume, marry or not, reproduce, and immigrate? What are the implications of these behaviors for markets, for policy, and for society?
In this course, you will develop a newfound appreciation for how economics, the dismal science, can be applied to an extraordinarily wide array of important human behaviors. You will develop analytical skills and empirical data skills that are useful in research, government, and business. Finally, we will discuss specific business applications of tools and concepts.
Required Text
We will use a course reader developed specifically for this class. You must purchase the reader at the Queens Copy Center Inc., 65-01 Kissena Blvd at 65th Ave., just to the east of campus. The contents of the course reader are listed at the end of this syllabus.
Class Attendance
Although most of the concepts we will cover are included in the course reader, a considerable number are not. You should plan on attending all class sessions in order to learn the material and do well in the class.
Course Requirements
There will be six problem sets graded on a check-plus, check, check-minus basis. It is of utmost importance that you just do the work and hand it in on time. I will not accept late problem sets. A check-plus can make up for a check-minus, but even a student with all check-minuses will get 90% of the total points available on the problem sets, if he or she turns all of them in on time.
I will drop your lowest problem set grade in determining your overall course grade. Use this "free pass" on one problem set wisely, such as for when you may become sick or must travel. To be clear: you must turn in 5 of the 6 problem sets to have a shot at full credit.
Outside of class participation, the problem sets are the most valuable tool you have for learning the course material. Feel free to form study groups in order to cover and learn the course material, but you must submit your own work. Copying answers will result in a zero for all students whose problem sets are identical.
The problem sets will be handed out and then due in class on the dates listed in the course schedule in this syllabus. After handing them out, I will also post the problem sets online at the course website. They will also be online on the course Blackboard site. (For both, see "Web sites" below.) I will distribute problem set answer keys in class and on the course Blackboard site, but not on the public course website.
There will also be a final exam during May 18 - May 26; the exact date, time, and location will be announced as soon as they are known. Those with time conflicts must first see the registrar and then me.
The final will be cumulative, but knowledge of specific intricacies from the first 6 chapters will not be tested. Rather, you should expect to demonstrate your grasp of the concepts, not the details of the models or the math. This course is about creative thinking and problem solving. Your best preparation for the final exam, and for obtaining a good course grade, is to complete all the problem sets, take both exams, check your answers, and ask questions in office hours or in class when it is convenient.
Grading
I will determine your final grade based on your performance using the following weights on the course requirements:
- Problem sets (your best 5 out of the 6) 30%
- Midterm exam 30%
- Final exam 40%
Blackboard
Most course materials will appear both on the course website and on Blackboard. You can take your pick. But for answer keys to problem sets and midterms, you must use the Blackboard site. Or just pick up the answer keys in class.
The Blackboard website is available at http://www.cuny.edu through the Log-in link at the bottom on the left-hand side. You can also access Blackboard directly.
Once in, look for "Blackboard" under "SSO Applications" and click it. Then on the next screen, click on "Queens College." You should see BUS_383 listed under "My Courses" on the right. Click it.
Help for Blackboard is available online.