Instructor Interview
In the excerpts linked below, from an interview conducted in 2017, Professor David Autor describes various aspects of how he teaches 14.03 Microeconomic Theory and Public Policy:
- Learning to Think Like an Economist
- Offering Multiple Tools for Mastery
- Common Misconceptions About Economics
- A Roundabout Path to Labor Economics
Curriculum Information
Recommended Preparation (any of the below)
- 14.01 Principles of Microeconomics
- Advanced Placement preparation in Economics
- Mastery of core material in an undergraduate calculus-based textbook such as Intermediate Microeconomics with Calculus: A Modern Approach by Hal R. Varian, Microeconomics: Theory and Applications with Calculus by Jeffrey M. Perloff, or Microeconomic Theory: Basic Principles and Extensions by Walter Nicholson and Christopher Snyder
Requirements Satisfied
- Can be applied toward a Bachelor of Science in Economics, but is not required.
- General Institute Requirement (GIR) in Humanities and Social Sciences (Social Sciences component)
Offered
Every spring and fall semester.
Assessment
The students’ grades were based on the following activities:
- Best four of five problem set grades: 20%
- Class attendance, participation, and in-class quizzes: 20%
- Three exams at 20% each: 60%
Student Information
Enrollment
33 students.
Breakdown by Year
Mostly undergraduates and master’s degree students.
Breakdown by Major
About 1/4 graduate students in Technology and Public Policy, 3/4 others.
Typical Student Background
Students in the Technology and Public Policy graduate program come to the course with extremely varied backgrounds. Many have some professional experience.
In the course, we discuss several empirical applications of economic theory in the developing world. We often have students from the focal areas, which enriches our discussions.
How Student Time Was Spent
During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:
In Class
- Met 2 times per week for 1.5 hours per session; 28 sessions total.
- Students discussed applications from empirical and theoretical papers published in leading journals.
- There were occasional unannounced quizzes during lecture sessions.
Recitation
- Met 1 time per week for 1 hour per session; 14 sessions total.
- Teaching assistants helped students think through problem sets and conducted exam reviews.
Out of Class
- Students conducted readings, completed problem sets, prepared for exams, and attended optional office hours offered by the instructor.
