EC 111 - Principles of Microeconomics
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EC 111 - Principles of Microeconomics
Fall 2026 | Aug 31 - Dec 15, 2026
| Section | Meets | Room |
|---|---|---|
| EC 111-10-H (Honors) | Mon/Wed 3:30-4:50 PM | Smith Technology Center 103 |
| EC 111-20 | Mon/Wed 9:30-10:50 AM | Jennison Hall 412 |
Instructor & Office Hours
Onur Altindag Office: Rauch Administration Building (RAU) 019F Email: oaltindag@bentley.edu (put EC111 in the subject line)
Office hours Mon/Wed 11:00 AM-12:00 PM and 1:00-3:00 PM, by appointment (30-minute slots).
Course Overview
This course introduces the fundamental principles and tools of microeconomics: how individuals and firms make decisions when resources are scarce, and how markets coordinate those decisions. We study demand, supply, and market equilibrium; elasticity; the effects of government policies such as taxes and price controls; the efficiency of markets and the sources of market failure; the costs of production; and firm behavior in different market structures, from perfect competition to monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly.
The emphasis throughout is on economic reasoning: thinking at the margin, recognizing trade-offs, and using simple graphical and numerical models to make sense of real-world questions in business and policy.
Important Dates & Grading
| Component | Date | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| MindTap homework (10, drop 2) + participation | Throughout semester | 20% |
| Midterm 1 | Wednesday, Oct 7, 2026 (in class) | 25% |
| Midterm 2 | Wednesday, Nov 11, 2026 (in class) | 25% |
| Final Exam - Section 10-H | Friday, Dec 11, 6:00-8:00 PM | 30% |
| Final Exam - Section 20 | Friday, Dec 11, 8:00-10:00 AM | 30% |
No class Sep 7 (Labor Day), Oct 12 (Fall Break), Nov 25 (Thanksgiving). Last class Mon Dec 7. Exams are closed book; a basic (non-graphing) calculator is allowed.
Course Materials
- Syllabus - Section 10-H, Honors (PDF)
- Syllabus - Section 20 (PDF)
- Lecture notes - posted below after each class. These are supplementary materials to help you follow along, not a replacement for the textbook. They may contain gaps or errors, so use at your own discretion.
MindTap (Required)
Access the e-book, homework assignments, and practice questions through MindTap. Register with your Bentley email through the link for your section:
- Section 10-H (Honors): MindTap course link
- Section 20: MindTap course link
Free temporary access runs until Sep 14, 2026. Registration help: startstrong.cengage.com.
Slides & Lecture Notes
Slides and notes for each chapter are posted here after we cover it in class.
| Chapter | Slides | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ch 1: Ten Principles of Economics | after Aug 31 | after Aug 31 |
| Ch 2: Thinking Like an Economist | after Sep 2 | after Sep 2 |
| Ch 3: Interdependence and the Gains from Trade | after Sep 9 | after Sep 9 |
| Ch 4: The Market Forces of Supply and Demand | after Sep 16 | after Sep 16 |
Later chapters follow the schedule below. Handouts and the mock exams appear here too.
Tentative Schedule
| Week | Dates | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 31, Sep 2 | Ten Principles of Economics (Ch. 1); Thinking Like an Economist (Ch. 2) |
| 2 | Sep 9 | Interdependence and the Gains from Trade (Ch. 3) - no class Sep 7 |
| 3 | Sep 14, 16 | The Market Forces of Supply and Demand (Ch. 4) |
| 4 | Sep 21, 23 | Elasticity and Its Application (Ch. 5) |
| 5 | Sep 28, 30 | Supply, Demand, and Government Policies (Ch. 6) |
| 6 | Oct 5, 7 | Review; Midterm 1 (Oct 7) |
| 7 | Oct 14 | Consumers, Producers, and the Efficiency of Markets (Ch. 7) - no class Oct 12 |
| 8 | Oct 19, 21 | The Costs of Taxation (Ch. 8); International Trade (Ch. 9) |
| 9 | Oct 26, 28 | Externalities (Ch. 10); Public Goods and Common Resources (Ch. 11) |
| 10 | Nov 2, 4 | The Costs of Production (Ch. 14) |
| 11 | Nov 9, 11 | Review; Midterm 2 (Nov 11) |
| 12 | Nov 16, 18 | Firms in Competitive Markets (Ch. 15) |
| 13 | Nov 23 | Monopoly (Ch. 16) - no class Nov 25 |
| 14 | Nov 30, Dec 2 | Monopolistic Competition (Ch. 17); Oligopoly (Ch. 18) |
| 15 | Dec 7 | Review |
Chapter references are from Mankiw, Principles of Microeconomics, 10th edition (Cengage MindTap). The schedule may change; changes are announced in class and on Brightspace.