ECO4131S - Digital Economics

14 credits at NQF level 8

Entry Requirements:

ECO4006F, ECO4007F and ECO4016F. PPE (and other) students who do not have to complete the core as part of their degree requirements may be granted permission to register for this elective at the discretion of the Head of Department.

Course Outline:

The purpose of this course is to introduce the main topics in digital (or Internet) economics. During the course we will identify and formalize the main features of digital goods and discuss why they may lead to particular market outcomes (such as market dominance by a single firm). Next, we will discuss pricing and product design strategies used by firms in digital markets. During the lectures we will make references to relevant theoretical and empirical material in industrial organisation and management science. We will debate and students will be asked to deliver oral presentations of past and ongoing regulatory and antitrust cases. We will also discuss the role of government in the regulation of digital markets.