Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2021 - ECON 434 D100

Seminar in Applied Market Design (3)

Class Number: 7808

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 8 – Dec 7, 2021: Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Dec 10, 2021
    Fri, 12:00–3:00 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    ECON 333 (or BUEC 333) and ECON 302, all with a minimum grade of C-.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduces students to market design. There is a strong emphasis on applications and empirical perspectives of market design. The objective of the course is to give students an understanding of the core concepts of market design and to illustrate how econometrics can be used to combine data with micro theory. Students with credit for ECON 483 under the title Applied Market Design may not take this course for further credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

Market design is an area of studying the rules that guide transactions and resource allocations in the marketplace. Applications include matching markets (marriage market, school assignment, kidney exchange), auction markets, and so on. This course will focus on the empirical perspective of market design and illustrate how econometrics can be used to combine data with micro theory.

There will be assigned readings each week. Each week, two or three students will present the assigned reading and lead a discussion. The final exam will cover the theory and the empirical analysis in the seminar.

Topics: Introduction to Market Design, One-to-One Matching (e.g., Marriage Market), Many-to-One Matching (e.g., School Assignment), House Allocation and Kidney Exchange, Labor Markets, Internet Markets.

Grading

  • Class participation 20%
  • Presentation 50%
  • Final exam 30%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

No required reading. A set of papers will be posted on Canvas.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Roth, Alvin E. Who Gets What—and Why: The New Economics of Matchmaking and Market Design. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015.

 

 


Nir Vulkan, Alvin E. Roth, and Zvika Neeman. The Handbook of Market Design, Oxford University Press, 2015.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

Please note that, as per Policy T20.01, the course requirements (and grading scheme) outlined here are subject to change up until the end of the first week of classes.

Final exam schedules will be released during the second month of classes. If your course has a final exam, please ensure that you are available during the entire final exam period until you receive confirmation of your exam dates. 

Students requiring accommodations as a result of a disability must contact the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) at 778-782-3112 or caladmin@sfu.ca.

***NO TUTORIALS DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES***

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2021

Teaching at SFU in fall 2021 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with approximately 70 to 80 per cent of classes in person/on campus, with safety plans in place.  Whether your course will be in-person or through remote methods will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes.  You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).

Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required.  You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the fall 2021 term.