This Master level course explores methods to model and empirically estimate the behavior of consumers and the strategic interactions of firms. The methods are useful in a wide field of applications. Here are some examples:

 

• Marketing and Firm Strategy, for determining optimal prices and product features and predicting competitor’s reactions
• Competition policy, e.g. predicting the effects of a merger on market outcomes and total welfare
• Planning of public projects, e.g. predicting the demand of new public transportation route
• Environmental policy, determining the effects of subsidies or taxes on consumer behavior
• International trade, predicting the effects of changes in tariffs and exchange rates on imports and exports in specific markets

A large part of the course consists of analyzing data, models, and methods using the freely available statistical programming language R. We will provide an introduction to R, so you don’t need any previous knowledge of R.

We expect you to actively participate in class and you will have to submit problem sets in groups, which will count 10% of your grade. If the class is not too large, there will be an oral exam. You can freely choose whether you want to take the exam in German or English. (If the class is too large, there will be a written exam instead, in which you are free to answer in German or English)

 

• First Lecture: Mo. 15.04. (first day of semester) 
• Lectures & Exercises:
  • Monday: 14:15 - 15:45, He. 18 / 220
  • Thursday: 16:15 - 17:45,  He. 18 / E.20

• Office Hour: After lectures or by appointment (sebastian.kranz@uni-ulm.de) 

• Teaching Assistant: Martin Kies

Slides and additional material will be made available on MOODLE:

https://moodle.uni-ulm.de/course/view.php?id=737