ECON 8854 Industrial Organization II
This course covers a selection of industrial organization topics not already covered in ECON8853. A typical week covers theory on Tuesday with discussion of a relevant empirical paper on Thursday. Topics may include nonlinear pricing, price discrimination, search, switching costs, obfuscation, insurance markets, present bias, pass-through and consumer protection, collusion, and learning.
Course overview
- Department
- Economics
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Graduate
- Offered
- Every Spring
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.53 / 5 · Excellent
- Instructor rating
- 4.60 / 5 · Excellent
- Terms evaluated
- 5
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Mariana Laverde | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 10+ hrs/week | 5 of 5 |
| Spring 2026 | Michael Grubb | 4.6 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 10+ hrs/week | 5 of 5 |
| Spring 2025 | Michael Grubb | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4–6 hrs/week | 1 of 2 |
| Spring 2025 | Richard Sweeney | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4–6 hrs/week | 1 of 2 |
| Spring 2024 | Mariana Laverde | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 10+ hrs/week | 5 of 5 |
| Spring 2024 | Michael Grubb | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 10+ hrs/week | 5 of 5 |
| Spring 2023 | Michael Grubb | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 10+ hrs/week | 2 of 4 |
| Spring 2023 | Richard Sweeney | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 10+ hrs/week | 2 of 4 |
| Spring 2022 | Charles Murry | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 7–9 hrs/week | 6 of 8 |
| Spring 2022 | Michael Grubb | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 7–9 hrs/week | 6 of 8 |