Unit Outline

Ever wondered how businesses out-maneuver competitors, politicians negotiate deals, or even how social norms evolve? Game Theory provides powerful tools to understand these strategic interactions, where your actions affect others, and theirs affect you. In this unit, you'll learn the core principles of Game Theory and how to apply them to real-world scenarios in business and economics, social sciences, and beyond. Imagine analyzing pricing strategies in a competitive market or understanding the dynamics of international negotiations. You'll develop the ability to think strategically, predict the behaviour of others, and identify your best response in any situation. Unlock the secrets of strategic decision-making and gain a competitive edge in your field.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Identify strategic interaction in a variety of settings and formally model them as games.
2.	Apply game theory as an analytical tool to solve the games with an aim to predict outcomes.
3.	Evaluate the application of game theoretic models/analysis and provide solutions for problems faced by business managers and policy makers.
4.	Communicate technical analysis and arguments in both written and oral forms.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	BEA236

Alterations as a result of student feedback

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Online Quiz (x4)	Refer to Assessment Description	50 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Case Studies Assignment	Refer to Assessment Description	50 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Online Quiz (x4)

Task Description:

Each take-home assessment will be a 1–1.5 hour online assessment covering material from the relevant section of the course preceding the assessment. The assessment will be conducted via MyLO using a lockdown browser under online invigilation.

Each assessment will consist of approximately 10–15 short-answer questions.

There will be four take-home assessments in total, each worth 12.5%, contributing 50% of the final grade.

The assessments will be released on MyLO in Weeks 3, 6, 9, and 12. Specific dates and times will be communicated via MyLO announcements.

Task Length:

1 - 1.5 hours for each part.

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

50 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Define key concepts of Game Theory and demonstrate their application in analyzing various issues in diverse settings (e.g., economics, business, political science).	LO1
2	Construct game models from narrative descriptions and solve them using appropriate game theory concepts.	LO2
3	Interpret the results of game solutions within real-world contexts, analyzing practical implications.	LO2
4	Analyze discrepancies between theoretical predictions and observed behaviors while providing insights into potential reasons for the differences.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Case Studies Assignment

Task Description:

This unit includes two individual case study assessments designed to evaluate applied strategic reasoning across the semester.

Each case study consists of:
(i) a short written report (10%), and
(ii) an individual oral assessment (viva) conducted approximately one week after submission (15%).

The written report requires formal modelling of the chosen interaction and clear equilibrium analysis. The subsequent viva assesses conceptual understanding and the ability to explain, justify, and defend modelling choices, including responding thoughtfully to alternative assumptions and extensions.

Part A (Weeks 1–6 content) is due in Week 7 and is worth 25% of the final grade.
Part B (Weeks 7–12 content) is due in Week 13 and is worth 25% of the final grade.

Detailed guidelines will be provided on MyLO.

Task Length:

Part A Written Analysis: 750-1500 words. Oral Assessment: 10-15 minutes Part B Written Analysis: 750-1500 words. Oral Assessment: 10-15 minutes

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

50 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify and accurately interpret key game-theoretic concepts relevant to the chosen strategic interaction.	LO1
2	Formally model the strategic interaction by specifying players, strategies, information structure, and payoffs using an appropriate representation (payoff matrix or game tree).	LO2
3	Correctly derive the relevant equilibrium concept (Nash or Subgame Perfect Nash Equilibrium) using clear and logically structured reasoning.	LO2
4	Evaluate the implications of the model for real-world business or policy contexts.	LO3
5	Present the analysis in a clear, structured, and technically precise written or oral format.	LO4

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

You will need the following text as most of the lecture materials are based on this.

Dixit, A. K., Skeath, S., & McAdams, D. (2025). Games of Strategy: Sixth International Student Edition. WW Norton & Company.

For each week’s Lecture, relevant chapters of this book will be specified along with readings from other sources for students who want to delve further into topics. These will be listed in MyLO. Students are expected to read the specific book chapter and view the online videos before coming to Workshops.