ECF5200 Game theory and business strategy
Faculty of Business and Economics
ECF5200 Game theory and business strategy is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Business and Economics, offered in 2025 in Semester 2 at Caulfield. It needs ECF5927, ECC5900, ECC2000 or ECF2731.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 2
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- Exam 60%
- and 2 other tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ECF5200
Prerequisites
Pass these before you enrol.
After ECF5200
No unit lists ECF5200 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Enrolment rules
If you are enrolled in course B3701 or B6001, there is no prerequisite to undertake this unit.
Overview
Game theoretic analysis is fundamental to understanding modern business strategies and forms the basic infrastructure of strategy courses. The unit teaches the basic tools of Game Theory, and introduces a structured way to think about business interactions. Game theory originated in the middle of the twentieth century as the general study of strategic interactions and has found applications in a wide variety of contexts including economics, psychology, politics and evolutionary biology. It is this generality that is the source of its power. Accordingly, the unit develops game theory broadly with applications to strategic situations, including business as well as more general contexts.
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Presentation30%
- Demonstration10%
- Examination60%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
understand the basic principles of strategic analysis including solution concepts
- 2
apply the abstract theory to concrete problems.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops36 hours
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. You are expected to complete all pre-class activities prior to your scheduled class, and post-class activities should be completed after your scheduled class. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed, peer directed and online engagement activities.
This unit includes problem-based learning approaches, where you engage in research, integrate theory and practice and apply knowledge and skills to develop viable solutions in response to a problem or set of problems.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
Learning resources
Required resources
Zhao, Xiaojian (2019). Notes on Game Theory and Applications in Psychology , unpublished lecture notes.
Belleflamme, Paul, and Martin Peitz (2015). Industrial Organization: Markets and Strategies , 2nd Edition, Cambridge University Press.
Where it fits
ECF5200 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2025 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor Xiaojian Zhao
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ECF5200?
You need ECF5927, ECC5900, ECC2000 or ECF2731 before you enrol. Enrolment rules also apply.
When is ECF5200 offered?
In 2025, ECF5200 runs in Semester 2 at Caulfield.
How much work is ECF5200?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ECF5200 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 60% of the final mark, alongside 2 other tasks.
Which majors and minors include ECF5200?
ECF5200 is part of Business economics; and Economics and health.