Syllabus

STATS 11: Introduction to Statistical Methods for Business and Economics

 

(Fall 2004 Lecture 1)

 

Instructor: Hongquan Xu

Office: 8955 Math Sciences Bldg

Phone: (310) 206-0035

Lecture (Time/place):   MWF 10:00-10:50am  Franz 1260
 Office Hours:   MWF 11-11:50am   MS 8955

Lab/Discussion Sections : 

   

Course Homepage: http://www.stat.ucla.edu/~hqxu/stat11/

 

TEXTBOOK (required):


LAB MANUAL (required):


This course will teach:

  1.  that there are different types of data and the conclusions and decisions that can be made are strongly affected by the type of data.
  2. variability is omnipresent, and statistics provides an integrated approach for making decisions and detecting patterns amidst the uncertainty caused by variability.
  3. there are some essential tools for summarizing and quantifying the variability in data, and these tools can be applied in a wide variety of contexts
  4.  probability theory provides the means for making inferences about the world based on a (relatively) small amount of data.


Around these concepts are several skills which you will be expected to learn:

  1. the process for making a statistical inference based on data.
  2. the mathematical formalism of basic mathematical statistical theory
  3. how to formulate and write appropriate conclusions based on output from statistical packages
  4. basic statistical analysis skills using Stata

 

Grading Policy

  

 
Letter grade (may be curved):  A (+/-) 90-100%;  B(+/-) 80-90%; C(+/-) 70-80%; D(+/-) 60-70%.
Grades can be found on URSA in a timely manner. If you believe your final grade is not correct after it has been issued, please contact me before the end of the second week of the next quarter. Requests for corrections after that time period will be denied unless it is due to a procedural or clerical error.

 

Lecture

I will see you three times a week, MWF.   I will present the material I think most important.   I will make lecture notes available online before each class. You are responsible for printing the lecture notes from the Web and bringing them to class. The lecture notes are incomplete and therefore you can fill in the spaces in class.  


Labs

You are responsible for attending lab each week and turning in any lab work to your TA when it is due.   Attending labs is the only means for you to learn how to use the software package Stata. The lab consultants are not available to answer questions about how to use the software and are there solely to assist you with hardware or network problems.  

 

You will have access to Stata version 8.0 to complete your homework and lab assignments. You can purchase your own version if you wish, or use any of the versions available on campus (see Academic Technology Severices at http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/). Labs are held in the Statistics Department's Instructional Computing Lab (BH 9413). Stata is available there and you will have an account if you are enrolled in the course.  You may use our Learning Resources Center  at MS 8349 for doing lab and homework assignments.


Homework

Homework will be assigned weekly on the Web. I encourage you to use Stata or other software to do homework whenever it is possible. Homework will be graded 0 (not turned in) to 5 (excellent).   Make sure to print your name, TA name and section number clearly on your homework and staple it.  To receive credit, you must turn in your homework on time. NO LATE HOMEWORK.

 

Exams

There are two midterms and one final.

 

 

The exams emphasize concepts discussed in class and covered in the homework. You will see problems that do not look exactly like the homework problems. However, the homework is the best preparation for the exams.

 

If, for some reason, you know you cannot make those dates, you must see me as soon as possible. Make-up examinations are given only in exceptional circumstances. You must provide me the documentation to verify your claim. A make-up exam will have a different format from the regular examination.

 

Grade Appeals

There may be a time when we make a mistake grading one of your tests. If you think this is the case, write a note describing the error, attach it to the original exam, and give it to me within one week of the return of the examinations to the entire class. I will review your argument and our initial grading decision and return a decision to you in a timely manner.

 

Requirements

You will attend lectures through all ten weeks of the quarter and take all exams on the days they are given.  You will turn in homework assignments when they are due.   You will turn in all lab assignments when they are due. You will come to class on time and remain until I have completed the day's lecture.

 

Homepage

You are responsible for information that appears on the homepage for this course.   Browse the homepage regularly for lecture notes, homework assignments, and important announcements.    The address is http://www.stat.ucla.edu/~hqxu/stat11/.  



Honors Seminar (Stats 89 SEM 5):

You will learn some related topics not covered in regular lectures.   Topics include: sampling methods, experimental designs, counting techniques, probability games,  computer simulations, and some proofs.  Supplementary readings from research articles will be provided, depending on interests.