NCC 5010 Course Description

This course is intended to develop your skills in decision making and communicating under conditions of uncertainty and risk. The topics in the course are organized into the following modules: 

1. Introduction to Data Analysis 
2. Probability and Discrete Random Variables 
3. Continuous Random Variables and Portfolio Analysis 
4. Sampling Theory and Confidence Intervals 
5. Hypothesis Testing 
6. Simple Regression 
7. Multiple Regression 

Text and Course Packet 

The text book is Statistics for Managers Using Microsoft Excel, 7th ed., by Levine, Stephan, and Szabat, Prentice Hall, ISBN 9780133061819. The necessity of reading the text varies widely across the students in the AMBA program; those who have had some previous statistics course work will not find it as necessary as those for whom this is their first class in this subject. A collection of supplemental materials, commonly called the course packet, will also be used extensively. 

Classes 

Class discussion will not cover all assigned material but will highlight the more important issues. Before class, you are expected to read all assigned material and complete any written assignments. Each individual must come to class prepared for discussion. Your class participation grade will depend, to a large extent, on discussions of class exercises. 

Practice Problems 

Practice problems are provided in the Course Packet. They will not be graded and are not to be turned in. (Answers are also provided in the packet.) Please look over the problems prior to class. This will provide you with questions to raise during lecture. Although they need not be completed prior to class, doing the problems as each topic is completed is critical. Student feedback is consistent on this point: falling behind in this class is a really bad idea. 

Exams

There are several group assignments and an in-class final exam, as shown in the syllabus. 

Grading 

Guidelines for Written Work Due 

Date and Time: Written work must be turned in, as a hard copy, at the beginning of class on the date it is due. 

Format for Group Homeworks: Your report ought to consist of  neat,  legible English sentences. The quality and appearance of your writing is an important factor in your grade, as is the degree to which you document your quantitative and logical thought process. 

These may not be hand written. You are expected to use Microsoft Word (or the equivalent), augmented by charts, tables, and graphs as needed,  to produce your reports. Submit one copy for your group, with everyone’s name on it. 

Keep discussions brief and to the point. Caution: Try to minimize the number of attached Excel sheets (in other words, zero). Instead, include your spreadsheet results as tables (or better yet, charts) integrated with your text. Please use a 12 point font.  

• Number the pages. There is no page limit, but it is usually possible to do an excellent job in less than 5 pages, total. 
• The report should begin with an executive summary of no more than 1 page, single spaced. Executive summaries usually begin with conclusions or recommendations, give reasons, and discuss important alternatives, limitations, assumptions, etc. The summary should make reference to specific pages or sections where supporting material is given in more detail. 
• Your analysis should be given after the summary. This should include such items as rationale for choices that you made, outputs, plots, and any other material to support your summary and conclusions. 
• Be sure to answer all of the questions posed in the case, but you need not be limited to those questions. For example, you may decide that some other analyses are appropriate to support your conclusions.