UMUC-EUROPE GRADUATE PROGRAMS
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY

MGMT584 Syllabus

Course Title Management Statistics
Term TERM 3, 2003/2004
Education Center HEIDELBERG-GRAD
Faculty Member Gordon Leitch - gleitch@faculty.ed.umuc.edu

Faculty Contact Information:

Instructor: Gordon Leitch
Mailing Address: UMUC, Unit 29216 APO AE 09102
Email: gleitch@faculty.ed.umuc.edu

Consultation:

via email or by appointment.
Saturdays, Jan 24, 31, Feb 7, 14, 21, 28, Mar 6, 13. Heidelberg.
Syllabus available from
http://www.ed.umuc.edu
click on "Graduate Schedules", then select the appropriate Ed Center and Course.

Required Texts and Readings:

Text used exclusively in this course --

Anderson, D.R., Sweeney, D.J. & Williams, T.A. (2003).Modern Business Statistics with Microsoft Excel, (1st ed.). New York: South-Western College Publishing.

Texts used in multiple courses --

Weiss, C.( 1997). Evaluation, (2nd ed.). Prentice. Chapters 6, 7, 12 only

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, (5th ed.). Washington DC: Author.

Supplementary Readings:

Student will need an inexpensive compass and protractor set (available at AAFES for about $1.25); a handheld calculator with the capability to handle 2 variables x & y (the TI-36X currently available at AAFES for ca. $10 is adequate); access to a personal computer with MS-Excel installed (either your home computer, your work computer with permission from your supervisor, or use the hardware and software at a UMUC computer lab). The use of a computer is highly recommended for working with larger data files assigned as homework and supplied on CD-ROM with the text

Recommended Journals:

The Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory is a high quality, peer-review journal. Full text articles from 1991-2000 are available, free of charge, at http://bush.tamu.edu/research/cpg/pa-archive/functionpage.htm

Course Description:

Prerequisites: The equivalent of College Algebra or permission of the Program Director.Provides the knowledge necessary to interpret published research results and to permit elementary research in business and public administration. Content includes: descriptive statistics, probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, ANOVA, sampling, correlation, linear regression and multiple regression.

Course Goals:

As one of two research methods courses in the MPA program, this course provides graduate students with the conceptual and practical tools to develop proposals for and conduct non-experimental research projects, policy analyses, and program evaluations, as well as to evaluate and incorporate the implications of published reports into their practice as professionals. Upon completion of the course, participants should have an understanding of:
  1. Research methods as used in management settings.
  2. Quantitative research approaches.
  3. The of previous research and related literature.
  4. The process of hypothesis formulation and testing.
  5. Descriptive and inferential statistics.
  6. Data requirements for statistical procedures.
  7. Ethical considerations and constraints.
  8. The role of information technology in quantitative research and statistical analysis.

Course Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to:
  1. Determine when quantitative approaches are necessary and appropriate.
  2. Interpret quantitative research.
  3. Apply various inferential statistical tests.
  4. Develop sampling and data collection techniques.
  5. Utilize descriptive statistics to report findings.
  6. Define ethical and legal constraints on research.
  7. Present research findings in written and graphic or oral formats.
  8. Analyze the application of information technology in research

Grading Information:

Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:

   A    90%
   B    80 – 89%
   C    70 – 79%
   F    Below 70%

Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion.  Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog. Hard copies of the catalog are available in your local Education Center.

Course Requirements:

Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society.

In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, the following are required:

Participate in Class Discussions, complete textbook problems  15%
Write Graduate Level Term Paper  20%
8 exams, lowest 2 dropped  65%

Description of Course Requirements:

Term Paper Description: Complete 1 case from chapter 9 or 13, and 1 case from chapter 14, 15, or 16. The completed cases should be presented in a well-organized paper resembling a report to higher management on the selected topics.

During this course, a series of case problems from the text will be assigned in lieu of one larger paper. These papers will be presented formally using the academic style of the APA. Specifically, that means that student submissions will have an appropriate cover page, page margins, type face and size, page numbering, etc., all following requirements of the American Psychological Association style manual.

The case problems are based on larger data sets available to the student on the CD-ROM supplied with the textbook. MS-Excel computer software is required to access the data on the CD. In each assignment, the case problem requires problem solving with statistical calculations and some analysis. The analysis is often as simple as answering three questions associated with the case problem. Even so, it is expected that the successful student will respond in complete sentences, organizing their responses, citing sources where necessary, and using correct standard English. Data, calculations, and tabular results may be presented either as computer-generated output (preferred) or in neatly organized and accomplished hand writing.

Every class meeting is important. Attendance in class is mandatory. Emergencies, illnesses and duty assignments constitute excused absences. The student is responsible for material covered and assignments missed during an absence. It is the student’s responsibility to coordinate make up work.

The student is expected to participate regularly in discussions and complete homework and class assignments on time. A participation score will be assessed based on a student’s active discussion, positive attitude for learning, and communicative, cooperative attitude. A student must be prepared to discuss and work with readings during the session in which they are assigned; you must read ahead to be prepared for class.

The instructor reserves the right to modify the class schedule based on needs of the students and class progress in consonance with course objectives. Computer software [Excel, etc.] may be used for homework assignments and case problems; but no computer aids will be allowed on exams. Handheld calculators are the basic tool for both homework and exams.

Course Schedule:

READ CHAPTERS BEFORE CLASS

Class, chapter, problems
Class 1
chapter 1: 3, 4, 13, 20
chapter 2: 3, 6, 16, 23, 30, 33
chapter 3: 5, 6, 17, 22, 26, 27, 33, 36, 50, 55

Class 2
EXAM #1
chapter 4: 2, 4, 7, 10, 15, 16, 20, 22, 23, 29, 31, 32, 39, 42, 45
chapter 5 (skip 5.6): 1, 6, 7, 11, 15, 24, 25, 30, 32, 37, 38, 40, 43
chapter 6: 1, 3, 4, 7, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 27, 28, 30, 32

Class 3
EXAM #2
chapter 7 (skip 7.6): 3, 8, 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 28, 32
chapter 8 (skip 8.4): 2, 9, 13, 15, 17, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 29

Class 4
EXAM #3
chapter 9 (skip 9.6): 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 29, 30, 33, 34, 38
chapter 10 (skip 10.4): 4, 6, 11, 15, 18, 23, 25, 29
SKIP chapter 11.

Class 5
EXAM #4
chapter 12: 1, 4, 6, 9, (20, 21, 22, 24)
chapter 17: 1, 2, 4, 7, 12, 14, 20, 21, 26, 28, 32, 36

Class 6
EXAM #5
chapter 13 (skip 13.3): 1, 3,6, 9, 19, 21, 22, 23, 27, 30, (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 43, 45)
chapter 14 (1st part): 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 11, 13, 15, 19, 21, 23, 29

Class 7
EXAM #6 (over chapter 13 only)
chapter 14 (2nd part): 32, 36, 47, 49, 52, 54
chapter 15 (skip 15.8): 1, 2, 4, 8, 11, 12, 14, 19, 20, 22, 27, 28, 29, (34, 35)
chapter 16 (skip 16.2, 16.3, 16.5, 16.6): 1, 4, 7, 16, 18

Class 8
EXAM #7
chapter 18 (skip 18.5, 18.6): 1, 2, 6
chapter 19: 1, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13

EXAM #8. Term paper due.

Academic Policies:

Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:

Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities

Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center.

Faculty Bio:

Gordon Leitch. I received my M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Tulane University. An extract from my dissertation "Profitability and the Evaluation of Economic Forecasts" was published in American Economic Review. Prior to joining UMUC Europe in 1996 I taught at UMUC's program at Far Eastern State University in Vladivostok, Russia. I have also taught economics, finance, management and statistics courses at Tulane University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Loyola University (New Orleans), and the University of Portland.


Last updated by Gordon Leitch: November 29, 2003, 7:16 pm
Find this syllabus linked from the schedule at: http://www.ed.umuc.edu/schedule