Carleton University

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

ECON 2201C: Statistical Methods in Economics and Business I

FALL 2006

 

Class: Tuesday and Thursday 11:35-12:55, Southam Hall 304

Instructor: Minh Quang Dao  Office: D 888 LA (Loeb)

Phone: (613) 520-2600x3752 Email: mqdao@connect.carleton.ca

Office Hours: Tuesdays 2:00-4:00 PM or by appointment

 

  1. Course Description

 

This course is an introduction to statistical inference.  Topics covered include descriptive statistics, probability theory, sampling distributions, estimation and hypothesis testing with a single population.  Prerequisites: MATH 1009 and MATH 1119 (or equivalent), which may be taken concurrently with ECON 2201.

 

  1. Required Textbook

 

Groebner, D., Shannon, P., Fry, P., and Smith, K. (2005). Business Statistics: A Decision-making Approach, Updated Sixth Edition.  Upper Saddle River, NJ.: Pearson Prentice Hall.

 

  1. Course Outline

 

I: Introduction and Descriptive Statistics

            Chapter 1: The Where, Why, and How of Data Collection

            Chapter 2: Graphs, Charts, and Tables – Describing Your Data

            Chapter 3: Describing Data Using Numerical Measures

 

II: Probability Theory and Distributions

            Chapter 4: Using Probability and Probability Distributions

            Chapter 5: Discrete and Continuous Probability Distributions

 

III: Sampling Distributions, Estimation, and Hypothesis Testing

            Chapter 6: Introduction to Sampling Distributions

            Chapter 7: Estimating Population Values

            Chapter 8: Introduction to Hypothesis Testing

 

  1. Course Grade Breakdown

 

Mid-term Exam                       30%

Final Exam                              45%    

Assignments                            25%

 

The midterm examination will be held in class on Thursday, October 12, 2006.  There will be weekly assignments which are due at class time on the due date.  Late assignments will not be accepted.  If you know ahead of time you will not be able to attend class on the day assignments are due, make sure to turn them in early.  Failure to turn in assignments will result in zero credit.  It is a good idea for students to attempt as many textbook problems as possible as doing so will prepare them well for exams.

 

If you do not attend class, it is your responsibility to find out what was lectured and what announcements were made on that day. 

 

If you miss the midterm due to an emergency or illness, you must provide proper documentation in order to have the assigned weight transferred to the final exam.  Failure to take the final exam will result in a grade of ABS.   To take a deferred final exam, students must contact the Office of the Registrar, which is located n the Tory Building.

 

Students with disabilities requiring academic accommodations in the course need to contact a coordinator at the Paul Menton Centre (PMC) for Students with Disabilities to complete the necessary letters of accommodation.  They then need to make an appointment to discuss their needs with the instructor at least two weeks prior to the midterm exam.  The deadline for submitting completed forms to the PMC for scheduling exam accommodations is November 6. 2006.