MSCI110-11S1 (C) Semester One 2011

Quantitative Methods for Business

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 21 February 2011
End Date: Sunday, 26 June 2011
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 6 March 2011
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 22 May 2011

Description

Designed specifically for students in Commerce, this course enables students to learn and understand important concepts in statistics through applications in business and every-day life. Using a mastery learning approach, it also develops students’ mathematical skills and confidence, and competence in the use of Excel. Students may work at their own pace to complete the course independently of the class, providing deadlines are met.

This course provides a foundation of statistics and mathematics from a business oriented user’s point of view. The emphasis is on sensible and correct use of statistical and mathematical tools in real-life problems and critical interpretation of quantitative reporting. It assumes fairly elementary levels of competence in mathematics. Microsoft Excel™ will be used as a tool within the course.

This course has been developed using the principles of Personalised System of Instruction, often known as the Keller plan. As the material is almost entirely based on skill development, this is best learnt at a mastery level. This means that students are expected to “master” the material, as shown by a pass cut-off mark of 80% for all  assessed work.

We recognise that people learn at different rates, so students can sit the tests when they are ready for them, and if they do not pass, they can sit again when they feel they have mastered the material. In each section there is an open test that students can do in their own time, and a supervised test that students can do when they have passed any assignments or exercises and the open test for that section. The times available for sitting supervised tests are given on Learn. In order to help students plan their time better, there are deadlines for passing the sections. These are given below. Though there are many testing slots available, it is unwise to leave testing to the last day. Students are permitted to miss two test deadlines (other than the final deadline) without failing the course.

As this is a 15 point, 1 semester course we expect students to spend about 150 hours on the course, which comes to 12 hours per week for a 12 week semester. If you do this, you will almost inevitably pass the course. All materials and organisational details will be available through Learn.

Restrictions

STAT111, STAT112, STAT101

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Nicola Petty

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
On-line Assessment 100% On-line Assessment


The following gives the dates by which these quizzes must be passed. You may attempt them as soon as you have completed the prerequisites for them, namely the open tests, and any exercises or assignments. The time by which they must be completed is the end of the testing session on the day given (Tuesday or Friday). The course ends on 10 June.

Section O supervised test - Before end of Fri 25 March (Week 2)
Section S section - Before end of Fri 1 April (Week 3)
Section M section - Before end of Wed 13 April (Week 5)
Section C supervised test - Before end of Thur 21 April  (Week 6)
Section D1 supervised test - Before end of Wed 11 May (Week 9)
Section D2 supervised test - Before end of Fri 20 May (Week 10)
Section E1 supervised test - Before end of Wed 1 June (Week 11)
Section E2 supervised test - Before end of Fri 10 June (End of term 2)

Final examination: There is no final examination

Assessment Summary:
A Pass grade is achieved when the student has passed all the section tests. Students may sit each test repeatedly until they pass. There is no final examination. The Pass grade satisfies the requirements to use the course as a pre-requisite.

Students who do not complete all the sections may carry completed sections over for one additional enrolment in the course within two years. They will need to contact the course co-ordinator to arrange for their credit to carry over.

Notes

Relationship to Other Courses:
This is a course in the quantitative skills and concepts useful for students majoring in a commerce subject. It is part of the Bachelor of Commerce core course requirements, and of the NZICA requirements for becoming a Chartered Accountant.

Learning Support:
The following are provided to help you learn the material and skills:
• Lectures (which are videoed and can be viewed again if needed)
• Youtube videos developed for the course
• Previous year’s lectures
• Scheduled tutorials (you can also visit other tutorials)
• On-line readings
• Practice exercises on-line
• The open tests
• Email contact with the tutor or lecturers

There is no required textbook. Any readings will be given or referenced on Learn. If you have limited experience of the use of Microsoft Excel™, any “teach yourself” book on the subject will be helpful. There are many statistics textbooks available in the library. Students can use whichever ones prove most helpful if they need more resources for learning.

Departmental Academic Policies
If you require a hard copy of this document, please ask the course co-ordinator. The Department assumes that you have read this document. You should also read the “Information related to courses and assessment” on page 32 of the Enrolment Handbook 2011 (also in UC Calendar under “General Course and Examination Regulations”).

Aegrotats:
Aegrotat consideration is not available for any items of assessment in this course.

Dishonest Practice:
The University of Canterbury considers cheating and plagiarism to be serious acts of dishonesty. All assessed work must be your own individual work unless specifically stated otherwise in the assessment guidelines.  Material quoted from any other source must be clearly acknowledged. You must not copy the work of another person (student or published work) in any assessment including examinations, tests and assignments. Any person who is found to have copied someone else's work, or to have allowed their work to be copied, will receive a fail grade for that piece of assessment and may face disciplinary action which may lead to a fine, community service or exclusion from the university.

If an assignment submitted by you is found to have come from another person’s account you will face disciplinary action.

Coversheets - Group and Individual

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $630.00

International fee $2,775.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Management, Marketing and Tourism .

All MSCI110 Occurrences