January 10, 2006

 

 

Measurement & Analysis (ECO 3410)

Class No. 11177

Department of Economics, Florida International University (University Park)

Spring Semester 2006

 

 

Instructor:  Prasad Bidarkota                                       

Office: DM 320A         Tel: (305) 348-6362

E-mail: bidarkot[at]fiu.edu

Web Address: http://www.fiu.edu/~bidarkot/

Office Hours:  Tue & Thurs 5:15-6:15pm and by appointment

Lectures: Tue & Thurs 18:25-19:40 in PC 439

 

 

Textbook

            Paul Newbold, Statistics for Business & Economics, 5th Edition (or later if available), Pearson Publishers.

            The textbook is required reading material and all students are expected to obtain personal copies for use in this course.

 

 

Prerequisites

            The formal prerequisites for this course are STA 2023 / STA 2122.

 

Note: You should NOT take the course at this time if:

 

 

Course Objectives

            The course prepares students for a rigorous study of regression analysis. Continuing with the material from STA 2023 / STA 2122, we introduce various techniques for exploratory data analysis. We learn several important discrete and continuous random variables in some detail, point and interval estimation, and hypothesis testing. At the end of the course, students will be well placed to undertake further studies in econometrics such as Eco 4421.

 

 

Assessment

The course assessment will consist of several homework and computer assignments together worth 20%, two midterm examinations worth 20% each, and a final exam worth 40%.

The midterms will be held during regular lecture hours roughly after the 6th and 12th weeks.

 

 

Guidelines for Submitting Homework and Computer Assignments

            Homework and computer assignments will be given throughout the semester on all major topics covered in the course. Each assignment will consist of several questions, analytical and computational, frequently from the back of the chapters in the textbook. Students are responsible for answering all the questions assigned for each homework.

            Students are encouraged to work in collaboration with a partner on their homework and computer assignments. Only one copy of the homework / computer assignment is to be handed in between every two students.

            Although I do not expect typed homework submissions, these nevertheless have to be neatly written, stapled, concise yet complete, and include all relevant computer output where appropriate.

            Solutions to the homework questions will be discussed in class.

Late assignments will not be accepted for any reason whatsoever.

 

           

Makeup Examination

            There will be no makeup examination under any circumstances.

 

 

Grades

            The final course grade will be based on the cumulative total score in the course comprising of the scores on the homework and computer assignments, midterm, and the final exam. Letter grades will be based on the distribution (“curve”) of these final scores of all students in the course. Depending on the overall performance of the students, the minimum total score required to obtain a particular grade (“the cutoff”) will be determined at the end of the semester.

 

 

Course Outline

 

Our plan is to cover the first half of the book (approximately chapters 2 through 9). This is subject to change at the present time. More details will be made available in class as we progress through the semester.