Syllabus of the Dept. of Applied Statistics EAST West University Graduate Program
Introduction Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments. A statistician is someone who is particularly well versed in the ways of thinking necessary for the successful application of statistical analysis. Such people have often gained this experience through working in any of a wide number of fields. Social science data are often described as messy. The challenges of producing a result accepted by scientists often involve judgments about how to quantify variables that are not inherently quantitative. Social scientists must also frequently contend with missing data, and with data that violate the mathematical assumptions of statistical methods commonly presented in introductory courses. Courses in the program in Applied Statistics will emphasize the analysis of data in the context of such problems. Most courses will involve the use of statistical software. Courses in the program are designed to provide students with sophisticated statistical tools without calculus or matrix algebra prerequisites. Demand for applied statistics graduates world wide has remained very strong. Applied statistics graduates may be found anywhere from research and development to production and management in every field of scientific endeavor: industrial productions, medical services, communications, scientific civil services and environmental control. Opportunities extend through al aspects of physical and biological sciences and into various branches of business and economics where the skills of the applied statistician are highly valued. The EWU Masters of Science (MS) degree in Applied Statistics has been designed to better serve the large number of students who seek a terminal degree in preparation for work in industry in data science and quantitative analytics. The current MS programs in most of the public universities of our country prepare students for a research career in Statistics. In contrast, the proposed MS in Applied Statistics program will prepare students for work in industry through an emphasis on methods and theory commonly used in applications. The MS will cater primarily (but not exclusively) to part-time students. Courses for the new program will be offered in the evening and in the weekends, so that professionals can continue working while completing their degree. The degree will require a research project or an internship that will involve working closely with an industry partner and a faculty member to solve a real scientific or business problem. The curriculum will offer coursework that brings academic rigor to topics required for quantitative professionals in business, engineering, pharmaceuticals, and computer science industries, as well as government and non-profit organizations. The program will serve as a vital bridge between EWU and the community; the concerned Department will provide the much sought after academic support for local industry and in return gain an enhanced network of professional contacts to support hiring of B.S. and Ph.D. students. A key feature of the program is its partnerships with local industry. A number of local partners have already offered their support. These partners will sponsor thesis projects, provide internships, and serve as advisors to the curriculum committee. Thesis projects will be quarterlong research projects that solve problems proposed by the industry partners and Statistics faculty. ii
The new curriculum will meet the same level of academic rigor as the current MS curriculum in the country. Indeed, students will have the choice of including some courses from existing current curriculum of different universities in the country towards the applied MS, and regular MS/PhD students can take evening classes as electives. However, enough courses will be offered in the evening so that it will be possible for a part-time student to complete the degree by taking only evening (or late afternoon) classes. Applications to the Applied MS, for both full- and part-time students, will be evaluated using the similar criteria currently applied to our other MS programs. Al classes will be taught by regular department faculty. Administration and marketing will be handled by EWU, although admissions and curriculum decisions will be made by regular department faculty. This proposal begins by presenting evidence that an Applied Statistics degree for working professionals is both needed and has sufficient demand in our growing industrial society. A description of the curriculum is provided later. This Syllabus is effective from Spring-2015 semester. The M.S. Program in Applied Statistics Program Mission Demand for professionals with strong quantitative analytical skills is not new, but recent changes in the economy and the growing reliance of our businesses and governments on data have created an even greater need for workers who can manage data, produce informative visualizations of data, and are guided by fundamental statistical principles. The MS in Applied Statistics will help meet this need by providing working professionals the means to obtain postgraduate-level education in applied statistics and quantitative analytics. The MS in Applied Statistics is designed to provide working professionals with the necessary theoretical foundations of modern statistical practice to prepare students for careers in quantitative analysis, data management and data analysis, and statistics. Students will take courses in theory, statistical models, data management, and data visualization. The program will help meet current and projected demand for professionals with analytical skills. More importantly, the format and delivery of the MS in Applied Statistics has been designed to allow currently working scientific, technical and quantitative professionals to complete the degree while continuing their full-time employment. This MS program is designed for people who like to work in different industries and business farms, industrial planning and development, and to pursue research for creative work and teaching. From the point of feasibility of the proposed program, we expect to attract some experts from outside, besides the existing relevant teaching staffs of our University. Other than the existing lab facilities at our university, we can make use of the facilities existing in different educational institutions and research establishments in the country. Length of the Program the M.S. program in AS is usually a three-semester program. Students may be allowed to spend maximum up to six semesters. iii
Credit Load Usually the minimum and maximum credit load per semester is two courses (6 credits) and four courses (16 credits) respectively. Academic Schedule Classes will be conducted in the evening slots and in the weekends. The academic year is divided into three semesters described below: Spring - January to April Summer - May to August Fall - September to December Who May Apply An acceptable prerequisite are: (a) A four-years B.S./B.Sc. degree in Applied Statistics/ Statistics. (b) a three years under graduate degree or one year Masters degree in Statistics or (c) a three year under graduate degree and one year Masters degree in science/medicine/social science with good background of Mathematics. Candidates with pre-qualifications as stated in (c), a few undergraduate level courses in Applied Statistics like AST-101, AST-102, AST-203 and AST-206 should take as prerequisite courses. b) Minimum GPA of 2.50 in both SSC and HSC Examination. Prerequisite Courses A student may be required to take one or more pre-requisite course/courses for making up deficiency when it deems necessary by the course advisor. The credit will not be counted for the degree requirement of the student; these are non-credit courses: AST-101, AST-102, AST- 203, AST-206. Residency Requirement Students must earn at least 14 credit hours of course work and 6 credit hours of project work. Credit Transfer Policy A maximum of 12 credits equivalent course works completed in a recognized institution may be taken as transferred credit. The negotiation of institutions shall be approved by the Graduate Committee of the relevant Department. iv
Grading Policy Academic performance is evaluated according to the following grading policy of the University Retake Policy A student can retake any course with any grade only once. Incomplete Grade Incomplete (I) grade may be granted only in exceptional cases, such as, when serious illness or work related travel is documented and when substantial course requirements have already been completed. The student must seek approval from both the relevant course instructor and the Chairperson of the Department prior to the regularly scheduled final examination. If remaining course work has not been completed by the end of week 1 of the next semester, grade I automatically becomes grade F. Withdrawals Students may withdraw from a course within first five weeks, and receive the grade W, provided that after such withdrawal, the student will have at least 6 credits course load. Withdrawals are not allowed after this time. All withdrawals notices must be communicated to both the course instructor and Chairperson of the Department. The amount of refund is related to the date of withdrawal as indicated in the academic calendar. v
Probation, Dismissal, and Re-admission A student is required to maintain a minimum CGPA of 2.5 throughout the academic period. If a student fails to maintain her/his CGPA to 2.5, she/he will be put on probation status. If she/he fails to raise her/his CGPA to 2.5 within the next two consecutive semesters, she/he will be dismissed from the program. However, a student dismissed from the program may apply through the Chairperson of the Department to the Dean of the faculty for re-admission. Readmission will not be granted without strong evidence of significant change in the student s ability to satisfactorily complete the program requirements. Time Limitations A student is allowed up to three years from the date of the initial enrollment to complete her/his degree requirements. Under certain circumstances, the time limit may be extended upon request to the Dean of the faculty through the Chairperson of the Department. Stream 1 and Stream 2 There are two streams : (i) stream 1: MS by course work, and (ii) Stream 2: MS by course work and thesis. Stream 1: MS by Course Work Total 35 credit hours. (a) Core modules (18 Credit Hours), these courses are compulsory. (b) Elective modules (17 Credit Hours). Stream 2: MS by Course and Thesis Total 35 credit hours need to be completed. (a) Core Modules (18 Credit Hours), these courses are compulsory. (b) Elective Modules (11 Credit Hours). (c) Thesis (6 Credit Hours). Financial Involvement A student is required to pay fees as per the following rates: Items Amount in TK. Admission Fee 15000 Tuition Fee Per Credit 3100 Lab Fee Per Semester 1000 Library Fee Per Semester 500 Student Activity Fee Per Semester 510 vi
Content of the Syllabus for M.S. (Graduate) Core Courses All Courses (Total 18 credits) Course No. Course Title Credits Page No. AST- 501 Survey Methods 3 1 AST- 502 Advanced Regression Analysis 4 1 AST- 503 Mathematical Statistics 3 3 AST- 504 Analysis of Variance 4 3 AST- 505 Data Management 4 4 Total 18 Content of the Syllabus for M.S. (Graduate) Elective Courses Stream 1: Total 17 credit hours (two 4 credit hours courses and three 3 credit hour courses). Stream 2: Any two courses (8 credit) hours and any one course (3 credit) hours. Course No. Course Title Credits Page No. AST- 506 Advanced Multivariate Statistical Analysis 4 4 AST- 507 Advance Generalized Linear Models 4 5 AST- 508 Applied Time Series Analysis 4 6 AST- 509 Applied categorical Data Analysis 4 7 AST- 510 Advanced Survival Analysis 4 8 AST- 511 Experimental Design 4 9 AST- 512 Applied Environmental Statistics 3 10 AST- 513 Reliability 3 11 AST- 514 Applied Epidemiology 3 12 vii
AST- 515 Advanced Population Studies 3 13 AST- 516 Econometrics 3 14 AST- 517 Linear Models 3 15 AST- 518 Clinical Trial Methods 3 16 AST- 519 Advanced Life Contingencies 3 17 Thesis for Stream 2 Students. The stream 2 students have to enroll for thesis in the second semester. Course No. Course Title Credits AST- 599 Thesis 6 Total 35 credits for graduation program viii