Course Syllabus
Syllabus
MST 6600
Applied Statistical Techniques
Course Description
Overview
| Course | MST 6600 |
| Department | Master of Science and Technology |
| Credit Hours | 3 |
| Semester | Fall 2021 |
| Description | This case/example-based course introduces exploratory data analysis (EDA) using R. No prior knowledge of R is assumed. A primary objective is for students to apply graphical EDA techniques (including: scatter plots, box plots, histograms, probability plots, residual plots, and mean plots) to representative data sets using the RStudio platform. Additionally, students evaluate data using standard, quantitative statistical techniques. Practical exercises and industry cases are used throughout the term. Students are encouraged to bring laptops to class. Permission of PMST Program Director required. |
Goals & Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to use the RStudio Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to gain insight into data via exploratory data analysis (EDA) and generate summary statistics based on quantitative statistical techniques.
Specifically, students will:
- Understand the differences between Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) and classical, quantitative statistical analysis
- Demonstrate proficiency in using the RStudio application
- Apply graphical EDA techniques (including: scatter plots, box plots, histograms, probability plots, residual plots, and mean plots) to representative data sets using RStudio
- Evaluate data using classical, quantitative statistical techniques to establish the uncertainty of a point estimate
- Construct a hypothesis test to refute a specific claim about a population parameter based on the sample data
- Compile EDA and quantitative statistics into a report for communicating insight into data
- Construct linear and non-linear models using built-in functions
- Understand the data requirements and process for developing forecast models using built-in functions (SUSL)
- Construct complex models based on user-specified functions
- Apply mapping tools to explore the spatial dependences of environmental measurements and combine with API census data to examine their relationship to socioeconomic data (SUSL)
- Present complex data in an organized and concise manner
- Manipulate complex data within the RStudio software environment as required for graphical and numerical analysis
- Demonstrate the use of web-scraping to obtain data from an online site (SUSL)
Teaching and Learning Methods
This class will be taught as a hybrid course, which uses a mixture of online, face-to-face, and technology-enhanced instruction. The course will incorporate readings, online materials, lectures, and structured activities to demonstrate typical deliverables.
Sustainability—Limited (SUSL Attribute )
This course does not have the SUSL attribute. I have labeled specific activities as SUSL to facilitate the review of this course by the committee that approves this course designation.
The University of Utah has defined sustainability as "the integrated pursuit of social equity, environmental integrity, and economic security, for current and future generations. This course will incorporate case studies to explore these and related concepts. Specifically, students will work through activities that address three of the course's learning objectives. These will include:
- applying mapping tools to explore the spatial dependencies of environmental measurements and socioeconomic census data,
- developing forecast models based on the NOAA, Mauna Loa carbon dioxide dataset,
- demonstrating the use of "web-scraping" to obtain unstructured water use data from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and analyzing the data within the context of its community.
Required Materials
Required Materials
- Laptop computer capable of supporting Canvas, Zoom, and RStudio.
- R/RStudio: You must have access to R/RStudio (free software) for this class.
- NIST/SEMATECH e-Handbook of Statistical Methods: http://www.itl.nist.gov/div898/handbook/ (Links to an external site.)
- R for Data Science: http://r4ds.had.co.nz/ (Links to an external site.)
Optional Materials
- RStudio Cloud account: You can activate an RStudio Cloud account (free) for this class. There is a limit on the number of projects you can save.
- ggplot2 Essentials: Donato Teutonico, 2015
- Learning RStudio for R Statistical Computing: Mark van der Loo, Edwin de Jonge, 2012
- Introductory Statistics (Links to an external site.)
- Introductory Business Statistics (Links to an external site.)
- https://stats.idre.ucla.edu (Links to an external site.)
Communication
Preferred Contact Methods
The easiest way to contact me directly is to use the Inbox, located in the far left Canvas menu.
Office Hours
By appointment
Course Policies
Submitting Assignments
All assignments, unless otherwise announced, must be submitted to the designated area of
Canvas. Do not submit assignments via email.
Late Assignments
As an IVC and IVC+hybrid course, it is critical to complete assignments on time. In-class activities will assume completion of the pre-lecture assignments. There is a 24-hour grace period on all assignments. Assignments submitted 24- to 48-hours after the due date/time will be eligible for 50% credit. Assignments submitted after 48-hours of the due date/time will not receive credit.
Completion of all assignments will be used to evaluate "borderline" grades at the end of the semester.
Grading
Grading for this course
| Letter | Scoring |
|---|---|
| A | 100% - 94% |
| A- | 93.9% - 90% |
| B+ | 89.9%–87% |
| B | 86.9%–84% |
| B- | 83.9% - 80% |
| C+ | 79.9%–77% |
| C | 76.9%–74% |
| C- | 73.9% - 70% |
| D+ | 69.9%–67% |
| D | 66.9%–64% |
| D- | 63.9% - 60% |
| E | 59.9%–0% |
Accommodations
Disclaimer
Accommodations will be considered on an individual basis and may require documentation.
Please contact your instructor and/or teaching assistant as soon as possible (preferably shortly before the semester begins) to request accommodations of any kind.
Extreme personal circumstances
Please contact your instructor as soon as possible if an extreme personal circumstance
(hospitalization, death of a close relative, natural disaster, etc.) is interfering with your ability to
complete your work.
Religious Practice
To request an accommodation for religious practices, contact your instructor at the beginning of the semester.
Active Duty Military
If you are a student on active duty with the military and experience issues that prevent you from participating in the course because of deployment or service responsibilities, contact your instructor as soon as possible to discuss appropriate accommodations.
Disability Access
All written information in this course can be made available in an alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services (CDS). CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. Prior notice is appreciated. To read the full accommodations policy for the University of Utah, please see Section Q of the Instruction & Evaluation regulations.
If you will need accommodations in this class, contact:
Center for Disability Services
801-581-5020
disability.utah.edu
162 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus is not a contract. It is meant to serve as an outline and guide for your course. Please note that your instructor may modify it to accommodate the needs of your class.
You will be notified of any changes to the Syllabus.
University Policies
COVID-19 Campus Guidelines
Important: Updated Fall 2021 Instructional Guidelines
University leadership has urged all faculty, students, and staff to model the vaccination, testing, and masking behaviors we want to see in our campus community. These include: • Vaccination • Masking indoors • If unvaccinated, getting weekly asymptomatic coronavirus testing
- Get a COVID-19 vaccination if you have not already done so. Vaccination is proving highly effective in preventing severe COVID-19 symptoms, hospitalization, and death from coronavirus. Vaccination is the single best way to stop this COVID resurgence in its tracks.
- Many in the campus community already have gotten vaccinated:
- More than 80% of U employees
- Over 70% of U students
- Visit My Chart, Vaccine Information, or CDC Vaccine.gov to schedule your vaccination.
- While masks are no longer required outside of Health Sciences facilities, UTA buses, and campus shuttles, CDC guidelines now call for everyone to wear face masks indoors.
- Check the CDC website periodically for masking updates
- Treat masks like seasonal clothing (i.e.during community surges in COVID transmission, masks are strongly encouraged indoors and in close groups outside).
- If you are not yet vaccinated, get weekly asymptomatic coronavirus tests. This is a helpful way to protect yourself and those around you because asymptomatic individuals can unknowingly spread the coronavirus to others.
- Asymptomatic testing centers are open and convenient:
- Online scheduling
- Saliva test (no nasal swabs)
- Free to all students returning to campus (required for students in University housing)
- Results often within 24 hours
- Visit Testing and Vaccine Information Campus Alert
- Asymptomatic testing centers are open and convenient:
- Remember: Students must self-report if they test positive for COVID-19 via the Campus Covid Response webpage.
- Rates of burnout, anxiety, depression, isolation, and loneliness have noticeably increased during the pandemic. If you need help, reach out for campus mental health resources, including counseling, training, and other support.
- Consider participating in a Mental Health First Aid or other wellness-themed training provided by our Center for Student Wellness and sharing these opportunities with your peers, teaching assistants, and department colleagues.
Students are required to self-report if they test positive for COVID-19. To report, please contact:
COVID-19 Central @ The U
801-213-2874
coronavirus.utah.edu
Drop/Withdrawal Policies
Students may drop a course within the first two weeks of a given semester without any penalties.
Students may officially withdraw (W) from a class or all classes after the drop deadline through the midpoint of a course. A “W” grade is recorded on the transcript and appropriate tuition/fees are assessed. The grade “W” is not used in calculating the student’s GPA.
For deadlines to withdraw from full-term, first, and second session classes, see the U's Academic Calendar.
Plagiarism and Cheating
It is assumed that all work submitted to your instructor is your own work. When you have used the ideas of others, you must properly indicate that you have done so.
Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and may be punished by failure on an individual assignment, and/or failure in the course. Academic misconduct, according to the University of Utah Student Code,
“...Includes, but is not limited to, cheating, misrepresenting one’s work, inappropriately collaborating, plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification of information…It also includes facilitating academic misconduct by intentionally helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic misconduct.”
For details on plagiarism and other important course conduct issues, see the U's Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
Course Materials Copyright
Sale or distribution of information representing the work product of a faculty member to a commercial entity for financial gain without the express written permission of the faculty member responsible for the course. (“Work product” means original works of authorship that have been fixed in a tangible medium and any works based upon and derived from the original work of authorship.)
Safety at the U
The University of Utah values the safety of all campus community members. You will receive important emergency alerts and safety messages regarding campus safety via text message.
For more safety information and to view available training resources, including helpful videos, visit safeu.utah.edu (Links to an external site.).
To report suspicious activity or to request a courtesy escort, contact:
Campus Police & Department of Public Safety
801-585-COPS (801-585-2677)
dps.utah.edu
1735 E. S. Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Wellness at the U
Your personal health and wellness are essential to your success as a student. Personal concerns like stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, depression, or cross-cultural differences can interfere with a student’s ability to succeed and thrive in this course and at the University of Utah.
Please feel welcome to reach out to your instructor or TA to handle issues regarding your coursework.
For helpful resources to manage your personal wellness and counseling options, contact:
Center for Student Wellness
801-581-7776
wellness.utah.edu
2100 Eccles Student Life Center
1836 Student Life Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Women's Resource Center
801-581-8030
womenscenter.utah.edu
411 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Addressing Sexual Misconduct
Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender (which includes sexual orientation and gender identity/expression) is a civil rights offense subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, color, religion, age, status as a person with a disability, veteran’s status, or genetic information.
If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you are encouraged to report it to university officials:
Title IX Coordinator & Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
801-581-8365
oeo.utah.edu
135 Park Building
201 Presidents' Cir.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Office of the Dean of Students
801-581-7066
deanofstudents.utah.edu
270 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
To file a police report, contact:
Campus Police & Department of Public Safety
801-585-COPS (801-585-2677)
dps.utah.edu
1735 E. S. Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
If you do not feel comfortable reporting to authorities, the U's Victim-Survivor Advocates provide free, confidential, and trauma-informed support services to students, faculty, and staff who have experienced interpersonal violence.
To privately explore options and resources available to you with an advocate, contact:
Center for Student Wellness
801-581-7776
wellness.utah.edu
328 Student Services Building
201 S. 1460 E.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities.
All written information in this course can be made available in an alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability & Access (CDA). CDA will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. Prior notice is appreciated. To read the full accommodations policy for the University of Utah, please see Section Q of the Instruction & Evaluation regulations.
If you will need accommodations in this class, or for more information about what support they provide, contact:
Center for Disability & Access
801-581-5020
disability.utah.edu
162 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Diverse Student Support
Your success at the University of Utah is important to all of us here! If you feel like you need extra support in academics, overcoming personal difficulties, or finding community, the U is here for you.
Student Support Services (TRIO)
TRIO federal programs are targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities.
Student Support Services (SSS) is a TRIO program for current or incoming undergraduate university students who are seeking their first bachelor's degree and need academic assistance and other services to be successful at the University of Utah.
For more information about what support they provide, a list of ongoing events, and links to other resources, view their website or contact:
Student Support Services (TRIO)
801-581-7188
trio.utah.edu
Room 2075
1901 E. S. Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
American Indian Students
The AIRC works to increase American Indian student visibility and success on campus by advocating for and providing student-centered programs and tools to enhance academic success, cultural events to promote personal well-being, and a supportive “home-away-from-home” space for students to grow and develop leadership skills.
For more information about what support they provide, a list of ongoing events, and links to other resources, view their website or contact:
American Indian Resource Center
801-581-7019
diversity.utah.edu/centers/airc
Fort Douglas Building 622
1925 De Trobriand St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84113
Black Students
Using a pan-African lens, the Black Cultural Center seeks to counteract persistent campus-wide and global anti-blackness. The Black Cultural Center works to holistically enrich, educate, and advocate for students, faculty, and staff through Black-centered programming, culturally affirming educational initiatives, and retention strategies.
For more information about what support they provide, a list of ongoing events, and links to other resources, view their website or contact:
Black Cultural Center
801-213-1441
diversity.utah.edu/centers/bcc
Fort Douglas Building 603
95 Fort Douglas Blvd.
Salt Lake City, UT 84113
Students with Children
Our mission is to support and coordinate information, program development, and services that enhance family resources as well as the availability, affordability, and quality of child care for University students, faculty, and staff.
For more information about what support they provide, a list of ongoing events, and links to other resources, view their website or contact:
Center for Childcare & Family Resources
801-585-5897
childcare.utah.edu
408 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Students With Disabilities
The Center for Disability Services is dedicated to serving students with disabilities by providing the opportunity for success and equal access at the University of Utah. They also strive to create an inclusive, safe, and respectful environment.
For more information about what support they provide and links to other resources, view their website or contact:
Center for Disability Services
801-581-5020
disability.utah.edu
162 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Students of Ethnic Descent
The Center for Ethnic Student Affairs offers several programs dedicated to the success of students with varied cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Its mission is to create an inclusive, safe campus community that values the experiences of all students.
For more information about what support they provide, a list of ongoing events, and links to other resources, view their website or contact:
Center for Ethnic Student Affairs
801-581-8151
diversity.utah.edu/centers/cesa/
235 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
English as a Second/Additional Language (ESL) Students
If you are an English language learner, there are several resources on campus available to help you develop your English writing and language skills. Feel free to contact:
Writing Center
801-587-9122
writingcenter.utah.edu
(Links to an external site.)
2701 Marriott Library
295 S 1500 E
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
English for Academic Success (EAS) Program
801-581-8047
linguistics.utah.edu
2300 LNCO
255 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
English Language Institute
801-581-4600
continue.utah.edu/eli (Links to an external site.)
540 Arapeen Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Undocumented Students
Immigration is a complex phenomenon with broad impact—those who are directly affected by it and those who are indirectly affected by their relationships with family members, friends, and loved ones. If your immigration status presents obstacles that prevent you from engaging in specific activities or fulfilling specific course criteria, confidential arrangements may be requested from the Dream Center.
Arrangements with the Dream Center will not jeopardize your student status, your financial aid, or any other part of your residence. The Dream Center offers a wide range of resources to support undocumented students (with and without DACA) as well as students from mixed-status families.
For more information about what support they provide and links to other resources, view their website or contact:
Dream Center
801-213-3697
dream.utah.edu
(Links to an external site.)
1120 Annex (Wing B)
1901 E. S. Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
LGBTQ+ Students
The LGBTQ+ Resource Center acts in accountability with the campus community by identifying the needs of people with a queer range of [a]gender and [a]sexual experiences and responding with university-wide services.
For more information about what support they provide, a list of ongoing events, and links to other resources, view their website or contact:
LGBTQ+ Resource Center
801-587-7973
lgbt.utah.edu (Links to an external site.)
409 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Veterans & Military Students
The mission of the Veterans Support Center is to improve and enhance the individual and academic success of veterans, service members, and their family members who attend the university; to help them receive the benefits they earned, and to serve as a liaison between the student veteran community and the university.
For more information about what support they provide, a list of ongoing events, and links to other resources, view their website or contact:
Veterans Support Center
801-587-7722
veteranscenter.utah.edu (Links to an external site.)
418 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Women
The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) at the University of Utah serves as the central resource for educational and support services for women. Honoring the complexities of women’s identities, the WRC facilitates choices and changes through programs, counseling, and training grounded in a commitment to advance social justice and equality.
For more information about what support they provide, a list of ongoing events, and links to other resources, view their website or contact:
Women's Resource Center
801-581-8030
womenscenter.utah.edu
411 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Inclusivity at the U
The Office for Inclusive Excellence is here to engage, support, and advance an environment fostering the values of respect, diversity, equity, inclusivity, and academic excellence for students in our increasingly global campus community. They also handle reports of bias in the classroom as outlined below:
Bias or hate incidents consist of speech, conduct, or some other form of expression or action that is motivated wholly or in part by prejudice or bias whose impact discriminates, demeans, embarrasses, assigns stereotypes, harasses, or excludes individuals because of their race, color, ethnicity, national origin, language, sex, size, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, or religion.
For more information about what support they provide and links to other resources, or to report a bias incident, view their website or contact:
Office for Inclusive Excellence
801-581-4600
inclusive-excellence.utah.edu (Links to an external site.)
170 Annex (Wing D)
1901 E. S. Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Other Student Groups at the U
To learn more about some of the other resource groups available at the U, check out:
The syllabus page shows a table-oriented view of the course schedule, and the basics of course grading. You can add any other comments, notes, or thoughts you have about the course structure, course policies or anything else.
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Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|