About
STAT 481 (Intermediate SAS) builds on the skills and tools learned in STAT 480 (Introduction to SAS) to extend students' SAS programming skills to an intermediate level. Students are provided the opportunity to learn a comprehensive set of SAS data-related techniques through lessons, demonstrations, and homework assignments. The material covered in STAT 481, in conjunction with the material covered in the prerequisite course STAT 480, is designed to prepare students for taking the SAS Version 9 Base Programming Certification Exam.
The goals of the course are:
- to prepare students (in conjunction with STAT 480) for taking the SAS Version 9 Base Programming Certification Exam
- to introduce you to the wide variety of programming and data management tools available in the SAS software application
- to further increase your confidence in understanding and programming in SAS
- to extend your understanding of how the SAS application can be used effectively to manage and manipulate data
- to extend your knowledge of good programming practices
Course Topics
The course addresses a variety of intermediate-level topics in SAS programming, including: importing messy raw data, reading and combining SAS data sets efficiently using the SAS DATA step, using the RETAIN and OUTPUT statements, working with date and time values, manipulating character values, generating data with do loops, processing variables with arrays, and using the Output Delivery System (ODS). The course does not cover any of the numerous statistical analysis procedures available in SAS.
Course Author(s)
Dr. Laura Simon is the primary author of the materials for this course and is SAS certified. In addition, she has also authored the companion courses: STAT 480 and STAT 482. Dr. Simon has most recently updated the focus of the course and has added considerably to the number of examples and the amount of interaction.
Software
- Access to a Windows PC that has internet access, SAS, and Microsoft Word
- Access to your own copy of SAS 9.4. Please make sure that you visit Statistical Software page for the latest information about SAS.
This course uses Honorlock for proctored exams. For more information view O.3 What is a proctored exam? in the student orientation.
Textbook
There are no required texts for this class.
- Delwiche, Lora D., Slaughter, S.J., (2019), The Little SAS Book: Primer, Sixth Edition. Cary, NC: SAS Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-1642952834; ISBN-10: 164295283
- Cody, Ronald P. and Jeffrey K. Smith (2006), Applied Statistics and the SAS Programming Language, Fifth Edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-146532-5
- SAS Institute Inc. (2019), SAS® Certification Prep Guide: Base Programming for SAS® 9.4, 3rd Edition, Cary, NC: SAS Institute, Inc.
Assessment Plan
- 12 homework assignments (12 points each for a total of 144 points)
- 12 lesson quizzes (10 points each for a total of 120 points)
- Midterm exam (78 points)
- Final exam (78 points)
PLEASE NOTE: This course may require you to take exams using certain proctoring software that uses your computer’s webcam or other technology to monitor and/or record your activity during exams. The proctoring software may be listening to you, monitoring your computer screen, viewing you and your surroundings, recording and storing any and all activity (including visual and audio recordings) during the proctoring process. By enrolling in this course, you consent to the use of the proctoring software selected by your instructor, including but not limited to any audio and/or visual monitoring which may be recorded. Please contact your instructor with any questions. (Read more...)