About
STAT 580 (2 credits) and STAT 581 (1 credit) are two separate courses that are taken one after the other; STAT 580 one semester followed by STAT 581 a subsequent semester. Students enroll in the online courses at the end of their program of study. (Online sections of STAT 580 and STAT 581 are for World Campus Master of Applied Statistics students only).
The overall objectives of STAT 580 / STAT 581 statistical consulting practicum is:
- to provide statistics students with practical consulting and communication skills, such as how to present results verbally and in a written report, and
- how to work cooperatively with other researchers.
Course Topics
The focus of STAT 581 is the completion of a capstone project as well as participating in the online discussion.
Students will pick a topic that is scientifically interesting and statistically challenging, write a proposal for the topic to get approved, write a capstone report, review your peer’s reports, and present your project to the rest of the class. The format of the capstone report usually depends on the nature of the project. If the project is more like a consulting project, then the report should read like a consulting report. If the project is more like independent research, the report should read like a research paper. The capstone report will undergo a peer-review process where each student will read two other reports and provide comments.
The capstone project is considered a graduation project in the MAS program. In the capstone project students will complete the entire project on their own along with a complete analysis. Students are asked to find an appropriate topic in which they can apply the techniques they have learned in the MAS program. Students complete the capstone project as if you are they were a professional statistical consultant that requires you to produce results for a client.
All capstone projects culminate in a written project report and presentation video.
Software
In STAT 581 students may use the statistical software that they prefer.
Textbook
No required texts for this class.
Assessment Plan
STAT 581 (1 credit)
You will receive grades on written assignments and draft and final versions of your reports for clients. Client reports and other assignments will be graded with respect to Process, Communication Skills, and Technical Accuracy:
- Process: Following course guidelines (e.g., completeness of process ) and displaying responsible/professional behaviors.
- Communication: Quality of written work, including demonstration of a solid understanding of the client’s question, absence of spelling and grammatical errors, and clear presentation of statistical concepts using easy to understand narrative and non-jargon term.
- Technical Accuracy: Appropriateness of methods proposed given the client’s statistical background and data.
Prerequisites
Stat 580