Note
Important Course Details
Course Information
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Course Number and Course Title:
Term and Year:
Office Building & Room Number:
Class Meeting Times:
33:136:385:10 STAT METH BUSSINESS
Fall 2025
BE 253 Livingston
W 8:30am – 11:30am
Instructor Information
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Title & Name of Instructor:
Office Building & Room Number:
Office Hours:
Email:
Professor Nuria Diaz-Tena
BRR 564 - Livingston
M 3:45pm – 5:15 pm and W 11:30 am to 1:00pm
nd796@rutgers.edu
Experiential Learning
This course integrates experiential learning to connect academic concepts with real-world
business applications. Learning methods deployed in this course include: case-based analysis,
and project-based work. These approaches enable students to apply theories to realistic
scenarios, develop practical skills, and address complex business challenges.
Course Description
This course is intended to equip students with a basic understanding of business data analysis
tools and techniques. Of late, business statistics has been expanding and combining with other
disciplines to form new fields of study such as business analytics. Because of these changes,
business statistics has become an increasingly important part of business education. In addition,
the current business environment requires the ability to analyze/summarize data and use
statistical analysis for decision-making/problem solving. The course presents basic quantitative
methods; the main goal is to provide a foundation of statistical methods to students with different
education backgrounds and work experiences.
The course starts with a brief review of the basic vocabulary of statistics and how businesses use
statistics. Then you learn how to organize data to make conclusions using some methods and
techniques. In this path we will review topics including measures of central tendency and
dispersion, probability distributions, sampling distributions, confidence intervals, hypothesis
testing, linear regression, time-series and forecasting. You will have the chance to practice your
learnings with real-world data cases to explore and practice your knowledge. You will learn a
new concept and how to use that new concept using excel.
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This course will be the foundation to all the other statistical courses you will have to take for
your undergraduate degree. Besides, it will give you a head start on your internships and future
work.
Course Delivery Mode
In-person.
Live Sessions
The course will require you to analyze data in the class with your computer. If you do not have a
computer, please reach out to RU NB Dean of Students or RU-N CARE Team for help with
getting a computer
Course Materials
• Textbook(s): Optional
Title: Basic Business Statistics: Concepts and Applications 14th Edition (or earlier editions)
Authors: Mark L. Berenson, David M. Levine, Kathryn A. Szabat, David F. Stephan,
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-468484-0 ISBN-10: 0-13-468484-2
Publisher: Pearson Higher Education
Learning Goals and Objectives
This course is designed to help students develop skills and knowledge to design an experiment,
analyze observations and make reasonable predictions and decisions about the business events.
Students who complete this course will demonstrate the ability:
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Understand the importance of data-driven business decisions
Understand the basic role of probability in business decision making
Learn the basics of business decision-analysis
Learn to summarize business data numerically and graphically
Learn the basics of beginning predictive business modeling
Understand the importance of business sampling methods, and be able to describe
different business sampling methods
Understand probability distributions common in business and the relationships between
sampling, probability, and uncertainty in business decision making
Learn how to use model-based estimation and prediction methods with business
applications
Provide a basic knowledge of the application of mathematics and statistics to business
disciplines
Present and analyze information using a range of statistical techniques
Develop an ability to analyze and interpret data to provide meaningful information to
assist in making management decisions
Develop an ability to apply modern quantitative tools (Microsoft Excel) to data analysis
in a business context.
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Students develop these skills and knowledge through the following course activities and
assignments:
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Lectures. Class lectures generally include a slide deck presentation of the material to
transfer the knowledge to the students
Exercises. Lectures make use of practical examples from business and industry, and
interactive group exercises to help ensure thorough comprehension of the material
Class Participation. Students should be able to communicate their ideas to the class and
create a positive learning environment.
Exams. The course includes two midterms and a final exam to formally assess students’
knowledge and comprehension
Project. The course will require students to work on a project showing how to clean,
summarize, visualize, and answer questions with the data.
Homework. The homework will provide the possibility to work on groups and
understand the material of the course using data.
Prerequisites
Introductory Statistics for Business (01:960:285) and Calculus I (01:640:135).
Course Expectations
Feedback and Response Expectations
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Requests and questions Response Times: I will encourage you to use the recommended
system to request regrading via CANVAS Google docs. Otherwise, use CNVAS INBOX. I
will do my best to answers your questions, if your questions are not answer in a couple
of days, please come to office hours or ask me before class.
Graded Materials Return Times: I will strive to grade your assignments exams within one
week
In this course you will be expected to complete several tasks including:
o downloading and uploading documents from/to CANVAS
o working in groups for Homeworks and Projects
o use excel
Attendance and Preparation
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Expect me to attend all class sessions. I expect the same of you. If I am to be absent, my
department chair or I will send you notice via email and Canvas as far in advance as
possible. If you need to miss class, please report your absence in advance using the
Student Self-Reporting Absence System (SSRA).
Expect me to arrive on time for each class session. I expect the same of you.
Expect me to remain for the entirety of each class session. I expect the same of you.
Expect me to prepare properly for each class session. I expect the same of you.
Complete all background reading and assignments. You cannot learn if you are not
prepared.
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Expect me to participate fully in each class session. I expect the same of you. Stay
focused and involved. You cannot learn if you are not paying attention.
Course Schedule
Date
09/03/25
Topic
09/10/25
Chapters 5: Discrete distributions
Chapters 6: Continuous distributions
09/17/25
Chapters 7: Sampling Distributions
Homework1 & Midterm Review
Homework-1
09/24/25
Midterm-1 in person till chapter 7
Chapter 8: Confidence Interval Estimation
Midterm-1
10/01/25
Chapter 9: Fundamentals of Hypothesis Testing
Chapter 10: Fundamentals of Hypothesis Testing
Chapter 12: Chi-Square Test & ANOVA
Chapter 13: Linear Regression
Chapter14: Multiple Regression
Homework2 -3 &Midterm-2 Review
Midterm-2 from chapter 8 to 14
Chapter 15: Regression – building models
Chapter 16: Time-Series Forecasting
Chapter 17: Time-Series Forecasting
Categorization Models, Machine Learning Models,
AI
10/08/25
10/15/25
10/22/25
10/29/25
11/05/25
Items Due
Introduction and Course Outline
Chapter 3: Numerical Descriptive Measures
11/12/25
Work on Project
11/19/25
Work on Project
12/03/25
Oral Presentations
12/10/25
Exam Review
Homework-2
Homework-3
Midterm – 2
Homework-4
Homework-5
Project
12/15/25
Final Exam
8:00-11:00am
Classroom Conduct
All students are expected to know, understand and live up to the standards of RU.
Course Policies
Exam Dates and Policies
There are 2 Midterms and one final exam in this course. The dates of the Midterms and Final
Exam are specified in the table of weekly class topics above.
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During exams, the following rules apply:
• If you have a disability that influences testing procedures, provide me an official letter
from the Office of Disability Services at the start of the semester.
• No cell phones are allowed in the testing area.
• You must show a valid Rutgers photo ID to take and turn in the exam.
• Use the bathroom prior to the exam start.
Grading Policy
Course grades are determined as follows:
• The final grade will be a weighted average of your homework participation, class
participation, homework, the project, quizzes and the two exams.
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Grading distribution
o Homework Participation
o Class Participation
o Homework
o Midterms
o Final Exam
o Project
5%
5%
30%
20%
25%
15%
At the end of course, all grades will be combined to get an overall score from 0-100. This score
may contain fractions, but it won’t be rounded. I then rank these scores, and choose sensible
cutoffs between A, B+, B, C+, C, D and F.
Grading standard:
A
B+
B
C+
C
D
F
92
87
82
77
72
62
0
100
< 92
< 87
< 82
< 77
< 72
< 62
Your final grade is not subject to negotiation. If you feel I have made an error, submit your
written argument to me within one week of receiving your final grade. Clarify the precise error I
made and provide all due supporting documentation. If I have made an error, I will gladly correct
it. But I will adjust grades only if I have made an error. I cannot and will not adjust grades based
on consequences, such as hurt pride, lost scholarships, lost tuition reimbursement, lost job
opportunities, or dismissals. Do not ask me to do so. It is dishonest to attempt to influence
faculty in an effort to obtain a grade that you did not earn, and it will not work.
Artificial Intelligence Use
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Use of AI such as ChatGPT is fully permitted, but you must cite the tool and be able to explain
any work that you submit.
Academic Integrity
I do not tolerate cheating or academic dishonesty of any kind. Students are responsible for
understanding and adhering to the Rutgers Academic Integrity Policy. I will strongly enforce this
Policy and pursue all violations. On all examinations and assignments, students must sign the
RU Honor Pledge, which states, “On my honor, I have neither received nor given any
unauthorized assistance on this examination or assignment.” Don’t let cheating or plagiarism
destroy your hard-earned opportunity to learn and advance. See the RBS Artificial Intelligence
Resource Page for more details.
Student Code of Professional Conduct
Rutgers Business School is recognized for its high-quality education. Maintaining the caliber of
classroom excellence, whether in person or online, requires students to adhere to the same
behaviors that are expected in professional career environments. These include the following
principles outlined in the RBS Student Code of Professional Conduct.
Support Services
Technology Support and Information
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Learning Management System: Canvas at Rutgers University
Below are the minimum hardware requirements recommended by OTIS. These specs
will allow student systems to capably support a full Windows or macOS environment
with Office 365, RBS course-specific applications, and virtual computing environments:
o Intel® Core™ i5 processor (10th generation or newer) or Apple M1 (or newer)
processor
o Windows 11 Professional, or macOS 11 (Big Sur) or newer
o 8 GB of RAM (16 GB recommended)
o 256 GB solid-state drive (SSD) or larger
o 720p HD webcam (1080p recommended)
o Internal microphone
o Reliable internet connection (broadband, 10 Mbps download or higher)
Students can download most required software from the Rutgers University Software
Portal
Zoom
o Instructions for Activating Your Rutgers Zoom Account
o Instructions for Signing into Your Rutgers Zoom Account
Technology Support
o If you experience any technology issues, please contact Rutgers Business School
Office of Technology and Instructional Services (OTIS), which offers extensive
support coverage from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
o You can reach OTIS by emailing helpdesk@business.rutgers.edu
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Financial Support Resources
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RBS New Brunswick students in need of financial assistance can email the Dean of
Students Office at deanofstudents@echo.rutgers.edu
Students can also benefit from reviewing the Learning Remotely resource page
Disability Policy and Resources
If you need accommodation for a disability, obtain a Letter of Accommodation from the Office
of Disability Services. The Office of Disability Services at Rutgers, The State University of New
Jersey, provides student-centered and student-inclusive programming in compliance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of
2008, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1998, and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. More information is available on the
Rutgers Office of Disability Services website.
• Rutgers University–New Brunswick: Call (848) 445-6800 or email
dsoffice@echo.rutgers.edu
If you are experiencing a temporary condition or injury that is affecting your ability to fully
participate in class, you should submit a request for support through the Rutgers Temporary
Conditions website.
Title IX Resources
If you are pregnant, the Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance is available to assist with any
concerns or potential accommodations related to pregnancy.
• Rutgers University–New Brunswick: Contact the Title IX Coordinator by phone at (848)
932-8200 or email jackie.moran@rutgers.eduReligious Accommodations
If you seek religious accommodations, the Office of the Dean of Students is available to verify
absences for religious observance, as needed.
• Rutgers University–New Brunswick: Contact the Dean of Students Office at (848) 9322300 or email deanofstudents@echo.rutgers.edu
VPVA and Harassment
If you have experienced any form of gender or sex-based discrimination or harassment,
including sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence, or stalking, the Office for
Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance provides help and support. More information is
available on the Rutgers Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance website (VPVA).
• Rutgers University–New Brunswick: To report a concern or incident, use the Student
Conduct Concern Reporting Form. You may also contact the Office for Violence
Prevention and Victim Assistance (VPVA) at (848) 932-1181
Bias Incidents
An act – either verbal, written, physical, or psychological that threatens or harms a person or
group on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, color, sex, age, sexual orientation,
gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, civil union
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status, domestic partnership status, atypical heredity or cellular blood trait, military service or
veteran status.
• Report a New Brunswick Bias Incident
Veteran and Military Services
If you are a military veteran or currently on active duty, you can obtain support through the
Rutgers Office of Veteran and Military Programs and Services.
Mental and Physical Health Services
If you are in need of mental health services, please use our readily available services.
• Rutgers Counseling and Psychological Services – New Brunswick
If you are in need of physical health services, please use our readily available services.
• Rutgers Health Services – New Brunswick
Legal Support
If you are in need of legal assistance, please visit the Rutgers University Student Legal Services website
to access support and resources.
Academic Support Services
Students experiencing difficulty in courses due to English as a second language (ESL) should
contact the Program in American Language Studies for supports.
• Rutgers–New Brunswick: eslpals@english.rutgers.edu
If you are in need of additional academic assistance, please use our readily available services.
• Rutgers University–Newark Learning Center
• Rutgers University–Newark Writing Center
• Rutgers University–New Brunswick Learning Centers
Digital Accessibility Statement
Rutgers University is committed to ensuring that all digital course materials and technologies
are accessible to every student. If you experience any difficulty accessing content used in this
course, please contact me by email in class so that the necessary support can be provided.
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