STA 250, Spring 2015, Probability and Statistics I
This course covers introductory concepts in probability and statistics for those students that have completed at
least one semester of calculus. Specific topics include basic probability, conditional probability, discrete
probability distributions, continuous probability distributions, expectation and variance, sampling distributions,
hypothesis testing, and interval estimation.
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Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
E-Mail:
Website:
Dr. David Agard
MEP 428
572-6545
agard@nku.edu
www.nku.edu/~agard
(Please click on the link for the STA 250 Recap. This website will house all class documents,
assignments, deadlines, test dates, etc.)
Office Hours:
M W
T R
T R
1:30pm – 3:00pm
8:00am – 9:15am,
12:00pm – 1:30pm, and also by appointment or when available!
Prerequisite: C- or better in Calculus I (MAT 129), or
C- or better in Calculus A (MAT 128) and enrolled in MAT 227.
Text: Mathematical Statistics with Applications, 7th edition, by Wackerly, Mendenhall, & Scheaffer. Selected
topics from Chapters 1-4, 7, 8 & 10 of the text will be covered; Minitab, a statistical software package,
will be used on occasion.
Student Learning Objectives:
Detailed Student learning objectives for the major topics of the course are found at the class website.
Course Assessment/Grading:
The students will be assessed on the learning objectives through a variety of quizzes, assignments, in-class
tests, and a cumulative final exam. These are discussed in detail below:
Tests:
There will be 2 tests each worth 100 points, and a cumulative final worth 200 points. A formula sheet
containing equations will be provided at each test.
HW/Quizzes/Minitab
There will be a mixture of homework, quizzes (some announced, some unannounced), and Minitab
assignments each worth 10 points. There will be at least 13 of these. The best 10 scores will count toward
the final grade. No late homework or assignments will be accepted, and no makeup quizzes allowed.
Bonus Points: From time to time “bonus points” will be available through the completion of additional
challenging questions. These bonus points will be added to homework scores. This entire component of the
course will have a maximum of 100 points.
Grades:
Final grades in the course will be based on the following point totals earned (out
of the 500 possible) during the term:
B+: 440-449;
C+: 390-399;
D+: 340-349;
A:
B:
C:
D:
460-500;
410-439;
360-389;
300-339;
A-:
B-:
C-:
F:
450-459;
400-409;
350-359;
299 or less;
Record Keeping
Total of
Best 10
Item
Score
Item
Test #1
Test #2
Score
Students are responsible for all material covered or assigned in class. Although attendance
will not be taken (after the first few meetings), it is highly recommended that you attend
class. If you must miss a class, find out what was covered, and get caught up before the next
class. A calculator is required for the course. Students are required to bring their calculator
and the book to each class. Students may withdraw, without penalty, up to Monday, March
23, 2015. Withdrawals after this date are generally not permitted. The instructor reserves the
right to alter the syllabus if circumstances dictate. The Department of Mathematics and
Statistics Syllabus regarding all courses can be found at the departmental website:
http://artscience.nku.edu/content/dam/math/docs/DepartmentSyllabusFall2014.pdf