The Web page for Professor Ramanathan's Econ 120A is at
http://sdcc4.ucsd.edu/~ec120w.
In the table below, an underlined item has links to the Web pages for
that category. If you have access to a Web browser (Netscape or
Internet Explorer, for example) from home, it is wise to create
bookmarks for this site as well as the other link pages. If you are
currently enrolled in this course, you can also get the bulletins,
assignments, etc. by logging on to your sdcc4 account.
| CLASS MEETINGS | TTh 11:10 am - 12:30 pm Peterson Hall 108 |
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| OFFICE AND HOURS | My office is Room 324, ECON building, Marshall College (Phone 534-6787). My office hours will be TTh 9 - 11 am in Room ECON 324. Variations from the above will be posted on the computer bulletin. The TAs' office hours will be posted on their doors and on the computer bulletin. | ||||||||||||
| TEXT | Statistical Methods in Economics, a custom-made book available at the bookstore. I strongly encourage you to get the book because I will be following it fairly closely and be asking you to read a number of sections on your own time, without any class presentations. | ||||||||||||
| COURSE CONTENT | This course consists of three parts: (1) Introduction to Computers and Windows, (2) Data analyses using EXCEL, and (3) the theories of probability, statistical distributions, sampling, and estimation of unknown parameters. | ||||||||||||
| ASSIGNMENTS | There will be three or four assignments, each of which will carry a weight of 5% towards the final grade. The assignments will involve both theoretical and empirical work. Joint work and free discussion are strongly encouraged. If you work as a team (no more than three people per team), submit a single set of answers and identify the team members. Each member will get the same grade assigned to the answers. If your name does not appear on any assignment turned in, you cannot add it later. If your name appears on two papers, the LOWER grade will be chosen. LATE PAPERS WILL CARRY A 25 PERCENT PENALTY. | ||||||||||||
| EXAMS | There will be two mid-term exams, one on the Thursday of the fifth week, February 5, 1998 (20% weight), and the second on the Thursday of the eighth week, February 26, 1998 (30% weight). The final exam (11:30 am to 2:30 pm Friday, March 20, 1998) will have a 30% or 35% weight. The exams will be closed book, but you can bring a SINGLE 4" by 6" index card on which you may copy down (on both sides) formulas, etc. It must be HAND-WRITTEN; photo reducing and pasting is not permitted. Bring a calculator (just a simple one will do, no need for scientific or business calculator). If you bring a solar calculator, be sure to sit directly under a light. All grading problems must be rectified within a week from the time an exam or assignment is returned. No regrading of exams will be allowed if they were written in pencil. If you write in pencil, however, you can pick up the exam from the T.A. in his/her office, check the grading immediately, and take care of complaints "before leaving the office." | ||||||||||||
| MAKE-UP EXAMS | I will generally not give incompletes or make-up exams, especially if you have 3-exam conflicts on finals. If for some reason a make-up exam is given, 10% of the score will be deducted as penalty. There is no penalty for medical absence, but a doctor's certificate is required. I ought to warn you that my make-up exams are usually harder. | ||||||||||||
| COURSE GRADE | The course grade will be assigned as follows. First, a weighted
average of numerical scores will be obtained. If the mean class score
is below 67.5 percent, points will be added to all scores to bring the
mean score to 67.5 percent. Then letter grades will be assigned using
the following percentage scale.
An adjusted grade will also be calculated according to the following procedure (this will be done only after the final exam). First, the exam (not assignment) in which you scored the lowest percentage points will be identified. This exam will then be given half the weight assigned to it and the other half equally divided between the remaining two exams. A new weighted average is then calculated. You will get the higher of the two grades. Finally, a few selected people very close to the border line might be pushed up if they have shown substantial improvement in the grade. However, don't expect any sympathy from me if you haven't turned in the homeworks. | ||||||||||||
| BULLETINS | We will be using the electronic mail (email) and bulletin board systems extensively for communication purposes. If there is an important message to be read, I will alert you in class. You should then sign up after class and see if you have mail or bulletins. FAILING TO DO THAT MAY BE DISASTROUS BECAUSE YOU WILL MISS IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS. My email address is ramu@weber.ucsd.edu. |
READING LIST
PART I --- Introduction to Computers and Windows
If you are new to computers, read all of the COM1 section. Even those who are familiar with computers would benefit from Pages COM17 to COM22 on Communication and Networks.
Next read all of the WIN1 section, particularly WIN22 through WIN28 on file and directory paths. Everyone should carry out Project One on Notepad, Pages WIN28 to WIN32. If you have your own computer at home, do Project Two also.
PART II --- Data Analysis with EXCEL
Here we will be covering the first five chapters of the book by Kenneth N. Berk and Patrick Carey. The topics are : entering and manipulating data, single variable graphics and statistics, scatter plots, and probability distributions. I will also add an introduction to correlation and regression analysis which is not in the book.
PART III --- Probability, Distribution theory, and Sampling
This is the most theoretical part and is very important because it is the foundation for formal econometric analyses to be discussed in Econ 120B and 120C. The text book covers the first four chapters from the book by George Casella and Rober L. Berger. The topics will be: probability theory, transformations and expectations, common families of distributions, and multiple random variables. I will also add sampling theory which is not in the book.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The logo at the beginning was designed by Tim Kane and the course description in the table was designed by Sue Papp.