Program Overview

Overview

The BUSS1020: Quantitative Business Analysis unit is designed to equip graduates from the BCom with the ability to use quantitative techniques to analyze business problems. This unit focuses on interpreting data involving uncertainty and variability, modeling and analyzing relationships within business data, and making correct inferences from the data.

Unit Details and Rules

• Academic unit: Business Analytics
• Credit points: 6
• Prerequisites: None
• Corequisites: None
• Prohibitions: ECMT1010 or MATH1005 or MATH1905 or MATH1015 or STAT1021 or ENVX1001 or ENVX1002 or DATA1001 or MATH1115
• Assumed knowledge: Mathematics (equivalent of band 4 in the NSW HSC subject Mathematics or band E3 in Mathematics Extension 1 or 2) OR MATH1111
• Available to study abroad and exchange students: Yes

Teaching Staff

• Coordinator: Erick Li
• Guest lecturer(s): Bernard Conlon
• Lecturer(s): Erick Li, Steven Sommer, Tony Shang

Assessment

• Type: Supervised exam, Assignment, Supervised test
• Description:
  • Supervised exam: Final Exam, Multiple Choice questions, 40% weight, 2 hours
  • Assignment: Conduct a statistical analysis and communicate results, 30% weight, 2000 words
  • Assignment: Hwk-A, Calculations and short-answers, 1% weight, Approximately 20 questions
  • Assignment: Hwk-B, Calculations and short-answers, 1% weight, Approximately 20 questions
  • Assignment: Hwk-C, Calculations and short-answers, 1% weight, Approximately 20 questions
  • Assignment: Hwk-D, Calculations and short-answers, 1% weight, Approximately 20 questions
  • Assignment: Hwk-E, Calculations and short-answers, 1% weight, Approximately 20 questions
  • Supervised test: In-semester test, Multiple choice questions, 20% weight, 1 hour
  • Assignment: Hwk-F, Calculations and short-answers, 1% weight, Approximately 20 questions
  • Assignment: Hwk-G, Calculations and short-answers, 1% weight, Approximately 20 questions
  • Assignment: Hwk-H, Calculations and short-answers, 1% weight, Approximately 20 questions
  • Assignment: Hwk-I, Calculations and short-answers, 1% weight, Approximately 20 questions
  • Assignment: Hwk-J, Calculations and short-answers, 1% weight, Approximately 20 questions

Assessment Summary

• Final exam: Covers all material in the unit, multiple choice questions involving theory and analysis of data
• In-semester test: Covers material from the unit up until the week of the test, multiple choice questions involving theory and analysis of data
• Assignment: Conduct a statistical analysis of data and communicate findings in a professional manner via a short video presentation (individual) and a written report of 2000 words (group)
• Homework: Weekly homework contains mostly numerical questions based on the previous weeks' material

Assessment Criteria

• The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1)
• Result name: High distinction, Distinction, Credit, Pass, Fail
• Mark range: 85-100 (High distinction), 75-84 (Distinction), 65-74 (Credit), 50-64 (Pass), 0-49 (Fail)

Late Submission

• In accordance with University policy, penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date
• Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date
• After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded

Academic Integrity

• The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously
• Similarity detection software is used to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach

Learning Support

• Simple extensions: Apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension
• Special consideration: Apply for consideration for a longer period of time or if essential commitments impact performance in an assessment
• Using AI responsibly: Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning

Weekly Schedule

• Week 01: Introduction to Data, Lecture and tutorial (4 hr), LO1, LO3
• Week 02: Numerical descriptive measures, Lecture and tutorial (4 hr), LO1, LO3
• Week 03: Basic probability, Lecture and tutorial (4 hr), LO1, LO3
• Week 04: Discrete probability distributions, Lecture and tutorial (4 hr), LO1, LO3
• Week 05: Continuous probability distributions, Lecture and tutorial (4 hr), LO1, LO3
• Week 06: Sampling distributions, Lecture and tutorial (4 hr), LO1, LO3
• Week 07: Confidence intervals, Lecture and tutorial (4 hr), LO1, LO3
• Week 08: One-sample tests, Lecture and tutorial (4 hr), LO1, LO2, LO3
• Week 09: Two-sample tests, Lecture and tutorial (4 hr), LO1, LO2, LO3
• Week 10: Linear regression 1, Lecture and tutorial (4 hr), LO1, LO2, LO3
• Week 11: Linear regression 2, Lecture and tutorial (4 hr), LO1, LO2, LO3
• Week 12: Multiple regression, Lecture and tutorial (4 hr), LO1, LO2, LO3

Learning Outcomes

• At the completion of this unit, students should be able to:
  • LO1: Use a variety of analytical and statistical tools that are useful for analyzing business data
  • LO2: Identify and test a hypothesis from a business perspective using data
  • LO3: Communicate quantitative and statistical findings or results in a professional and ethical manner with a focus on business context

Graduate Qualities

• The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course
• GQ1: Depth of disciplinary expertise
• GQ2: Critical thinking and problem solving
• GQ3: Oral and written communication
• GQ4: Information and digital literacy
• GQ5: Inventiveness
• GQ6: Cultural competence
• GQ7: Interdisciplinary effectiveness
• GQ8: Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity
• GQ9: Influence

Additional Information

• Required readings: Berenson et al, (2019). Basic business statistics: concepts and applications, US Edition, (14e), Pearson, New York
• Software: Microsoft Excel, available as a free download from University IT
• Disclaimer: The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrollment numbers
• This unit of study outline was last modified on 02 Mar 2023.