GOVT366 - Statistics for Social Scientists

[ Wesleyan Home Page ] [ WesMaps Home Page ] [ WesMaps Archive ] [ Course Search ] [ Course Search by CID ]
Academic Year 2002/2003

Statistics for Social Scientists
GOVT 366 FA

This course is a standard introduction to statistics and quantitative methods for the social sciences. The goal is to cultivate an ability to conceive and test political and social theories. The coverage of quantitative methods includes descriptive statistics, probability and sampling theory, and the deductive logic of hypothesis testing and statistical inference, with a special emphasis on measurement, cross-tabulation, and regression. Research problems and data sources are drawn from various fields of political science and sociology. Instruction in a statistical package, SPSS, is an integral feature of the course. Previous experience with computers is helpful but not required. Knowledge of calculus is not assumed or required. Because the statistical content of this course overlaps with GOVT204 Political Analysis: A Quantitative Approach, one may not take both courses for credit. Students with a special interest in statistical techniques for public policy analysis should take GOVT204 rather than GOVT366.

MAJOR READINGS

STATISTICS FOR SOCIAL DATA ANALYSIS

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

2 hour exams and a final exam, plus problem sets.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

"Students who wish to be eligible to register for the course during Drop/Add should place themselves on the wait list during on-line registration. Wait list preference rankings will be one factor I will consider in making Drop/Add period registration decisions."

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS GOVT Grading Mode: Graded

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Boyd,Richard W.

Instructor's Course Page

Times: .M.W.F. 01:10PM-02:00PM; Location: SCIE72

Reserved Seats: (Total Limit: 20)

SR. major: 8 Jr. major: 8

SR. non-major: 2 Jr. non-major: 2 SO: FR:

Special Attributes:

Curricular Renewal: Quantitative Reasoning

Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-18-2003