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2014/2015  BA-BSOCU1024U  Quantitative Methods II

English Title
Quantitative Methods II

Course information

Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Quarter
Course period Third Quarter
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Business Administration and Sociology
Course coordinator
  • Mogens Kamp Justesen - Department of Business and Politics (DBP)
Main academic disciplines
  • Statistics and mathematics
  • Methodology
Last updated on 12-08-2014
Learning objectives
The aim of this course is to provide the students with both theoretical and practical knowledge about quantitative methods at an intermediate and advanced level, enabling the student to expand and develop the knowledge and skills achieved in the courses ‘Quantitative Methods I’, ‘Introduction to Research Design’, and ‘Mixed Methods’. On completion of the course, the student should be able to understand the fundamental principles behind the statistical tools introduced in the course and be able to apply these to a specific research problem. Specifically, the students should be able to:
  • Formulate and operationalise a research problem for which one or more of the methods introduced in the course is suitable
  • Select methods that are appropriate for analyzing particular types of variables
  • Account for the underlying principles behind the applied method(s), and reflect on their strengths and weaknesses
  • Apply the method(s) and interpret the results appropriately in a manner that is relevant to the research problem
  • Conduct a quantitative, empirical analysis using a statistical software package
Course prerequisites
The courses BA-BSOCU1026U Theories of Contemporary Society II and BA-BSOCU1024U Quantitative Methods II have one intergrated exam. You can only participate in BA-BSOCU1024U Quantitative Methods II if you also register for the course: BA-BSOCU1026U Theories of Contemporary Society II.

Students are presumed to be familiar with basic descriptive and inferential statistics, and with concepts such as statistical significance, p-values, confidence intervals, correlation, and the role of control variables introduced in Quantitative Methods I. The course is also related to the issues covered in ‘Introduction to Research Design’ (e.g. research design, sampling, and variable measurement) and ‘Mixed Methods’ (e.g. the role of quantitative data in mixed methods designs, strengths and weaknesses of using quantitative data).
Examination
The exam in the subject consists of three parts:
Conference exam on quantitative methodology in the analysis of contemporary society:
Sub exam weight40%
Examination formOral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance.
Individual or group examIndividual
Size of written productMax. 2 pages
Assignment typeWritten assignment
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
30 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Preparation timeNo preparation
Grading scale7-step scale
Examiner(s)Internal examiner and second internal examiner
Exam periodSpring Term
Aids allowed to bring to the examClosed Book
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Description of the exam procedure

The student conference is based on the format of a scientific conference and consists of three elements: 1) a written abstract, 2) an oral presentation, and 3) a discussion initiated by a fellow student, in which the examiners also participate.
The examiners will prepare one or more topics to be analysed by the students. Each student must submit an abstract at a fixed deadline prior to the conference, prepare an oral presentation and act as a discussant for a fellow student. The grading is based on a total assessment of all three elements.
The students are required to be present during the whole session, in which they give their presentation.
More detailed guidelines for the conference exam format will be made available on e-campus when the courses commence.
 
Learning objectives for the exam
During the students conference, the student must demonstrate that (s)he:

  • has achieved the learning objectives for the courses ‘Theories of Contemporary Society II’ and ‘Quantitative Methods II’ (see under 'Further Information')
  • is able to present a scholarly problem in a coherent fashion, accessible to an audience of peers
  • can deliver an oral presentation on a scholarly topic, adjusted to the allotted timeframe, and
  • can participate in a scholarly debate, providing qualified feed-back to the presentation of his/her peers.
Individual paper in Theories of Contemporaroy Societies II:
Sub exam weight30%
Examination formHome assignment - written product
Individual or group examIndividual
Size of written productMax. 5 pages
Assignment typeWritten assignment
Duration48 hours to prepare
Grading scale7-step scale
Examiner(s)One internal examiner
Exam periodSpring Term
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Description of the exam procedure
The exam is a one 48 hour take-home exam based on a question posed by the course instructor. The paper will be graded and weighs 30% of the final grade given for the course.
Individual paper in Quantitative Methods II:
Sub exam weight30%
Examination formHome assignment - written product
Individual or group examIndividual
Size of written productMax. 5 pages
Assignment typeWritten assignment
Duration48 hours to prepare
Grading scale7-step scale
Examiner(s)One internal examiner
Exam periodSpring Term
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Description of the exam procedure
The exam is a one 48 hour take-home exam based on a question posed by the course instructor. The paper will be graded and weighs 30% of the final grade given for the course.
Course content and structure
The course introduces students to quantitative methods at an intermediary level, and includes introductions to regression analysis for continuous and categorical variables. The courses consists of a mix of lectures and applied statistical analysis and exercises in lab sessions. Students are expected to participate actively during lectures and exercises. For the exercises, students will be given assignments, and are expected to make (at least) two presentations in class.
Teaching methods
Lectures and class work
Last updated on 12-08-2014