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ES10091: Core skills for economists: introduction to probability and statistics

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2017/8
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Economics
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Certificate (FHEQ level 4)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Semester 1
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: EX 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Exam (EX 100%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
ES10091 Resit Exam (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
Basic statistical knowledge is fundamental to any understanding of applied economic topics (i.e. testing of micro and macro models). The aim, in this respect, is to give students the necessary background for the second semester unit ES10004 Statistics and Data Analysis and second year Introduction to Econometrics. More specifically, the unit aims to provide students with the theoretical foundations to understand the tools of data analysis and the techniques of probability and statistical inference.

Learning Outcomes:
Students should be able to:
* Calculate univariate and multivariate probabilities using a variety of discrete and continuous distributions
* Understand principles of random sampling and construction of sampling distributions
* Understand the principles of parameter estimation

Skills:
Statistical skills; problem-solving.

Content:
PART I: PROBABILITY
1. Probability Theory
Random experiments, outcomes and events. The nature of probability. Probability rules. Permutations and combinations. Bayes' theorem.
2. Discrete Random Variables and Probability Distributions
Random variables. Probability distributions for discrete random variables.
3. Continuous Random Variables and Probability Distributions
Continuous random variables. Expectations. The Normal distribution.
4. Jointly distributed random variables
Bivariate probabilities. Conditional moments. Conditional moment functions
Jointly distributed continuous random variables.
PART II: STATISTICAL INFERENCE
4. Sampling and Sampling Distributions
Sampling from a population. Sampling distribution of the sampling mean, sample proportion, and sample variance.
5. Estimation
Point estimators.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

ES10091 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Economics
  • UHES-AFB03 : BSc(Hons) Economics (Year 1)
  • UHES-AAB03 : BSc(Hons) Economics with Study year abroad (Year 1)
  • UHES-AKB03 : BSc(Hons) Economics with Year long work placement (Year 1)
  • UHES-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics (Year 1)
  • UHES-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics with Study year abroad (Year 1)
  • UHES-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics with Year long work placement (Year 1)
  • UHES-ACB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics with Combined Placement and Study Abroad (Year 1)
  • UHES-ACB03 : BSc(Hons) Economics with Combined Placement and Study Abroad (Year 1)

Notes: