Quantitative Analysis

QA 118 Business Mathematics (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: M109 or successful completion of qualifying placement test by the mathematics department.  This course is designed to improve the quantitative reasoning skills of business students.  It provides an introduction to two important knowledge bases: linear functions and systems and the fundamentals of the derivative and integration and their uses in business decision making.  The focus of the course will be on the application of these mathematical concepts to personal business, management, marketing, and finance issues.  Excel spreadsheet applications will be used extensively throughout the course.  3 credit hours.

QA 216 Probability and Statistics (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: QA 118 or equivalent. A course in elementary probability and statistical concepts with emphasis on data analysis and presentation; frequency distributions; probability theory; probability distributions, sampling distributions, statistical inference, hypothesis testing. 3 credit hours.

QA 328 Quantitative Techniques in Management (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: QA 217 and junior standing. An introduction to quantitative techniques in management. Topics include linear programming, assignment problems, transportation algorithms, network and inventory models, and decision theory. 3 credit hours.

QA 343 Management Information Systems (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: QA 216. This course provides methodology of the design, analysis, and evaluation of management information systems (MIS). Topics include organizational implications of information technology, planning and control systems, implementation of an integrated system, technical treatment of MIS management, and application of computers via computer packages in business environments. 3 credit hours.

QA 350 Quantitative Techniques (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: QA 217 and junior standing. Advanced applications of quantitative techniques to the solution of business problems. Topics include classical optimization techniques, non-linear programming, topics in mathematical programming, and graph theory. 3 credit hours.

QA 380 Operations Management (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: QA 217. Basic review of service and production systems designs and performance evaluation. Topics include operations strategy, staff and production scheduling, Just-in-Time and time-based competition, project management, and the role of technology in service and manufacturing operations. 3 credit hours.

QA 428 Forecasting for Decision Making (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: QA 217. Review of different approaches to forecasting used by management at different levels of decision making. Techniques will include smoothing and decomposition, causal and judgmental methods. Computer applications and modeling will be emphasized. 3 credit hours.

QA 450-459 Special Topics (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: QA 216. Coverage of new and emerging topics and applications in quantitative analysis.  3 credit hours.

QA 480 Project Management (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: QA 217. Survey of management techniques applicable to a wide variety of business-related project types. Emphasis on the project management cycle, including selecting, scheduling, budgeting, and controlling projects. Desired qualifications and roles of project managers. Extensive use of project management software will be required. 3 credit hours.

QA 597 Practicum (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Junior standing. A course of study designed especially for the supervised practical application of previously studied theory in a group setting. Done under the supervision of a faculty sponsor and coordinated with a business organization. 3 credit hours.

QA 598 Internship (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: QA 217. Supervised field experience for qualified students in an area related to operations management or quantitative analysis. 3 credit hours.

QA 599 Independent Study (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: QA 118, QA 216, QA 217, and junior standing. Independent research projects or other approved forms of independent study. 3 credit hours.

Quantitative Analysis - Graduate Courses

QA 604 Probability and Statistics
Statistical methods and theories used in solving business problems. Topics include data analysis, discrete and continuous probability distributions, statistical inference and estimation, regression and correlation analysis, the analysis of variance, decision theory and nonparametric tests including chi-square. Students will use computers to conduct statistical tests using the information presented.

QA 605 Applied Statistics
A continuation of QA 604. Includes: Regression and correlation, multiple regression, analysis of variance, the general linear model and an introduction to time series analysis and forecasting techniques.

QA 607 Forecasting
Prerequisite: QA 605. A wide range of forecasting methods useful to students and practitioners of management, economics and other disciplines requiring forecasting. Focus on quantitative techniques of forecasting; will include smoothing and decomposition approaches, multiple regression and econometric models, and autoregressive/moving average methods including generalized adaptive filtering and Box-Jenkins methodology.

QA 614 Decisions in Operations Management
Prerequisites: MG 637 and QA 604, or equivalents. Study of organizations as systems producing goods and services. Review of concepts, functions and basic techniques as applied to operations management. Examination of new trends and developments such as just-in-time, synchronous manufacturing, quality management, cycle-time reduction and concurrent engineering. Emphasis on interrelations of different operational decisions on the final product and competitive position of the organization.

QA 638 Cost Benefit Management
Prerequisites: EC 601, FI 601, and QA 604. An introduction to and overview of the field of cost benefit management. Fundamental theoretical evaluation of cost/benefit of a project. Includes: the selection of the best investment criteria, the external environment spillover effects and the application of cost/benefit management decision making under uncertainty.

QA 670 Selected Topics
A study of selected issues of particular interest to the students and instructor. Courses may cover decision science methods such as experimental design, nonparametrics, data analysis with SPSS, Bayesian decision theory and simulation. May be taken more than once.

QA 675 Computer-Aided Multivariate Analysis
Prerequisite: QA 604 or equivalent. Summary, for students and researchers, of several widely used multivariate statistical analysis techniques and computer packages. Topics include the nature and concept of scientific problem solving, applied regression analysis and its limitations, multiple frequency analysis, profile analysis of repeated measures, canonical correlation analysis, discriminant analysis, cluster analysis, principal components analysis and factor analysis.

QA 690 Research Project
Prerequisite: 15 graduate hours or permission of the instructor. Independent study under the supervision of an adviser.

QA 695 Independent Study I
A planned program of individual study under the supervision of a member of the faculty.

QA 696 Independent Study II
A continuation of Independent Study I.

QA 698 Thesis I
Prerequisite: 15 graduate hours. Periodic meetings and discussions of the individual student’s progress in the preparation of a thesis.

QA 699 Thesis II
A continuation of Thesis I.