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Pre-MBA Quantitative Skills

Data Analysis

James Weston

This course will equip students with the quantitative skills needed to begin any Masters of Business Administration program. The goal is not to build foundational skills or expert mastery but rather, to provide some middle ground to “shake the rust off” skills that a typical MBA student probably knows, but may not have thought about for quite some time. The course provides a quick refresher on top level math and statistics concepts that will be used throughout the MBA curriculum at any school. All of the concepts will be reinforced with practical real-world examples. All calculations, formulas, and data analysis will be performed in Excel, with many detailed demonstrations. For those unfamiliar or less comfortable with spreadsheets, the course will also prepare students with a basic facility for using spreadsheets to solve quantitative business problems. This course has no prerequisites and is intended for any audience.

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Syllabus

Welcome to the Course

Week 1: Getting Started with Basic Math

This module sets up the basic foundations in mathematics. We cover negative numbers, functional analysis, and logarithms.

Week 2: A Little More Math and Getting Started with Data

This module continues to build on mathematical skills including systems of equations and limits. We also introduce basic data descriptions and visualizations using a spreadsheet program.

Week 3: Getting Started with Basic Statistics

This module covers the basics concepts of statistics, we touch on bell curves, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and linear regression. All examples are done with a practical approach and using a spreadsheet program to do all the math.

Week 4: Putting it all Together with Some Practical Examples

This module includes a series of practical cases studies. No new material is introduced, the focus is on putting into practice what we've learned!

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Teaches foundational quantitative skills needed to begin any Master's of Business Administration program

Provides a refresher on top-level math and statistics concepts

Reinforces concepts with practical real-world examples

Prepares students with a basic facility for using spreadsheets to solve quantitative business problems

Has no prerequisites and is intended for any audience

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Pre-MBA Quantitative Skills: Data Analysis with these activities:

Review basic algebra

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Reviewing basic algebra will strengthen your foundation and ensure you are prepared for the quantitative concepts covered in the course.

Browse courses on Algebra

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Go over your notes from previous algebra courses or review an online algebra tutorial
Practice solving algebra problems using online resources or textbooks

Review a statistics textbook

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Reviewing a statistics textbook will help you refresh your knowledge of the foundational concepts and prepare you for the more advanced topics covered in the course.

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Read through the textbook chapters relevant to the course
Take notes and highlight important concepts
Complete the practice problems at the end of each chapter

Attend a workshop on Excel

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Attending a workshop on Excel will help you improve your proficiency in using the software, which is essential for the course.

Browse courses on Spreadsheet Software

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Find a workshop that covers the topics you need to improve on
Register for the workshop and attend all sessions
Take notes and practice the techniques you learn

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Organize your course materials

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Organizing your course materials will help you stay on top of the material and make it easier to review for exams.

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Create a dedicated folder for the course
File your notes, assignments, and other materials in an organized manner
Review your materials regularly to reinforce your learning

Solve practice problems

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Solving practice problems will reinforce the mathematical concepts covered in the course and improve your problem-solving skills.

Browse courses on Quantitative Reasoning

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Find practice problems online or in textbooks
Work through the problems step-by-step
Check your answers and identify areas where you need more practice

Join a study group

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Joining a study group will provide you with opportunities to discuss the course material, work on problems together, and learn from your peers.

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Find a group of classmates who are interested in forming a study group
Set up regular meeting times and locations
Create a study schedule and assign responsibilities to each member of the group

Create a spreadsheet model

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Creating a spreadsheet model will allow you to apply the quantitative concepts covered in the course to a real-world business problem.

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Identify a business problem that can be solved using a spreadsheet model
Design the spreadsheet model, including the formulas and calculations
Enter the data and run the model
Analyze the results and draw conclusions

Start a personal finance project

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Starting a personal finance project will allow you to apply the quantitative concepts covered in the course to your own financial situation.

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Set financial goals, such as saving for a down payment on a house or retiring early
Create a budget and track your income and expenses
Research and choose investment options that align with your goals and risk tolerance
Monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed

Career center

Learners who complete Pre-MBA Quantitative Skills: Data Analysis will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Data Scientist

Data scientists use mathematical and statistical skills to analyze data and extract insights. This course can help data scientists by providing a refresher on probability, statistics, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for data scientists.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Machine Learning Engineer

Machine learning engineers use mathematical and statistical skills to develop and implement machine learning models. This course can help machine learning engineers by providing a refresher on probability, statistics, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for machine learning engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Machine Learning Engineer

Operations Research Analyst

Operations research analysts use mathematical and statistical models to solve business problems. This course can help operations research analysts by providing a refresher on probability, statistics, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for operations research analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Research Analyst

Statistician

Statisticians use mathematical and statistical skills to collect, analyze, and interpret data. This course can help statisticians by providing a refresher on probability, statistics, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for statisticians.

See salaries and explore the career path for Statistician

Data Analyst

Data analysts use quantitative skills to analyze data and extract insights. This course can help data analysts by providing a refresher on statistics, probability, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for data analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Quantitative Analyst

Quantitative analysts use mathematical and statistical models to analyze financial data and make investment recommendations. This course can help quantitative analysts by providing a refresher on probability, statistics, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for quantitative analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quantitative Analyst

Quantitative Researcher

Quantitative researchers use mathematical and statistical skills to develop and implement quantitative research models. This course can help quantitative researchers by providing a refresher on probability, statistics, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for quantitative researchers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quantitative Researcher

Market Research Analyst

Market research analysts use mathematical and statistical skills to collect, analyze, and interpret market data. This course can help market research analysts by providing a refresher on probability, statistics, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for market research analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Market Research Analyst

Business Consultant

Business consultants use mathematical and statistical skills to analyze business data and make recommendations. This course can help business consultants by providing a refresher on probability, statistics, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for business consultants.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Consultant

Business Analyst

Business analysts use quantitative skills to analyze business data and make recommendations. This course can help business analysts by providing a refresher on statistics, probability, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for business analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Risk Manager

Risk managers use mathematical and statistical skills to assess risk and develop risk management plans. This course can help risk managers by providing a refresher on probability, statistics, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for risk managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Risk Manager

Economist

Economists use mathematical and statistical skills to analyze economic data and make recommendations. This course can help economists by providing a refresher on probability, statistics, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for economists.

See salaries and explore the career path for Economist

Actuary

Actuaries use mathematical and statistical skills to assess risk and develop financial plans. This course can help actuaries by providing a refresher on probability, statistics, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for actuaries.

See salaries and explore the career path for Actuary

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts use quantitative skills to analyze financial data and make investment recommendations. This course can help financial analysts by providing a refresher on statistics, probability, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for financial analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Software Engineer

Software engineers use mathematical and statistical skills to develop and implement software solutions. This course can help software engineers by providing a refresher on probability, statistics, and other mathematical concepts. The course also covers the use of spreadsheets, which is a valuable tool for software engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Reading list

We've selected 13 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Pre-MBA Quantitative Skills: Data Analysis.

Introductory Statistics with R

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Provides a practical introduction to statistics using the R programming language. It covers the basic concepts of statistics, including data description, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and linear regression.

Introductory Statistics with R (Statistics and...

Paperback

Introductory Statistics with R (Statistics and...

Pre-MBA Quantitative Skills

Data Analysis

Two deals to help you save

What's inside

Syllabus

Good to know

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Activities

Career center

Reading list

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