Graduate Proficiency Exams

Students are expected to demonstrate quantitative proficiency in advance of taking the following courses: DSCI 6400, ECON 6400, MKTG 6400. In general, students should demonstrate quantitative proficiency prior to the start of the graduate program. Students may demonstrate quantitative proficiency in basic math and statistical skills in any of the following ways:

  • earned at least 3 college-level credits of math and at least 3 college-level credits of statistics within the last five years and earned an average of 2.75 or better between the two classes;
  • passed the Silberman College of Business quantitative proficiency exam; or
  • passed equivalent exam(s) (e.g. CLEP, GRE, GMAT, AP) that tests basic quantitative, arithmetic, algebraic, and statistical skills

Required Quantitative Skills

Required quantitative skills include but are not limited to:

Basic Math:

  • Compute ratios
  • Percentage change
  • Solve single variable algebraic expressions
  • Compound growth rates

Statistics:

  • Interpretation of mean, median, and mode
  • Interpretation of correlation
  • Interpreting regression coefficients
  • Group comparisons using mean, proportion, etc.
  • Interpreting crosstabs output
  • Interpretation of t-tests
  • The normal distribution
  • Confidence intervals
  • Sampling

Preparing for the Proficiency Exam

Students who plan on demonstrating quantitative skills through the proficiency exam may use the following texts to prepare:

  • Mathematics for Business, 6th edition (ISBN No. 9798600303263)
  • Statistical Techniques in Business and Economics by Lind, et al.; 17th edition:
    1. Chapter 1; 
    2. Chapter 3 pages 52 to 64; and
    3. Chapter 13 pages 437 to 454.