Morgan State University
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Jenkins Building
1700 E. Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore Maryland 21251
COURSE SYLLABUS
Instructor: Natasha C. Pratt-Harris, MS, PhD
Introduction to Social Statistics 351 E-mail: [Link]@[Link]
Required Text Book: TBD OH ONLINE
Required Technology: SPSS Student (Grad) Package Phone: (443) 885-3506
Fax: (443) 885- 8242
Course Description: “Th is co u r se w ill d eal w it h b asic st at ist ics: t h e g en er al n at u r e o f
st at ist ical m et h o d s, f r eq u en cy d ist r ib u t io n , p er cen t iles, av er ag es, m easu r es o f
var iab ilit ies, st an d ar d d eviat io n s, t h e n o r m al cu r ve, in t r o d u ct io n t o sam p lin g
t h eo r y , t est in g st at ist ical h y p o t h esis, an alysis o f var ian ce an d co v ar ian ce, et c.
Em p h asis w ill b e p laced o n co m p u t at io n an d o n t h e ap p licat io n o f t h ese st at ist ics
in so cio lo g ical r esear ch .” Source: MSU Undergraduate Academic Catalog
Course Objectives: Each student will gain an understanding of the purpose, appropriate use, and
interpretation of elementary quantitative techniques (statistics).
Goals: By the end of the course students will have gained an elementary level of competency in
quantitative techniques and the usefulness of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). SPSS
10.0 or better will be used complete the course assignments and to review statistical techniques. There are
online tools and other resources made accessible to complete assignments or to become better acquainted
with this package.
Percentage/Point Distribution for Assignments, Attendance and Exams
Assignments # 1 – 10 (10 points per assignment) 100 points 25%
Attendance 100 points 25%
Exams (3) (70 points per exam – 3+ credits) 200 points 50%
Total 400 points 100%
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Schedule
Modules Subject Assignments
STATISTICS AND YOU LOM Assignment
Introduction to Statistics/
BLACKBOARD/ SPSS/ LOM
Level of Measurement Assignment
Module #1 #1
Introduction to Averages/ Calculating Averages Assignment
Averages in SPSS/
Module #2 Average Assignment #2
Introduction to Variation/ Calculating Variation Assignment
Variation in SPSS
Module #3 Variation Assignment #3
Introduction to Association/ Association Assignment
Calculating Association in SPSS /
Module #4 Association Assignment #4
Introduction to Correlation/ Correlation Assignment
Calculating Correlation in
Module #5 SPSS/Correlation Assignment #5
Module #6 A Summary of Descriptive Statistics Exam #1 Review Assignment
Module #7 EXAM #1 Descriptive Statistics EXAM #1
Regression/Calculating Regression in
Module #8 SPSS
Module #9 Regression Assignment #6 Regression Assignment
Introduction to Hypothesis Testing/ Hypothesis Testing Assignment
Hypothesis Testing in SPSS
Module #10 Hypothesis Testing Assignment #7
Introduction to Single Sample/ Single Single Sample Testing Assignment
Sample Testing in SPSS
Single Sample Testing Assignment
Module #11 #8
Introduction to Two Sample Testing/ Two Sample Testing Assignment
Two Sample Testing in SPSS
Module #12 Two Sample Testing Assignment #9
Introduction to ANOVA Testing/ ANOVA Testing Assignment
ANOVA Testing in SPSS
Module #13 ANOVA Testing Assignment #10
Module #14 A Summary of Inferential Statistics Exam #2 Review Assignment
Module #15 Exam #2 Inferential Statistics EXAM #2
EXAM #3 TBA
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RELATED COURSE-SPECIFIC AND UNIVERSITY-WIDE REQUIREMENTS
University Policy on Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism will not be tolerated at any level. Do not cut and paste from the Internet or
other sources. Do not copy any past or present work from other students. Students will
utilize the American Sociological Association Style Guide and will submit papers using
Safe Assign on Black Board.
*A written notice from the student health center or other legal documentation will be
necessary, if submitting a late assignment or taking a late examination. Otherwise, late
assignments or late examinations will NOT be permitted.
*This syllabus is subject to supplementation or amendment. It is the sole responsibility of
each student to acquaint himself/herself with assignments.
Students must review pertinent university policy regarding attendance and academic
dishonesty.
“Professors at Morgan State University make a concerted effort to promote honest
academic conduct among students to ensure that their evaluation of students’ academic
performance accurately reflects each student’s true merit. Academic dishonesty is,
therefore, among the most egregious offenses a student can commit because it
interferes with the University’s primary mission of educating and evaluating students.
Thus, academic dishonesty will not be tolerated at the University. Some of the more
common forms of academic dishonesty are listed below. This list, however, is not
intended to be an exhaustive representation of all the possible forms of academic
dishonesty. Any student who is found to have engaged in academic dishonesty shall fail
the assignment and may fail the course. The student may also be referred to the Dean of
the college or school in which the student’s major is located for additional disciplinary
action by the University. All instances of academic dishonesty shall be subject to the full
range of penalties at the University’s disposal.” Source: Morgan State University
Undergraduate Course Catalog
TYPES OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
“1. Cheating is fraud. Cheating is the use of, the attempted use of, or acquisition of
unauthorized information such as books, lecture notes, study aids, answers from other
students, or other materials for the purpose of submitting a part or all of the unauthorized
information as one’s own individual effort in any class, clinic, assignment, or
examination. Helping or attempting to help another person commit any act of academic
dishonesty is also a form of cheating.
Examples: Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to, the following actions:
a. Copying from another student’s paper or test, or receiving assistance from another
person during an exam or other assignment in a manner not authorized by the instructor;
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b. Buying, selling, removing, receiving, or possessing an unauthorized copy of a test,
quiz, exam, or other form of academic evaluation in advance of its administration by the
instructor of the course in which the student is properly registered;
c. Using material or equipment such as crib notes, a calculator, or a tape recorder during
a test, quiz, exam, or other form of academic evaluation that has not been authorized by
the instructor;
d. Working with other students or other individuals on any exam, take home
assignments, computer or laboratory work, or any other assignment when the instructor
has required independent and unaided effort;
e. Attempting to influence or change an academic evaluation, grade, or record by deceit
or unfair means, such as (1) hiding or damaging the academic work of another student
to gain an unfair advantage in an academic evaluation; or (2) marking or submitting an
exam or other assignment in a manner designed to deceive the instructor;
f. Submitting, without prior permission, the same academic work which has been
submitted in identical or similar form in another class or in fulfillment of any other
academic requirement at the University;
g. Permitting another student or individual to take a test, quiz, exam, or other form of
academic evaluation for one’s self; or conversely, taking a test, quiz, exam, or other form
of academic evaluation for another student; and,
h. Helping or attempting to help another student cheat by providing assistance to that
student during an exam or other assignment in a manner not authorized by the
instructor.
2. Plagiarism is theft. Plagiarism is submitting, either orally or in writing, the words,
ideas, drawings, or other works of another person as one’s own without appropriate
citation in order to receive credit for having completed an academic assignment or
exercise.
Examples: Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Submitting material or work for evaluation, in whole or in part, which has been
prepared by another student, an author of a published article or textbook, or by persons
producing papers for profit;
b. Using a direct quote from another student’s papers or from an author of a publication
without including the appropriate citation;
c. Paraphrasing or summarizing another’s work without including the appropriate
citation; and,
d. Using information stored electronically, e.g, submission of papers and or information
found on computer disks, the Internet, etc., without including appropriate citation and/or
acknowledging the source.” Source: Morgan State University Undergraduate Course
Catalog