Course Catalog

QTM1300 Applied Calculus with Quantitative Methods (Foundation Liberal Arts) THIS COURSE IS FOR STUDENTS WHO STARTED AT BABSON BEFORE SEPT. 2013. The Regular sections of QTM1300 are designed for those students who had no high school Calculus course. These students also must have a "passing" score on the Mathematics Skills Test. The course covers the necessary core quantitative methods subject matter that is prerequisite to follow-on courses in QTM and in Babson's integrated core business offerings. Technology and the use of spreadsheets are integrated throughout so that students better comprehend the importance of using modern technological tools for model building and decision making. Prerequisites: NONE

QTM3610 (formerly QTM2610) Applied Multivariate Statistics (Advanced Lib Arts) This course extends the modeling tools presented in prior statistics courses and focuses on the application and validation of models developed using real data in the context of finance, economics, and marketing research. Examples of applications include modeling the impact of advertising on sales, admission yields for business schools, patterns of voting behavior and a variety of survey data. This course focuses on implementing data analysis techniques using a statistical software package and interpreting the results in a decision-making environment. Emphasis is placed on understanding the limitations of modeling approaches, as well as the diversity of potential applications in business Prerequisite: QTM2420 or QTM2421 This course is typically offered in the following semester: Spring

QTM2420 Applied Quantitative Modeling (Intermediate Lib Arts) THIS COURSE IS FOR STUDENTS WHO STARTED AT BABSON BEFORE SEPT. 2013 This course explores ill-defined problems using algebraic, spreadsheet, graphical, and statistical models. The focus is on understanding basic mathematical and modeling principles through the analysis of real data. The course emphasizes communicating in context interpretations of the results of analysis in written, visual, and oral form. A foundation in introductory statistics, linear optimization, and use of spreadsheets is essential because these concepts are extended and reinforced throughout the course. Topics include applied multiple linear regression, basic time series analysis (including decomposition techniques), linear programming, basic decision analysis, and simulation. The course emphasizes the use of appropriate software and the latest technological methods for accessing data. This course is typically offered in fall and spring semester and summer session. Prerequisite: QTM1310 or QTM1311

SCN1340 Biodiversity and the Environment 3.0 Credits Foundation Liberal Arts This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of how nature operates. We will discuss the basic principles of biology, chemistry and physics as they relate to the natural world, focusing on the physical environment, the organisms in it, and how they interact. Interestingly, nature uses many of the same basic principles found in economics, so we will explore the role of economic theory in explaining how organisms function within an environment at scales ranging from the individual organism up to ecosystems and the entire biosphere. We will also discuss the role of humans in nature. Pre-req NONE

SCN2420 (formerly SCN2472) BIOTECHNOLOGY (Intermediate Liberal Arts) Biotechnology is a rapidly growing field, encompassing numerous subtopics including stem cell research, cloning, forensics, genetic engineering, and drug discovery. Advances in biotechnology also affect the foods we eat, the medical treatments we receive, and the social environments in which we live. In this course, we will explore the science and ethics of various topics related to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. We will also examine the misconceptions and scientific distortions regarding life science and technology which are prevalent in popular culture. By the conclusion of this course, you will be familiar with the potential of the life sciences industries and how current and future biotech advances affect us as individuals and as humans, as well as other diverse species on Earth. Prerequisite: SCN 13% % - Wildcard

QTM3650 Case Studies in Business Analytics 4 credits – Advanced Liberal Arts This course builds on the modeling skills acquired in the QTM core with special emphasis on case studies in Business Analytics – the science of iterative exploration of data that can be used to gain insights and optimize business processes. Data visualization and predictive analytics techniques are used to investigate the relationships between items of interest to improve the understanding of complex managerial models with sometimes large data sets to aid decision-making. These techniques and methods are introduced with widely used commercial statistical packages for data mining and predictive analytics, in the context of real-world applications from diverse business areas such as marketing, finance, and operations. Students will also have exposure to R, the most popular open-source package used by analytics practitioners around the world. Since R is freely available, students will be able to apply the skills acquired in this course regardless of where they work after graduation. Topics covered include advanced methods for data visualization, logistic regression, decision tree learning methods, clustering, association rules, and advanced time series analysis. Case studies draw on examples ranging from database marketing to financial forecasting. Important Course Information: This course will be equivalent to QTM2000, which will be the third quant core course in the new curriculum, and will replace QTM3650 in Spring 2014. For students who follow the old curriculum, QTM3650 will count as an advanced liberal arts elective. It will also satisfy one of the core requirements towards the new Business Analytics concentration, approved by the Undergraduate Academic Policy Committee in February 2013. Prerequisites: QTM1310

SCN3615 ECOLOGY OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (Advanced Lib Arts) The study of the nature, variety and function of the fundamental types of animal behaviors. Communication, habitat selection, predation and antipredator defense, reproductive strategies, tactics and mating systems, and play and social behaviors will be compared and analyzed, and applications to human behavior will be discussed. Prerequisite: SCN13% % - Wildcard

SCN2430 (formerly SCN2473) Electronic Technology (Intermediate liberal arts) Study of the application of basic scientific principles and computational skills that allow the understanding of current and potential future thrusts in electronics, computing, microsystems and nanotechnologies. Prerequisite: SCN 13% % - Wildcard

SCN2410 Environmental Technology (Intermediate Liberal Arts) Study of the interrelationships between environmental science, technology and the environment. Technological causes and solutions to environmental problems , including climate change, air and water pollution, pest control, toxic substances and endangered species. Prerequisite: Foundation Science

SCN3635 Nutrition in Health and Disease 4 credit Advanced Liberal Arts Every day we are bombarded with information about diet and health, often confusing and contradictory. As consumers, it is difficult to separate fact from fad, truth from fiction. This course will provide a foundation in basic nutrition, including anatomy and physiology of the digestive tract and the development of disease, with the goal of applyig this informaiton to aid in making informed choices in the treatment and prevention of nutrition related disease. We wil also explore how the personal actions a student can take to encourage a sustainable diet, defined as “food choices that maximize personal health while minimizing the impact on the environment. Prerequisites: Science A

SCN1330 Oceanography (Foundation Liberal Arts) Study of physical processes and biological communities in the ocean. Subjects considered include the origin and evolution of the ocean, the nature of seawater, ocean currents, tides, deep sea, coastal and reef communities, and human use of marine resources and impacts of man on the sea. Prerequisite: NONE

QTM1310 Probability and Statistics (Foundation Lib Arts) THIS COURSE IS FOR STUDENTS WHO STARTED AT BABSON BEFORE SEPT. 2013. QTM1310 is designed for students who have not had a previous statistics course. This data-oriented course exposes students to basic statistical methods, their conceptual underpinning, such as variability and uncertainty, and their use in the real world. Topics include data collection, descriptive statistics (tabular and graphical displays and numerical summary measures), elementary probability rules and distributions, sampling distributions, elementary inference (confidence interval estimation and hypothesis testing), simple linear regression, and the chi-square test for independence. Students are required to use technology for developing conceptual understanding through simulations, analyzing real data by producing tables, graphs, and numerical results of statistical procedures for interpretation, and producing displays for presentations. Prerequisite: QTM1300 or QTM1301 or QTM2300 QTM1310 (or QTM1311) is a prerequisite for OEM, MCE, QTM2420 and ECN3620. This course is typically offered in the following semesters: Fall, Spring, Summer first session

QTM1000: Quantitative Methods for Business Analytics I 4 credits THIS COURSE IS FOR STUDENTS WHO STARTED AT BABSON IN FALL 2013 OR LATER. The course introduces the necessary core quantitative methods that are prerequisites to follow-on courses in QTM and in Babson's integrated core business offerings. Statistical software and the use of spreadsheets are integrated throughout so that students better comprehend the importance of using modern technological tools for effective model building and decision-making. About two thirds of the course is data-oriented, exposing students to basic statistical methods, their conceptual underpinning, such as variability and uncertainty, and their use in the real world. Topics include data collection, descriptive statistics, elementary probability rules and distributions, sampling distributions, and basic inference. The last third of the course is dedicated to selected non-statistical quantitative techniques applied to business models. Topics include curve fitting, differential calculus applications to non-linear optimization, and introduction to the time value of money. Prerequisites: None

QTM1010: Quantitative Methods for Business Analytics II 4 credits THIS COURSE IS FOR STUDENTS WHO STARTED AT BABSON IN FALL 2013 OR LATER. This course explores decision-making problems in a managerial context using algebraic, spreadsheet, graphical, and statistical models. The focus is on understanding basic mathematical and modeling principles through the analysis of real data. The course emphasizes communicating in-context interpretations of the results of analysis in written, visual, and oral form. A foundation in introductory statistics and use of spreadsheets is essential because these concepts are extended and reinforced throughout the course. Topics include introductions to linear regression, time series analysis, linear programming, decision analysis and simulation. It emphasizes the use of appropriate software and the latest technological methods for accessing and analyzing data. Prerequisite: QTM1000

SCN3640 SCIENCE AND INNOVATION 4 credit (Advanced Liberal Arts) An examination of the concepts and principles of scientific research with examples from the history of the subject from its Greek beginnings to modern times. Research topics from evolutionary and molecular biology, physics, and neuroscience will be used to discover how a small number of powerful yet simple methods such as symmetry, scaling, linearity and feedback are used to develop models that can be used to understand natural processes. Prerequisite: SCN13%% %%=wildcard

SCN1320 Search for Life in the Universe (foundation liberal arts) Study of the information necessary to make estimates of the probability of extraterrestrial life, what characteristics it might have and how we might expect to communicate with it if it exists. Subjects considered are the structure/origin/evolution of the universe, galaxies, stars, our solar system and the Earth; and biological and chemical signatures of life. Prerequisite: NONE

QTM3615 TIME SERIES AND FORECASTING (formerly QTM3671 and QTM3630) 4 credit hours (Advanced Lib Arts) This course will introduce time series models and discuss advanced forecasting methods in the context of real financial data and decision-making situations. The objectives of the course are to provide experience in using time series data (e.g., sales, profits, stock prices, economic indicators, industry sector indicators) to explain the impact of various internal and external factors and predict future trends; to provide a framework for comparing alternative forecasting models for validity, accuracy, and feasibility; to enhance an appreciation for the limitations of forecasting models; to provide exposure and experience in using statistical software to develop forecasting models; and to develop skills at communicating statistical results, and inferences effectively in a managerial context. Teamwork and professional presentation of analysis and recommendations will be required during this course. Prerequisite: QTM2420 or QTM2421 or permission from instructor

QTM3625 (Formerly QTM3673) Financial Modeling Using Simulation and Optimization with Applications to Finance, Marketing, and Management (Advanced Liberal Art) This course is an introduction to quantitative techniques that enable marketing, finance, and management professionals to make optimal decisions under uncertainty. While theoretical background for these techniques is provided, the focus is on their applications and mastering software that is widely used in industry, such as Excel, Solver, and @RISK. Topics include simulation of important probability distributions, bootstrapping, random walks, linear and nonlinear optimization. Lectures draw on examples such as asset allocation under different definitions of risk; index tracking; scenario approaches to project and portfolio management; hedging and arbitrage; and derivative pricing. Prerequisite: QTM2420 or QTM2421

QTM1311 Probability and Statistics HONORS SECTION This data-oriented course exposes students to basic statistical methods, their conceptual underpinning, such as variability and uncertainty, and their use in the real world. Topics include data collection, descriptive statistics (tabular and graphical displays and numerical summary measures), elementary probability rules and distributions, sampling distributions, elementary inference (confidence interval estimation and hypothesis testing), simple linear regression, and the chi-square test for independence, along with additional selected topics. QTM1311 students will be expected to carry out a complete statistical analysis project. Students are required to use technology for developing conceptual understanding through simulations, analyzing real data by producing tables, graphs, and numerical results of statistical procedures for interpretation, and producing displays for presentations. Prerequisite: QTM1300 or QTM1301or QTM2300 QTM1311 (or QTM1310) is a prerequisite for OEM, MCE, QTM2420 and ECN3620. This course is typically offered in the following semesters: Spring