Overview

You will take the statistics and calculus diagnostic exams in the summer prior to matriculating or during orientation. 

Obtaining passing scores on the diagnostic exam is required for enrollment in many courses in the Nicholas School. For example, a frequently required course that necessitates passing the statistics diagnostic is ENVIRON 710 Applied Statistical Modeling for Environmental Management. Classes such as ENVIRON 520 & 521 Resource Environmental Economics I & II require passing scores on the calculus diagnostic exam.

Statistics & Calculus Prerequisite Deficiencies

糖心传媒s must show proof of completion of prerequisite level courses before they are permitted to take the diagnostic exams. If you have not had statistics/calculus previously, or were notified by the NSOE Registrar that you have not satisfied the prerequisite, you must take an introductory statistics/calculus course for graded credit (although this credit will not count toward the 48 hours required for the professional program). 

If you are not qualified to take the exam(s) in year one, you will have another chance in year two during the summer between the first and second year of study. In the meantime, take the coursework you need to enhance your preparation.

Statistics Diagnostic Exam

Exam Prep for the Stats Diagnostic

  • We have created a to assist you in review for the statistics diagnostic.

Expectations for Statistics Experience

Upper-level statistics courses at Duke, such as Applied Data Analysis (ENVIRON 710, fall), assume mastery of the topics in prerequisite-level statistics. The topics from prerequisite-level statistics that you need include:

  • data and descriptive statistics (mean, variance, etc.);
  • probability, sampling and distributions;
  • sampling concepts and methods (sample size calculations, etc.);
  • elements of experimental design (randomization);
  • point and interval estimation (confidence intervals), and elements of hypothesis testing;
  • paired samples and simple linear regression and correlation.

ENVIROn 710: Applied Data Analysis

Most students are advised to begin their statistics study at Duke by taking ENVIRON 710, Applied Data Analysis for Environmental Science (designed specifically for MEMs), which serves as a prerequisite to additional statistics courses as well as other upper-level courses such as ENVIRON 850, Program Evaluation. Enrollment in ENVIRON 710 depends on successful completion of the school-wide statistics prerequisite and adequate performance on the statistics diagnostic exam. Statistics (ENVIRON 710) at the Nicholas School is taught in two versions:

  • One using the  software package that may be of more use  to students in the social science areas such as EEP and EE;
  • Another using the software package that is more useful to students in the resource science areas such as ESC.

Typically, both versions are taught in the fall semester though there could be variations from year to year. Regardless, it is anticipated that both versions will be offered each year.

 

Calculus Diagnostic Exam

Expectations for Calculus Experience

Some Nicholas School courses may make use of a variety of calculus topics. These include: 

  • Algebra (Graphing linear equations, Solving systems of linear equations);
  • Functions (Characteristics of Functions in one variable, Logarithmic functions, Exponential functions);
  • Calculus of One Variable (Derivatives, Definite and indefinite Integrals);
  • Calculus of More than One Variable (Partial Derivatives, Total Derivative);
  • First-Order Differential Equations (Discrete and continuous time, Rate of decay, Initial conditions).

Most of these topics are covered in a first semester calculus course.

How much calculus you need depends partly on what subjects you want to emphasize here at the Nicholas School; economics, water and air modeling, population ecology, and other kinds of quantitative analysis will put more demands on your math background. In addition, some courses that do not use calculus methods per se do make use of the kind of abstract reasoning that studying calculus helps to develop. Courses commonly taken by Nicholas School professional students will assume that students understand the material on the diagnostic exam; so, if you found that difficult, some review is needed.

If you have not met the calculus prerequisite, you must complete the prerequisite and pass the calculus diagnostic exam first before enrolling in a course at the Nicholas School requiring calculus. The prerequisite level course will not count toward your 48 units for graduation.

 

Exam Results

Exams are graded as quickly as possible and results are emailed to faculty instructors and advisors, so that you can use them for course placement decisions before you complete your registration. 

糖心传媒s failing the diagnostic exams may need additional preparation before they are permitted to enroll in graduate level courses requiring a passing score on the diagnostic. In all cases, students should plan to work with either their academic coursework advisor or program chair to make course selections.

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