Numbers are vitally important to all types of business decision-making. From budget projections to inventory tracking, business leaders rely on numbers to help them make sound business decisions.

How can you make these numbers meaningful to you in your day-to-day planning and decision-making? Learn how to apply and interpret numbers in real-world business ideas in our business statistics course.

One month online course, Mary Dereshiwsky, COI, instructor. 

The Business Research Certificate is $495 which includes: Introduction to Business Research, Business Statistics, and Qualitative Business Research.  Only available as a certificate.

 outlineCourse Outline

Unit 1
How Statistics Can Help You Make Business Decisions
What statistics can do for business decision makers
Some basic types of statistics
How to be a good consumer of statistical information

 Unit 2
Some Basic Types of Statistics
Using Excel to run some basic summary descriptive statistics
Interpreting what it all means in ideas

Unit 3
Looking at Trends Across Time
Using Excel to run some trend statistics and related graphs
Interpreting what it all means in ideas

Unit 4
Looking at Differences and Relationships Using Statistics
Using Excel to run some tests of between-group differences on something
Using Excel to run some tests of relationships between something and something
Interpreting what it all means in ideas 

Question MarkAbout online learning

Online learning is a fun, enjoyable and very productive way to learn. Millions of people are learning online each year. You will engage with the instructor and other participants. You will get to know your instructor and other participants. You may make friends.  It’s easy. It’s fun. 

GearsHow the Course Works

It is easy to participate in your online course. After you register, you will be given a web address to go to get into your online classroom.  You will have a password and use your email address and password to gain access.

Once inside the online classroom, here’s what you can expect.

CalendarParticipate when you want

You can participate any time of day or evening. The online classroom is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are no live real-time requirements or meetings. You decide when you participate.
For the best learning, participants should log into the course on 2-3 different days of the week.

ChecklistWhat you will do

For each Unit, you will:

  • Read the print readings (about 20 pages a week)
  • Have the option of accessing the online readings
  • Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides
  • Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned
  • Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants

For best learning, you should make one or more comments at 2-3 different times each week.
The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience.

DiscussionDiscussion

The Discussion for each Unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night.

Your instructor will log into the Discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants.

We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each week to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

It’s easy. It’s fun.

Next offering(s):

Business Statistics
July 2 - 27
October 1 - 26

Introduction to Business Research
June 4 - 29
September 4 - 28

Qualitative Business Research
August 6 - 31
November 5 - 30


The Business Research Certificate is $495 which includes: Introduction to Business Research, Business Statistics, and Qualitative Business Research.  Only available as a certificate.

About Your Instructor

Mary I. Dereshiwsky, Ph.D., COI, is a Professor of Educational Leadership and Research at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. She also serves as Chair of the Faculty Club for the Learning Resources Network (LERN).  In addition, she serves as online instructional evaluator for LERN’s Certified Online Instructor (COI) candidates.

Mary has been developing and teaching online courses in research methods and statistics since 1994. She holds a doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She is the author of two chapters in the recently published book Technology Leadership for School Improvement edited by Dr. Rosemary Papa. Her two chapters deal with design of creative online learning spaces and how to evaluate online instructors. Her other research and publication interests include understanding student perceptions of the online classroom and preparing students to succeed in online courses.

 

Directional ArrowsCourse Objectives

  • To provide business decision makers with hands-on practice in several basic statistical tools (differences, relationships and trends across time) that address real-world decisions.
  • To provide these decision makers with practice in applying these statistics to real-world business scenarios.
  • To show business leaders how to turn the results of numbers into practical ideas of what these statistics tell us.

Puzzle PiecesCourse Outcomes

At the end of the course, you will:

  • Understand how we use numbers to answer real-world business questions.
  • Understand how to choose the best statistic to apply to your business decision.
  • Understand how to apply these statistics using Excel software.
  • Convert what the numbers say into the answers to your research questions or to your business decision.
Completion Requirements