Every area of business makes use of data. This course covers a wide range of basic, accessible quantitative tools used in the analysis of data in surveys and reports; data-based decision-making; the building of spreadsheets for the purpose of organizing and analyzing data; the building of basic financial models; and, the use of statistical methods including descriptive statistics, statistical inference, probability applications, and simple and multiple regression, etc. Much of the course will be conducted in Microsoft Excel, which will improve students' Excel skills and introduce them to many new possibilities and tools in data analysis. Illustrations and study problems in the course will be taken from a variety of fields, including business and economics, international and community development, and common everyday phenomena. Emphasis will be on developing practical skills in the analytic use of numbers. The only prerequisite is some rudimentary understanding of algebra."