SDST4710 Capstone experience for statistics undergraduates (6 credits) Academic Year 2025
Offering Department SCDS (Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science) Quota 50
Course Co-ordinator Prof K C Cheung, SCDS (Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science) < ugenq@hku.hk >
Teachers Involved (Various teachers as the assessors of oral presentations and written reports,Statistics & Actuarial Science)
Course Objectives This project-based course aims to provide students with capstone experience to formulate and investigate real life problems in the area of statistics, risk management, finance, climate, social science, medicine and scientific research by integrating and applying the statistical theories and quantitative techniques learnt in their junior university years.
Course Contents & Topics No formal teaching. Students are expected to devote 120-140 hours working on this project.  Students will work in groups of three to five under the supervision of a teacher.  Students are required to give a presentation on their work two to three weeks before the end of the semester, and submit their final report at the end of the semester.

It aims to help the students to establish a good and solid foundation of life-long learning skills, and to enable students to equip with hands-on experience in solving real life problems starting from identification of the key variable(s) of interest, literature search, model formulation, data analysis or simulation, technical report writing and presentation of the results.  Students will need to find an interesting topic of their own, conduct literature search regarding the most recent research related to the problem, make suggestions to improve the current situations or even solve the problem identified in their project.
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

CLO 1 formulate a problem using statistical or risk management ideas for a particular issue we are facing with and determine ways in which statistics/risk management can be used to solve the problems or to make predictions
CLO 2 integrate theory and practice, and to understand limitations of their current knowledge
CLO 3 work in a team and to collaborate with people with different background
CLO 4 express ideas effectively in both written and oral forms
CLO 5 develop further logical, critical thinking, creativity, technical report writing, communication and consultation skills
CLO 6 advocate to others the appreciation of statistics/risk management as to its relevance to our daily life
Pre-requisites
(and Co-requisites and
Impermissible combinations)		 Students are expected to have satisfactorily completed at least 24 credits of advanced level disciplinary core/elective courses in the Decision Analytics/Risk Management/Statistics Majors. Students who are interested in taking the course should submit their applications to the Department.
This capstone course is only for students majoring in Decision Analytics/Risk Management/Statistics, and is mutually exclusive with SDST3799, SDST4766 and SDST4799.
The earliest that a student is allowed to take this capstone course is their year 3 study.
Only for students admitted in 2025 and thereafter.
Course Status with Related Major/Minor /Professional Core 2U000C00 Course not offered under any Major/Minor/Professional core
2024 Major in Decision Analytics ( Disciplinary Elective )
2024 Major in Risk Management ( Disciplinary Elective )
2024 Major in Statistics ( Disciplinary Elective )
2023 Major in Decision Analytics ( Disciplinary Elective )
2023 Major in Risk Management ( Disciplinary Elective )
2023 Major in Statistics ( Disciplinary Elective )
2022 Major in Decision Analytics ( Disciplinary Elective )
2022 Major in Risk Management ( Disciplinary Elective )
2022 Major in Statistics ( Disciplinary Elective )
2021 Major in Decision Analytics ( Disciplinary Elective )
2021 Major in Risk Management ( Disciplinary Elective )
2021 Major in Statistics ( Disciplinary Elective )
Course to PLO Mapping 2024 Major in Decision Analytics < PLO 2,3,4,5,6 >
2024 Major in Risk Management < PLO 1,2,3,4,5,6 >
2024 Major in Statistics < PLO 1,2,3,4,5,6 >
2023 Major in Decision Analytics < PLO 2,3,4,5,6 >
2023 Major in Risk Management < PLO 1,2,3,4,5,6 >
2023 Major in Statistics < PLO 1,2,3,4,5,6 >
2022 Major in Decision Analytics < PLO 2,3,4,5,6 >
2022 Major in Risk Management < PLO 1,2,3,4,5,6 >
2022 Major in Statistics < PLO 1,2,3,4,5,6 >
2021 Major in Decision Analytics < PLO 2,3,4,5,6 >
2021 Major in Risk Management < PLO 1,2,3,4,5,6 >
2021 Major in Statistics < PLO 1,2,3,4,5,6 >
Offer in 2025 - 2026 Y        1st sem    2nd sem    Examination No Exam     
Offer in 2026 - 2027 Y
Course Grade A+ to F
Grade Descriptors
A Demonstrate thorough mastery at an advanced level of extensive knowledge and skills required for attaining all the course learning outcomes. Show strong analytical and critical abilities and logical thinking, with evidence of original thought, and ability to apply knowledge to a wide range of complex, familiar and unfamiliar situations. Apply highly effective organizational and presentational skills.
B Demonstrate substantial command of a broad range of knowledge and skills required for attaining at least most of the course learning outcomes. Show evidence of analytical and critical abilities and logical thinking, and ability to apply knowledge to familiar and some unfamiliar situations. Apply effective organizational and presentational skills.
C Demonstrate general but incomplete command of knowledge and skills required for attaining most of the course learning outcomes. Show evidence of some analytical and critical abilities and logical thinking, and ability to apply knowledge to most familiar situations. Apply moderately effective organizational and presentational skills.
D Demonstrate partial but limited command of knowledge and skills required for attaining some of the course learning outcomes. Show evidence of some coherent and logical thinking, but with limited analytical and critical abilities. Show limited ability to apply knowledge to solve problems. Apply limited or barely effective organizational and presentational skills.
Fail Demonstrate little or no evidence of command of knowledge and skills required for attaining the course learning outcomes. Lack of analytical and critical abilities, logical and coherent thinking. Show very little or no ability to apply knowledge to solve problems. Organization and presentational skills are minimally effective or ineffective.
Communication-intensive Course N
Course Type Project-based course
Course Teaching
& Learning Activities
Activities Details No. of Hours
Reading / Self study Tutorials, group work/project, reading/self-study 120.0
Assessment Methods
and Weighting
Methods Details Weighting in final
course grade (%)		 Assessment Methods
to CLO Mapping
Oral presentation oral presentation, progress, attendance, and in-class discussion 50.0 1,2,3,4,5,6
Research report written report 50.0 1,2,3,4,5,6
Required/recommended reading
and online materials		 No specific list of textbooks and references. Students are encouraged to obtain information via various channels (main library, e-journals, internet, and discussions with classmates and teachers, etc.).
Course Website http://moodle.hku.hk
Additional Course Information