Refer to Example 4. At the end of each year the faculty examines the progress that each advanced-level student has made on the required thesis. Past records indicate that 30% of advanced-level students (A) complete the thesis requirement (C) and 10% are dropped from the program for insufficient progress (D), never to return. The remaining students continue to work on their theses.

(A) Draw a transition diagram.

(B) Find the transition matrix P.

(C) What is the probability that an advanced-level student completes the thesis requirement within 4 years? Is dropped from the program for insufficient progress within 4 years?

Data from Example 4

Part-time students in a university MBA program are considered to be entry-level students until they complete 15 credits successfully. Then they are classified as advanced-level students and can take more advanced courses and work on the thesis required for graduation. Past records indicate that at the end of each year, 10% of the entry-level students (E) drop out of the program (D) and 30% become advanced-level students (A). Also, 10% of the advanced-level students drop out of the program and 40% graduate (G) each year. Students that graduate or drop out never return to the program.