STAT 103: Fundamentals of Statistics

Credit Hours

3

Prerequisites

Math Placement Test or MATH 100 (with a grade of "C" or better).

Description

An introduction to statistical reasoning. Students learn how statistics has helped to solve major problems in economics, education, genetics, medicine, physics, political science, and psychology. Topics include: design of experiments, descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation, the normal distribution, the binomial distribution, correlation and regression, sampling, estimation, and testing of hypothesis.

Textbook

D. Freedman, R. Pisani, R. Purves, Statistics, 4th edition. W. W. Norton & Company (2007). ISBN: 978-0393-92972-0.

Common Syllabus for STAT 103

Introduction (Chapters 1 and 2)
   • Controlled Experiments
   • Observational Studies

Descriptive Statistics (Chapters 3–6)
   • Histograms 
   • Mean and Standard Deviation
   • Normal Approximation for Data
   • Measurement Error

Chance Variability (Chapters 16–18)
   • Law of Averages
   • Expected Value and Standard Error
   • Normal Approximation for Probability Histograms

Sampling (Chapters 19–21, 23)
   • Sample Surveys
   • Chance Errors in Sampling
   • Accuracy of Percentages
   • Accuracy of Averages

Tests of Significance (Chapters 26–27)
   • Hypothesis Tests
   • More Tests for Averages

Correlation and Regression (Chapters 8–12)
   • Correlation
   • More Correlation
   • Regression
   • R.M.S. Error for Regression
   • Regression Line

Supplemental topics chosen from the following, if time allows:

Probability (Chapters 13–14)

More Hypothesis Tests (Chapters 28–29)