<p>I'm a CS/Bio double major, and I need to take a class in probability/statistics. I'm given the choice of biostatistics or probability for scientists and engineers. The latter is a junior level math class offered by the college of mathematics, the former is a sophomore level biology class. I've heard general biostatistics is generally a blowoff class, which sort of upsets me considering I want to do research.</p>
<p>I feel like probability for scientists and engineers is more useful, but I don't know if it might miss some rudimentary information overlooked by what's needed for biology...</p>
<p>I'm extremely comfortable with partial derivatives, differential equations, integration techniques, etc. so the probability class doesn't worry me in terms of math. </p>
<p>I would like to use this to gain an advantage in research gigs, etc. as an undergraduate by advertising myself as someone who can code, run simulations, knows biology fairly proficiently, and can be a pseudo statistician if needed.</p>
<p>My best friend is a bio-statistician working on cancer trials. If you know you want to work in a biological/health/medical field go for biostats. Anything more physics/chemistry leaning, take probablity.</p>
<p>I see the choices you have as applied (Biostats) versus theory (probability). Do you want to see how statistics are used in the medical/public health field? Then chose bio stats. Do you want to know the math behind the bio stats? Take probability.</p>
<p>Both are useful. As a math major I took probability. As a social science doctoral student, I took Biostats.</p>
<p>The “Probability & Statistics for Engineers” is usually (I won’t say all schools, but most) is a course that covers the more applied aspects of separate courses in Probability and Mathematical Statistics. Of course, it will not go into as much depth (or theory) as the separate courses, but just enough depth for engineers…who usually are not concerned much with theory.</p>
<p>For both the Bio-statistics course and the Probability & Statistics for Engineers course, you will cover mostly the same topics BUT of course the Biostats course will use more applications to the biological sciences where as the P&S4E course will use applications in many areas (EE, ChemE, MechE, CS, Social Sci, Econ, etc).</p>