Which Stats Course?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>Taking a statistics course is not required for my degree, but I have been told it's a good idea to take one anyway. Assuming this is sound advice (is it?), which course would be more useful to me as an engineer? I'm not afraid of the more rigorous one (should I be?), but I have a feeling all I need is the basics (still a 400 level course).</p>

<p>Stat</a> 400 - Applied Probability and Statistics I
Prerequisites: Calc II
Stat 400 is an introductory course to probability, the mathematical theory of randomness, and to statistics, the mathematical science of data analysis and analysis in the presence of uncertainty. Applications of statistics and probability to real world problems are also presented.</p>

<p>or</p>

<p>Stat</a> 410 - Introduction to Probability Theory
Prerequisites: Linear Algebra, Calc III
The course is a solid introduction to the formulation and manipulation of probability models, leading up to a rigorous proof of the law of large numbers and the central limit theorem. The emphasis is on concepts: sets and combinatorics allow a precise mathematical formulation of probability models, multivariable calculus supplies machinery for changing variables and calculating probabilities and average values relating to vectors of real-valued random variables, and limit theorems allow event-occurrences which are individually unpredictable to become predictable in the aggregate.</p>

2

<p>I suggest the simpler one.
Honestly, I don’t suggest you start with calculus-based statistics. The more important aspect of statistics is to know how sampling and data works, not so much the math behind it.</p>

3

<p>I looked into the lower division courses and I’m ineligible for one because I’ve taken math courses beyond calc II and the other one is only open to elementary education majors :-/</p>

4

<p>Stat 400</p>

<p>If you use probability and/or statistics as an engineer or computer scientist, more than likely (hey, I just did a predictor…heh heh), it will be applied statistics. You will not have to prove anything.</p>

5

<p>Son took the theory-version and he loved it but he’s a proof-guy. If you don’t care to do the proofs, take the other one.</p>

6

<p>If you’re an EE major (communication theory and the like) 410 may be more useful, all other engineering majors will do better with 400.</p>