Recommended Introductory Courses
Are you unsure about which courses in statistics to take? The following are recommended first, second and third courses in statistics. (See the descriptions of the individual courses for more detail. Courses with numbers below 500 are listed under Undergraduate Course Descriptions while those with numbers above 500 are listed under Graduate Course Descriptions ...even though the 500 level courses are often suitable for undergraduates as well.)
First Course. If you have not had calculus, a first course can be STAT 301 or 501. If you have had calculus, a first course can be STAT 350, 503, or 511. Because all these first courses mentioned here have considerable overlap, a student should not take more than one of them.
Second Course. A second course for students who have not had calculus can be STAT 502 if you have taken 501 or received an A in STAT 301. Note that STAT 502 can also be taken if you have had an introductory statistics course from another university or department. A second course for students who have had calculus is STAT 512 or 513.
Third Course. If you have taken STAT 512, a third course can be STAT 514, 522, or 524.
Note that STAT 512 and 514 do not use calculus extensively, but do require quantitative skills most often developed by study of calculus. For STAT 514, experimental experience can replace mathematical preparation.
Probability. Undergraduates interested only in probability can take STAT 225, 311, or 416. Students interested in the theory of statistics should take STAT 417. (Note that STAT 416 is a prerequisite for STAT 417, and a first course in statistical methods such as STAT 350 or 511 is also recommended. The graduate masters level versions of 416 and 417 are 516 and 517. The Ph.D. versions are 519 and 528.)
