Introduction to Statistical Science (formerly MATH 0116) A practical introduction to statistical methods and the examination of data sets. Computer software will play a central role in analyzing a variety of real data sets from the natural and social sciences. Topics include descriptive statistics, elementary distributions for data, hypothesis tests, confidence intervals, correlation, regression, contingency tables, and analysis of variance. The course has no formal mathematics prerequisite, and is especially suited to students in the physical, social, environmental, and life sciences who seek an applied orientation to data analysis. (Credit is not given for MATH 0116 if the student has taken ECON 0111 (formerly ECON 0210) or PSYC 0201 previously or concurrently.)

Introduction to Data Science (formerly MATH 0118) In this course students will gain exposure to the entire data science pipeline: forming a statistical question, collecting and cleaning data sets, performing exploratory data analyses, identifying appropriate statistical techniques, and communicating the results, all the while leaning heavily on open source computational tools, in particular the R statistical software language. We will focus on analyzing real, messy, and large data sets, requiring the use of advanced data manipulation/wrangling and data visualization packages. Students will be required to bring alaptop (owned or college-loaned) to class as many lectures will involve in-class computational activities. (formerly MATH 0216) 3 hrs lect./disc.

Advanced Introduction to Statistical and Data Sciences An introduction to statistical methods and the examination of data sets for students with a background in calculus. Topics include descriptive statistics, elementary distributions for data, hypothesis tests, confidence intervals, and regression. Students develop skills in data cleaning, wrangling, visualization, and model fitting using the Statistical Software R.  Emphasis will be placed on reproducibility. (MATH 0121 or APAB 4 or APBC 3, or by waiver) (Not open to students who have taken MATH 0116, MATH 0118, ECON 0111 (formerly ECON 0210), PSYC 0201, STAT 0116, STAT 0118, BIOL 1230, ECON 1230, ENVS 1230, FMMC 1230, HARC 1230, JAPN 1230, LNGT 1230, NSCI 1230, MATH 1230, SOCI 1230, LNGT 1230, PSCI 1230, WRPR 1230, or GEOG 1230.)

Regression Theory and Applications (formerly MATH 0211) Regression is a popular statistical technique for making predictions and for modeling relationships between variables.  In this course we will discuss the theory and practical applications of linear, log-linear, and logistic regression models.  Topics include least squares estimation, coding for categorical predictors, analysis of variance, and model diagnostics.  We will apply these concepts to real datasets using R, a statistical programming language.  (MATH 0200; and MATH 0116 or STAT 0116, or MATH 0311 or STAT 0311) 3 hrs lect./disc.

Statistical Learning (formerly MATH 0218) This course is an introduction to modern statistical, machine learning, and computational methods to analyze large and complex data sets that arise in a variety of fields, from biology to economics to astrophysics. The theoretical underpinnings of the most important modeling and predictive methods will be covered, including regression, classification, clustering, resampling, and tree-based methods. Student work will involve implementation of these concepts using open-source computational tools.

Probability An introduction to the concepts of probability and their applications, covering both discrete and continuous random variables. Probability spaces, elementary combinatorial analysis, densities and distributions, conditional probabilities, independence, expectation, variance, weak law of large numbers, central limit theorem, and numerous applications.

Statistical Inference       An introduction to the mathematical methods and applications of statistical inference using both classical methods and modern resampling techniques. Topics will include: permutation tests, parametric and nonparametric problems, estimation, efficiency and the Neyman-Pearsons lemma. Classical tests within the normal theory such as F-test, t-test, and chi-square test will also be considered. Methods of linear least squares are used for the study of analysis of variance and regression. There will be some emphasis on applications to other disciplines. This course is taught using R.

Stochastic Processes Stochastic processes are mathematical models for random phenomena evolving in time or space. This course will introduce important examples of such models, including random walk, branching processes, the Poisson process and Brownian motion. The theory of Markov chains in discrete and continuous time will be developed as a unifying theme. Depending on time available and interests of the class, applications will be selected from the following areas: queuing systems, mathematical finance (Black-Scholes options pricing), probabilistic algorithms, and Monte Carlo simulation.

Bayesian Statistics (formerly MATH 0412) In this course, we will learn about the Bayesian paradigm of statistics, in which one’s inferences about parameters or hypotheses are updated as evidence accumulates. The goals of the course include understanding basic concepts of Bayesian inference; deriving posterior distributions; assessing the adequacy of Bayesian models; and effectively communicating results. Topics covered include one-parameter models, conjugacy, and Gibbs samplers. Real-world data and applications will feature heavily in this course. (MATH 0311 or STAT 0311) 2.5 hr. lect.

Advanced Probability Seminar An introduction to the mathematical foundations of Probability for students who have completed work in Probability and Real Analysis.  The central ideas correspond to the Lebesgue theory of measure and integration.  Probability provides additional perspective and motivates intriguing applications of the theory, which students will explore in their final projects.  Working independently and in small groups, students will gain experience reading advanced sources and communicating their insights through expository writing and oral presentations.  This course fulfills the capstone senior work requirement for the mathematics major.

Statistical Consulting In this course we will work with community partners to solve real-world problems using modern statistical and data science techniques. Students will work in small groups to translate research questions into actionable analysis and visualizations. Students will select a project of interest from a subset of community partners, maintain contact and collaboration with the community partner, and present their findings in a final symposium.

Advanced Hierarchical Modeling (formerly MATH 0712) Hierarchical or multilevel models provide a principled way to model data that are naturally grouped in order to take advantage of the relationship between observations in the same group, but also allow for borrowing of information across groups. In this senior seminar, we will introduce a variety of multilevel models, with a balance between the theoretical and conceptual foundations, as well as implementation and interpretation of the results. This seminar will focus on multilevel linear and logistic models. Every student will write a senior capstone paper.

Data Science Across Disciplines In this course, we will gain exposure to the entire data science pipeline—obtaining and cleaning, large and messy data sets, exploring these data and creating engaging visualizations, and communicating insights from the data in a meaningful manner. During morning sessions, we will learn the tools and techniques required to explore new and exciting data sets. During afternoon sessions, students will work in small groups with one of several faculty members on domain-specific research projects in Biology, Geography, History, Mathematics/Statistics and Sociology. This course will use the R programming language. No prior experience with R is necessary.  BIOL 1230: Students enrolled in Professor Casey’s afternoon section will use the tools of data science to investigate the drivers of tick abundance and tick-borne disease risk. To do this students will draw from a nation-wide ecological database.  GEOG 1230: In this section, we will investigate human vulnerability to natural hazards in the United States using location-based text data about hurricane and flood disasters from social media. We will analyze data qualitatively, temporally, and spatially to gain insights into the human experience of previous disasters and disaster response. We will present findings using spatial data visualizations with the aim of informing future disaster preparedness and resilience.  HIST 1230: In U.S. history, racial differences and discrimination have powerfully shaped who benefited from land and farm ownership. How can historians use data to understand the history of race and farming? Students will wrangle county- and state-level data from the U.S. Census of Agriculture from 1840-1912 to create visualizations and apps that allow us to find patterns in the history of race and land, to discover new questions we might not know to ask, and to create tools to better reveal connections between race, land, and farming for a general audience.    STAT 1230: In this course students will dive into the world of data science by focusing on invasive species monitoring data. Early detection is crucial to controlling many invasive species; however, there is a knowledge gap regarding the sampling effort needed to detect the invader early. In this course, we will work with decades of invasive species monitoring data collected across the United States to better understand how environmental variables play a role in the sampling effort required to detect invasive species. Students will gain experience in the entire data science pipeline, but the primary focus will be on data scraping, data visualization, and communication of data-based results to scientists and policymakers.  SOCI 1230:  Do sports fans care about climate change? Can sports communication be used to engage audiences on environmental sustainability? In this section of the course, students will use the tools of data science to examine whether interest in sports is associated with climate change knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, as well as other political opinions. Participants will use survey data to produce visualizations and exploratory analyses about the relationship between sports fandom and attitudes about environmental sustainability.

Alex Lyford

Becky Tang

Bill Peterson

Emily Malcolm-White

Meaghan Winder

Michael Czekanski

Steve Abbott

Read 87 reviews for Statistics courses at Middlebury College. Find the best Statistics professors and courses.  Discover your new major today!

For someone with a background in basic coding, this class would be great. I however had no experience with coding which made this class sort of overwhelming. The material was interesting and useful but the teachers explanation of the material was poor. 

Alex Lyford was a great professor and a really nice guy. The class itself is easy to follow and very informative. Homework was only due every once and a while but definitely took some time to complete. 

I didn't actually take this course with Professor Tang, I took it with Professor Winder, and she was an excellent professor. The course material was really fun and intuitive to learn, especially with her teaching style, and at no point really did I feel like the work was getting tedious and uninteresting.