Skip to main page content
Ideas
  1. Course Search
  2. API 201 D

Quantitative Analysis and Empirical Methods
API 201 D

Course Information

Description

Introduces students to concepts and techniques essential to the empirical analysis of public policy issues. Provides an introduction to probability, statistics, and decision analysis, emphasizing the ways in which these tools are applied to practical policy questions. Topics include: applied probability; decision making under uncertainty; working with data;  statistical inference; and hypothesis testing. The course also provides students an opportunity to become proficient in the use of generative AI tools to effectively analyze quantitative data.

Course Notes

API-201 is required for MPP students and is a prerequisite to API-202. Attendance at TF sessions will be required every other week. This course may not be taken for credit with API-205 or API-209. MPA students can enroll in API-201 only with the permission of the API-201 course head and if admitted will be assigned to a section by the MPP faculty chair.

Class Notes

This course has an in-person final exam during the December 9-18 exam period. Students are responsible for ensuring that they do not register for classes with exams scheduled at the same time. Please refer to the posted final exam schedule.

School Harvard Kennedy School
Credits 4
Cross Reg

Available for Harvard Cross Registration

Department HKS Government
Course Component Lecture
Instruction Mode In Person
Grading Basis HKS Letter Graded
Course Requirements Prerequisite: MPP students only
Exam/Final Deadline Dec. 15, 2026 12:00 PM
Academic Areas Markets, Business, and Government