Advanced Quantitative Methods I: Description and Prediction
API 209
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
The goal of this course is to prepare students to analyze public policy issues using statistics. Topics included fall in the areas of probability theory, statistical inference, causal inference, and machine learning. While many students taking this course will have already taken courses in statistics and econometrics, this course will probably place a much stronger emphasis than typical courses on conceptually understanding the statistical methods. Since the course is targeted to first-year students in the MPA/ID program, we will not shy away from using the mathematical tools needed to develop the conceptual understanding. But the emphasis of the course will be on the conceptual understanding and application of the tools rather than on the math or the mechanics behind the tools.
Course Notes
This course is open to non-MPA/ID students only by permission of the instructor. May not be taken for credit with API-201.
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.
Recommended Prep
Prerequisites: Multivariate calculus or linear algebra.
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
