API-209: Advanced Quantitative Methods: Description and Prediction

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.

This course is open to non-MPA/ID students only by permission of the instructor. May not be taken for credit with API-201.