Syllabus

NoteTerm 2025 Winter 2: 05 Jan 2026 — 10 Apr 2026

Course info

Instructors:

Section 201 Tue/Thu

Section 202 Wed/Fri

Communication:
All communications from the instruction team will be done via Canvas Announcements. Canvas is also the preferred method for you to communicate with us. Please adjust your Canvas settings in order to receive all Announcements and Conversation messages promptly. It is your responsibility to remain informed about all course-related issues and news. You are assumed to have read all course Canvas announcements and to be 100% familiar with the content of this syllabus. You cannot claim ignorance.

Office hours:
See Canvas.

Course webpage:
Canvas and https://ubc-stat.github.io/stat-302/

Lectures:
Tue/Thu 2 - 3:30 (section 201)
Wed/Fri 9 - 10:30 (section 202)
See Canvas for location.

Prerequisite:
One of MATH 200, 217, 226, 253 or 254.

Note:
STAT 302 is equivalent to MATH 302. Proofs and formal mathematical reasoning and argumentation are an important component of the course.

Structured Office Hours / Tutorials:
Weekly office hours from each member of the teaching team will be posted on Canvas. These are opportunities for you to work on selected problems with the guidance of a TA (similar to tutorial sessions). You may attend any session that fits your schedule, regardless of your registered section.

Policy on electronic devices

As you will see below, class participation will be integral to student learning. For this reason, we are mandating that electronic devices (phones, tablets, laptops, etc.) be put away for the entirety of the class period. We reserve the right to refuse to collect your in-class work for the day.

Course description

Basic notions of probability, random variables, expectation and conditional expectation, discrete and continuous probability distributions, limit theorems.

Tentative topics

  1. Definition and rules of probability (Chapter 1).
  2. Random variables, discrete and continuous probability distributions, change of variables (Chapter 2.1 — 2.6).
  3. Bivariate and multivariate probability distribution: Joint, marginal and conditional distributions, conditioning and independence, simulation (Chapter 2.7 &ndash 2.10).
  4. Expectations, variance, generating functions, conditional expectation (Chapter 3).
  5. Inequalities, sampling distributions, convergence in probability and distribution, Monte Carlo (Chapter 4).

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, you will be able to:

  • Calculate probabilities using combinatorics techniques to count outcomes of interest
  • Use the properties of conditional probabilities and Bayes’ Theorem to calculate probabilities of events of interest
  • Use known discrete and continuous distributions to compute probabilities, expected values and variances
  • Use bivariate and multivariate distributions to compute probabilities involving two or more random variables, calculate correlations, expectations, and conditional expectations.
  • Derive moment generating functions and use them to characterize distributions.
  • Use probability inequalities (e.g. Jensen’s, Markov’s, Chernoff) to calculate bounds and other approximations to probabilities and expected values.

Textbooks

Course assessment opportunities

Effort-based component

  • Pre-class WebWork: [0, 14]
  • In-class exercises: [0, 14]

Total: min(20, Pre-class + In-class)

Pre-class work (14 points available)

Weekly problem sets on WebWork. You must do them before your first class of the week (starting in week 2). These are to check that you have done the assigned weekly reading, and to ensure that you are prepared to participate during class. Not all problem sets have the same number of questions. Your grade will be the proportion of correct answers over all available problems. These are partially formative assessments, you will have 3 attempts for each question.

In-class work (14 points available)

Each class will begin with a brief period of lecture to review and emphasize the content for the day. The remainder of the period will consist of practice problems. Some of these will be collected and lightly graded by the TAs.

Policy on collaboration on WebWork

Discussing Pre-class WebWork with your classmates is allowed and encouraged, but it is important that every student get practice working on these problems. The general policy on homework collaboration is:

You should first make a serious effort to solve the problem. If you are stuck after doing so, you may ask for help from another student. You may discuss strategies to solve the problem, but you may not look at their solutions, nor may they spell out the solution to you step-by-step.

This also applies in reverse: if someone approaches you for help, you must not provide it unless they have already attempted to solve the problem, and you may not share your code or spell out the solution step-by-step.

These rules also apply to getting help from other people such as friends not in the course (try the problem first, discuss strategies, not step-by-step solutions).

You should not use homework help websites, ChatGPT, Stack Overflow, and so on under any circumstances. The purpose here is to learn. Good faith efforts toward learning are rewarded.

You can always, of course, ask us for help. Public questions on Piazza are allowed and encouraged.

Your score on Pre-class and In-class work

The total you can accumulate across these 2 components is 20 points. But you can get there however you want. The total available is 28 points. The rest is up to you. But with choice, comes responsibility.

Rules:

  • Nothing dropped.
  • No extensions, no make ups, no weight transfers. Do not insist.
  • If you miss class or a Pre-class deadline, then you miss it.
  • There are no “excused” absences for any reason. If you know you’ll be absent, then adjust your plans accordingly. Work ahead so that emergencies at the deadline don’t impact your plans. Manage your time.

We’re not going to police any of this. You don’t need to let us know.

Note

Choose your own adventure. Note that the biggest barrier to doing well is skipping class, office hours, and not doing coursework conscientiously.

Midterm exams

There will be 2 midterms. Each is worth 20 points.

Final exam

40 points

Policy regarding missed midterms

There will be no make-up Midterm Exams. No exceptions will be considered. Do not insist.

If you have valid grounds for an academic concession regarding a Midterm Exam, one may be granted if you apply for it. Otherwise you will receive a grade of zero. Please follow the instructions below to apply for an academic concession if you miss a Midterm. You can find more information about what constitutes valid grounds for an academic concession and UBC’s policy here

Students who miss a Midterm Exam:

  1. Should notify the instructor prior to (if possible) or immediately after the midterm; and

  2. Must, within 48 hours of the missed Midterm Exam fill out and submit to the course instructor a “Student Declaration of Academic Concession” form (available on the Canvas page of the course). Failure to do this will result in a grade of zero in the Midterm Exam.

Academic Concessions

These are handled according to UBC policy. Please see:

Health issues and considerations - Take care of yourself

Course work at this level can be intense, and I encourage you to take care of yourself. Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress. I struggle with these issues too, and I try hard to set aside time for things that make me happy (cooking, playing/listening to music, exercise, going for walks).

All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. If you are having any problems or concerns, do not hesitate to speak with me. There are also many resources available on campus that can provide help and support. Asking for support sooner rather than later is almost always a good idea.

If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, I strongly encourage you to seek support. UBC Counseling Services is here to help: call 604 822 3811 or visit their website. Consider also reaching out to a friend, faculty member, or family member you trust to help get you the support you need.

Note

Please talk with me if you have any concerns, or ask me if you are worried about falling behind.

University policies

UBC provides resources to support student learning and to maintain healthy lifestyles but recognizes that sometimes crises arise and so there are additional resources to access including those for survivors of sexual violence. UBC values respect for the person and ideas of all members of the academic community. Harassment and discrimination are not tolerated nor is suppression of academic freedom. UBC provides appropriate accommodation for students with disabilities and for religious, spiritual and cultural observances. UBC values academic honesty and students are expected to acknowledge the ideas generated by others and to uphold the highest academic standards in all of their actions. Details of the policies and how to access support are available here.

Academic honesty and standards

UBC Vancouver Statement

Academic honesty is essential to the continued functioning of the University of British Columbia as an institution of higher learning and research. All UBC students are expected to behave as honest and responsible members of an academic community. Breach of those expectations or failure to follow the appropriate policies, principles, rules, and guidelines of the University with respect to academic honesty may result in disciplinary action.

For the full statement, please see the 2025/26 Vancouver Academic Calendar

Cheating, in my experience, occurs because students don’t understand the material, so the result is usually a failing grade even before I impose any penalty and report the incident to the Dean’s office. I carefully structure exams and assignments to make it so that I can catch these issues. And we do. You should do your own work, and use the TAs and me as resources. If you are struggling, reach out, we are here to help.

Caution

If I suspect cheating, your case will be forwarded to the Dean’s office. You will be informed in writing that I have started the process.

Generative AI

Tools to help you code more quickly are rapidly becoming more prevalent. The point of this course is not to “complete assignments” but to learn how to tackle these type of problems, how to think about them correctly. With that goal in mind, I recommend you avoid the use of Generative AI. It is unlikely to contribute directly to your learning, or your understanding of the material. Furthermore, I have experimented with certain tools on the assignments for this course and have found the results underwhelming.

The material in this course is best learned through trial and error, and discussions with experts in the field. Avoiding this mechanism (with generative AI or by copying your friend) is a short-term solution at best. I have tried to structure this course to discourage these types of short cuts, and minimize the pressure you may feel to take them.

Missed final exam

Students who miss the final exam must report to their Faculty advising office, and must supply supporting documentation. Only your Faculty Advising office can grant deferred standing in a course. You must also notify your instructor prior to (if possible) or immediately after the exam.

If you are granted Deferred Standing you will be expected to write your Deferred Exam with the next offering of STAT 302. Note that you may not have access to the Canvas website after the Term in which you were registered in this course ends.

Deferred exams will ONLY be provided to students who have applied for and received deferred standing from their Faculty.

Check list if you miss the final exam:

  1. Report to your Faculty Advising Office within 48 hours, and supply supporting documentation;
  2. Faculty of Science students please refer to Science Advising;
  3. Notify your instructor prior to (if possible) or immediately after the Final Exam;
  4. Deferred exams will ONLY be provided to students who have applied for and received Deferred Standing from their Faculty Advising Office;

Reference letters

We are rarely able to write informative reference letters (which are the only helpful ones) for students in this class. I know this may be disappointing, but I can only write letters for students that I know very well. Useful reference letters discuss skills and characteristics that are not reflected on your resume or transcript (e.g. motivation, imagination, curiosity, team working skills, etc.) If you are planning to apply to a graduate program, I suggest you get involved in a summer research project and / or work as TA for one of our courses. For more information, please visit https://www.stat.ubc.ca/summer-undergraduate-research-assistants and https://www.stat.ubc.ca/teaching-assistants-graduate-and-undergraduate.

UBC policies and resources to support student success

UBC provides resources to support student learning and to maintain healthy lifestyles but recognizes that sometimes crises arise and so there are additional resources to access including those for survivors of sexual violence. UBC values respect for the person and ideas of all members of the academic community. Harassment and discrimination are not tolerated nor is suppression of academic freedom. UBC provides appropriate accommodation for students with disabilities and for religious and cultural observances. UBC values academic honesty and students are expected to acknowledge the ideas generated by others and to uphold the highest academic standards in all of their actions. Details of the policies and how to access support are available here: https://senate.ubc.ca/policies-resources-support-student-success

More UBC resources for student success