Course goals

This graduate-level course is designed to serve two overlapping purposes: (1) help students prepare for the Consulting Practicum Course (STAT 551) and/or work with ASDa and (2) give students appropriate professional skills for research, thesis writing, other projects. The major goals are to

1. Read, understand, explain academic statistical concepts to non-statisticians
2. Give high-quality presentations
3. Learn how to convert subject-matter questions into statistical ones.
4. Communicate statistical conclusions carefully and rigorously, in writing and presentations
5. Use reasonable statistical workflows
6. Conduct quality computer experiments
7. Use version control effectively
8. Write verifiable, reproducible code

Class time will contain some lectures and some guest lectures as well as student presentations and workshops.