Pre-requisite Course Requirements
Admitted students need to have completed a three-credit graduate course in statistics (including topics such as random variables, probability, distributions, descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing and inferential statistics) with a minimum grade of B within the past five years.
Below is a list of VCU courses that applicants to the Doctoral Program in Health Related Sciences have taken to meet the graduate-level statistics prerequisite. This is not an exhaustive list, students have the option to find a graduate statistics course of their choosing.
STAT 508. Introduction to Social Statistics. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 2 lecture and 2 laboratory hours. 3 credits. Introduction to statistical methods applicable in a variety of settings, with emphasis on non-experimental data. Data description and analysis including chi-square and t-tests, using a statistical computing package. Not applicable toward M.S. in Mathematical Sciences or Computer Science. Cross-listed as: SOCY 508.
STAT 513. Mathematical Statistics I. 3 Hours.
Continuous course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MATH 307. Probability, random variables and their properties, distributions, moment generating functions, limit theorems, estimators and their properties; Neyman-Pearson and likelihood ratio criteria for testing hypotheses. Cross-listed as: BIOS 513.
STAT 543. Statistical Methods I. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. (delivered online, face to face or hybrid). Prerequisite: graduate standing, or one course in statistics and permission of instructor. Basic concepts and techniques of statistical methods, including: the collection and display of information, data analysis, and statistical measures; variation, sampling and sampling distributions; point estimation, confidence intervals and tests of hypotheses for one and two sample problems; principles of one-factor experimental design, one-way analysis of variance and multiple comparisons; correlation and simple linear regression analysis; contingency tables and tests for goodness of fit. Students may receive degree credit for only one of STAT 541/STAT 543/BIOS 543 or STAT 641. STAT 543/BIOS 543 is not applicable toward the M.S. degree in mathematical sciences or the M.S. degree in computer science. Cross-listed as: BIOS 543.
STAT 608. Statistics for Social Research. 3 Hours.
3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Prerequisite: STAT/SOCY 508 or SOCY 214 or permission of instructor. Statistical methods applied in social research. Topics include analysis of variance, correlation and regression, including stepwise methods, and the analysis of discrete data. Study of a statistical package, emphasizing manipulation of survey data sets. Not applicable toward M.S. in Mathematical Sciences or Computer Science. Cross-listed as: SOCY 608.
For students that are not local to Richmond, suggested classes are below:
The University of New England offers MATH 1050: Applied Statistics, a self-paced online course. Click here to view the syllabus for MATH 1050.
The University of Phoenix offers MTH 540: Statistics, an online course.