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HarvardX: Data Science: Probability

4.3 stars
51 ratings

Learn probability theory -- essential for a data scientist -- using a case study on the financial crisis of 2007-2008.

Data Science: Probability
8 weeks
1–2 hours per week
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
Free
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Starts Nov 15
Ends Dec 18
Starts Nov 15
Starts Apr 16, 2025

About this course

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In this course, part of our Professional Certificate Program in Data Science,you will learn valuable concepts in probability theory. The motivation for this course is the circumstances surrounding the financial crisis of 2007-2008. Part of what caused this financial crisis was that the risk of some securities sold by financial institutions was underestimated. To begin to understand this very complicated event, we need to understand the basics of probability.

We will introduce important concepts such as random variables, independence, Monte Carlo simulations, expected values, standard errors, and the Central Limit Theorem. These statistical concepts are fundamental to conducting statistical tests on data and understanding whether the data you are analyzing is likely occurring due to an experimental method or to chance.

Probability theory is the mathematical foundation of statistical inference which is indispensable for analyzing data affected by chance, and thus essential for data scientists.

At a glance

  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English
  • Associated programs:
  • Associated skills:Probability, Probability Theories, Data Science, Financial Crisis, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Data Analysis, Monte Carlo Methods, Statistical Inference, Random Variables, Securities (Finance)

What you'll learn

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  • Important concepts in probability theory including random variables and independence
  • How to perform a Monte Carlo simulation
  • The meaning of expected values and standard errors and how to compute them in R
  • The importance of the Central Limit Theorem

Frequently Asked Questions

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Harvard University and HarvardX are committed to maintaining a safe and healthy educational and work environment in which no member of the community is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination or harassment in our program. All members of the HarvardX community are expected to abide by Harvard policies on nondiscrimination, including sexual harassment, and the edX Terms of Service. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact harvardx@harvard.edu and/or report your experience through the edX contact form.

This course is part of Data Science Professional Certificate Program

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Expert instruction
9 skill-building courses
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
1 year 5 months
2 - 3 hours per week

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