MATH2801 is a Mathematics Level II course; See the course overview below.

Units of credit: 6

Prerequisites: MATH1031(Credit) or MATH1231 or MATH1241 or MATH1251 (or, in program 3653, MATH1131 or MATH1141)

Exclusions: Students who have studied another introductory statistics course that has a theoretical focus: ECON2215, MATH2089, MATH2099, MATH2829, MATH2839, MATH2841, MATH2859, MATH2899, MATH2901.


Cycle of offering: yearly in Semester 1.

Graduate attributes: the course will enhance your research, inquiry and analytical thinking abilities.

More information: this recent course handout (pdf) contains information about course objectives, assessment, course materials and the syllabus. (This pdf will usually be updated by the end of the first week of the semester.)

The Online Handbook entry contains up-to-date timetabling information.

If you are currently enrolled in MATH2801, you can log into the My eLearning Vista instance of this course.

Statistics is the study of collecting, analysing, and interpreting data, and plays an essential role in scientific research, finance and many other areas. This course is an introduction to the theoretical underpinnings of statistics, essential knowledge for anyone considering a career in quantitative modelling or data analysis.

You will learn probability and distribution theory on which modern statistical practice is founded, and how to apply it to answer important practical questions raised in medical research, ecology, the media and more.


Topics covered include random variables, standard distributions, bivariate distributions, transformations, convergence of random variables, normal random samples, an introduction to statistical inference, methods of parameter estimation and inference, hypothesis testing.