MA in Public Policy and Administration Program Courses - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

Course Schedule

Please note that course schedules may be amended due to low enrollment, faculty availability, and/or other factors.

Online Sync Sessions are an integral part of the online learning experience. Additional information about learning concepts and assignments may be discussed and sync sessions offer valuable opportunities for students to interact with their faculty and peers during the term. We encourage all students to attend live, but if they are unable to, sync sessions will be recorded and posted within Canvas to allow for an asynchronous model of success as well.

MPPA 405-0 : Statistics for Research

Description

This course introduces students to basic statistical concepts and methods that are relevant to public policy research and development. Emphasis is on the identification, use, and interpretation of statistical results rather than the theoretical development of statistical concepts and procedures. Topics include descriptive statistics (central tendency, dispersion, and data display); probability; probability distributions; inference (confidence intervals and hypothesis testing); correlation; bivariate regression; contingency tables and the chi-square test; statistical computing.

Students will do homework using the R language and RStudio. It is recommended that students take the free, facilitated workshop, R Learning Studio https://sps.northwestern.edu/masters/resources.php#studio in the quarter prior to registering for MPPA 405 Statistics. Students should concentrate on Modules 1, 2, and 5.