STAT 451 - Causal Inference

“Correlation does not imply causation.” We’ve all heard this mantra, warding us away from reading too much into the association between murder rates and ice cream sales, between shoe size and reading ability, and the like. But this mantra leaves us wanting: how do we study causation? Questions of causation are essential when we try to understand the effects of new medical treatments, economic policies, or government programs. In this course, we’ll examine frameworks of thinking, statistical tools, and study designs that enable us to learn about the causal effects of interventions. Some specific topics include causal graphs, experimental studies, and quasi-experimental study designs. This course is a capstone course with a significant project component. Prerequisite(s): STAT 155 Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)