Data Management and Statistical Programming

Catalog description

This is an online course that offers no in-person meetings. This course serves as a general introduction to the use of computer systems in epidemiologic investigations and biostatistical applications. Students will develop a conceptual understanding of data types, basic data structures, relational database systems and data normalization, data warehousing, control statements, and programming logic. Further, students will develop basic scripting skills and will learn to read in, manipulate, and perform basic descriptive analyses on research data using the SAS programming language. Primary emphasis in this course is on developing the knowledge and familiarity required to work with data in a statistical programming context. Basic familiarity with statistics is beneficial, as this course does not teach inferential statistical analysis in detail, but it is not vital to learning the course material.