Introductory Statistics

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Cornell offers a variety of courses in statistics, but four courses (see table below) are most comparable to the AP statistics curriculum.  They have no prerequisites, they are all open to freshmen, and they can be applied to the Arts & Sciences MQR distribution requirement, the CALS quantitative literacy requirement, and the mathematics requirement for the biology major.  Students should consult their faculty advisors and/or major departments for help in selecting an appropriate course.

Cornell courses that are comparable to the AP statistics curriculum
Course Title Term(s) Administering College
MATH 1710 Statistical Theory and Application to the Real World fall, spring, summer Arts & Sciences
(Only Arts & Sciences students can pre-enroll.)
AEM 2100 Introductory Statistics spring Agriculture and Life Sciences
PAM 2100 Introduction to Statistics fall, spring Human Ecology
STSCI 2010 Introductory Statistics fall, spring, summer Computing and Information Science

What Sets MATH 1710 Apart

  • Small class sizes of 25-30 students.
  • Solid coverage of many basic techniques without emphasizing a particular discipline.
  • Somewhat greater emphasis on probability and the logic behind basic techniques.
  • Extensive use of the statistical software DataDesk.

Advanced Placement Credit

  • Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the CEEB Statistics exam (excluding engineering students) receive credit for one semester of statistics (3 credits) and placement out of the courses included in the table above.
  • Students who receive AP credit for statistics will forfeit that credit if they take any of the courses included in the table above or receive transfer credit for an equivalent course.

Transfer Credit

The Mathematics Department will approve an introductory statistics course only if it is a satisfactory equivalent to MATH 1710.  (See Transferring Credit from Another Institution.)  Statistics courses taken from social science departments (like psychology or sociology) must be approved by the corresponding social science department at Cornell.

More Applied or In-Depth Courses

Students can take any of the following applied (specialized) courses without losing AP credit:

  • BTRY 3010: Biological Statistics I
  • PSYCH 3500: Statistics and Research Design
  • SOC 3010: Evaluating Statistical Evidence (limited to Arts & Sciences students)

Students who have had some calculus and are more interested in the mathematical background of statistics, including probability, may take the following without loss of AP credit:

  • MATH 4710-4720: Basic Probability and Statistics
  • BTRY 4080-4090: Theory of Probability and Statistics
  • ECON 3190: Introduction to Statistics and Probability

Last modified:May 6, 2008