BIOL 311 - Biostatistics

Credit Hours: 4
This course is an overview or introduction of statistical methods applied to biology and builds on the basic statistics taught very generally in the four core courses of the biology curriculum. After an introduction to data, probability, and sampling distributions, statistical inference and hypothesis testing will be covered. We will examine a variety of statistical tests, including one- and two-sample tests, correlation and regression analyses, multinomial tests, analysis of variance, and nonparametric tests. Among the natural sciences, biological data can present particular challenges, such as a high amount of variability, as well as spatial and temporal correlation problems. We will discuss how to identify and mitigate these issues. Students should be prepared to work independently and in small groups on assignments and homework. Students will use statistical software to perform analyses and learn how to apply their statistical knowledge to their own research projects. Lecture and laboratory.

Prerequisite(s): BIOL 106 and BIOL 106L.