MOMIT · on MIT OpenCourseWare
Statistics for Applications (18.650)
Intermediate 30 hours EnglishFREE
Our recommendation
MIT's Statistics for Applications, free on OpenCourseWare — a rigorous treatment of the statistical methods used in data science and research, from estimation to regression and Bayesian ideas. It is mathematical and demanding, an excellent foundation with no certificate from the free materials.
Skills you'll gain
StatisticsHypothesis testingRegressionEstimationBayesian statisticsStatistical inference
Is this course right for you?
A good fit if you…
You are comfortable with maths
You want rigorous statistics
You are heading into data science or research
Consider something else if you…
You want a gentle applied course
You are uncomfortable with maths
You need a certificate
About this course
MIT 18.650 is a graduate-level statistics course covering the mathematical foundations of statistical inference: parameter estimation and maximum likelihood, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing (frequentist and Bayesian), linear and logistic regression, and goodness-of-fit tests. Philippe Rigollet teaches it with full mathematical rigor — proofs, not just formulas — at the pace MIT graduate students experience.
What you'll learn
Apply maximum likelihood estimation to statistical models
Construct and interpret confidence intervals rigorously
Conduct hypothesis tests with formal understanding of Type I/II errors
Understand and implement linear and logistic regression mathematically
Apply Bayesian inference methods and understand their relationship to frequentist approaches
This course includes
30h
On-demand video
Yes
Mobile access
English
Language
What it costs
Completely free through MIT OpenCourseWare. There is no certificate.
Comparison · LBS
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Prices & availability can change — confirm on the provider's site. We're not affiliated with any single provider.
Instructor
PR
Philippe Rigollet
MIT OpenCourseWare instructor
450K+ learners5 courses4.8 instructor rating
Taught by Philippe Rigollet, Professor of Mathematics at MIT, whose research focuses on statistics and machine learning theory.
About this provider
MO
MIT OpenCourseWare
MIT OpenCourseWare — free, openly licensed course materials from MIT's actual courses, including lecture notes, problem sets, and exams. No certificate.
Frequently asked questions
No. OpenCourseWare provides the materials free but does not certify completion.
Completely. All lectures and materials are open.
Yes. It is mathematically rigorous, covering the theory behind statistical methods.
Calculus and probability. It is pitched at intermediate to advanced level.
Khan's is a gentle, applied introduction; MIT 18.650 is rigorous and theory-heavy. Use Khan to build up, then this for depth.