EDMassachusetts Institute of Technology · on edX
Fundamentals of Statistics
Advanced 120 hours English Verified CertificateFREE
About this course
Fundamentals of Statistics teaches the principles underpinning statistical inference — not just which test to run, but why it works and when it doesn't. It's part of MIT's MicroMasters in Statistics and Data Science, built at MIT's own academic standard rather than a practitioner's quick-reference course.
The honest take: this is theory-first and proof-heavy. If you want to immediately apply statistics in a business or data analysis context, a more applied course will get you there faster. If you want to actually understand the mathematics behind the methods, this is the real thing.
What you'll learn
Understand the mathematical foundations of statistical inference
Apply hypothesis testing rigorously, not just mechanically
Work with parametric and non-parametric methods
Understand linear regression from first principles
Reason about when statistical methods do and don't apply
Build a foundation equivalent to graduate-level statistics coursework
This course includes
120h
On-demand video
Yes
Certificate
Yes
Mobile access
English
Language
Comparison · LBS
Compare alternatives for Fundamentals of Statistics
Same topic, different options. We surface the trade-offs others hide so you can pick the course that actually fits your time, budget, and goals.
EDedX
Fundamentals of Statistics
- Price
- FreeAudit free · Verified cert available
- Duration
- 120 hrs
- Level
- Advanced
- Certificate
- Verified
COCoursera4.6(102,000)
IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
- Price
- FreeAudit free · Cert $49/mo
- Duration
- 110 hrs
- Level
- Beginner
- Certificate
- Professional
EDedX4.4(131)
Data Science: Building Machine Learning Models
- Price
- FreeAudit free · HarvardX certificate available ($149)
- Duration
- 24 hrs
- Level
- Beginner
- Certificate
- Professional
EDedX
Probability - The Science of Uncertainty and Data
- Price
- FreeAudit free · MITx certificate available (paid)
- Duration
- 160 hrs
- Level
- Advanced
- Certificate
- Professional
Prices & availability can change — confirm on the provider's site. We're not affiliated with any single provider.
Instructor
I
Instructor
edX instructor
— learners— courses — instructor rating
Taught by MIT faculty as part of the MITx MicroMasters in Statistics and Data Science.
Requirements
- Calculus
- Linear algebra
- Probability fundamentals
Who this course is for
- Learners with strong math background
- MicroMasters in Statistics and Data Science candidates
About this provider
ED
edX
Non-profit online learning platform founded by Harvard and MIT. 45M+ learners worldwide.
4.5 trust score
Frequently asked questions
No — it's theory-first, focused on why methods work, not a quick-reference applied course.
Audit free; a verified certificate is available for a fee.
Around 120 hours.
Yes — calculus, linear algebra, and probability fundamentals are all assumed.
Yes, it's a core course in MIT's MicroMasters in Statistics and Data Science.