EDHarvard University · on edX
Statistics and R
Intermediate 16 hours English Verified CertificateFREE
Our recommendation
The first course in HarvardX's Data Analysis for the Life Sciences series on edX, taught by Rafael Irizarry. It teaches core statistics — random variables, distributions, inference, p-values and confidence intervals — while getting you working in R from the start. It is rigorous and maths-aware, aimed at people who want to genuinely understand the reasoning behind statistical results, not just run tests.
Skills you'll gain
StatisticsRProbabilityInferencep-valuesConfidence intervalsRandom variables
Is this course right for you?
A good fit if you…
You want the reasoning behind statistics, not just recipes
You are comfortable with some maths
You want to learn R alongside the theory
Consider something else if you…
You want a maths-free overview
You prefer Excel or a point-and-click tool
You need applied business analytics rather than life sciences
About this course
Statistics and R is the first course in HarvardX's Data Analysis for the Life Sciences series on edX, taught by Rafael Irizarry. You can audit it free; a verified certificate costs around $199.
What you'll learn
Get started with R for data analysis
Work with random variables and distributions
Understand statistical inference
Interpret p-values and confidence intervals
Run analyses on real datasets in R
Build a foundation for further data-science study
This course includes
16h
On-demand video
Yes
Certificate
English
Language
What it costs
You can audit the full course free on edX. A verified certificate costs around $199. Financial assistance is available.
Comparison · LBS
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Prices & availability can change — confirm on the provider's site. We're not affiliated with any single provider.
Is the certificate recognised?
A HarvardX verified certificate on edX carries real brand weight, though it certifies course completion rather than any professional statistics credential.
Last updated
Instructor
RI
Rafael Irizarry
edX instructor
Rafael Irizarry is a Harvard biostatistics professor and a leading figure in applied statistics and R, known for teaching statistics through real data and code.
About this provider
ED
edX
Non-profit online learning platform founded by Harvard and MIT. 45M+ learners worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You can audit the full course free on edX; only the verified certificate (around $199) costs money.
No. R is taught from the start, though prior programming experience makes the pace easier.
It is maths-aware — you work with distributions, inference and p-values — but it explains the reasoning rather than assuming a statistics degree.
The examples are life-sciences based, but the statistics and R skills transfer to any data-analysis field.
It is the first course of Harvard's Data Analysis for the Life Sciences series, so it can be a stepping stone into the rest of that series.
Around four weeks at a few hours per week.