Data Analysis for Social Scientists
MIT's introduction to quantitative methods for social science research, part of the MicroMasters Program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy. The course opens with core probability and statistics, then moves into regression and econometrics, experimental design, randomized control trials and A/B testing, machine learning, and data visualization. Examples are drawn from real-world policy questions and frontier research in economics. Students get hands-on instruction in the statistical package R and complete self-directed empirical analyses using it. The course is free to audit online through MITx Online; a certificate is available for a fee based on ability to pay after passing a proctored exam. Materials include recorded lectures, problem sets, and applied exercises geared toward learners with some quantitative background.