BSTA 101: Population Health Data Science (PHDS) - II
Coordinates and Contact
- Instructor: Tom McAndrew
- Email: mcandrew@lehigh.edu
- Office coordinates: HST 175
- Office hours: To be voted on by students | By appointment
Class Logistics and Resources
Class Time and Location
- Tuesdays, Thursdays 12:10 PM - 1:25 PM in Drown Hall Room 209
Tentative Timeline
| Topic | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Computing the probability of a dataset | Week 1 |
| The likelihood and loglikelihood functions | Week 2 |
| Just in time derivatives and maximum likelihood | Weeks 3-4 |
| Matrix calculus and orthogonality | Week 5 |
| Fisher Information and MLE theory | Weeks 6-7 |
| Midterm | Week 8 (by vote) |
| Conditional expectation and simple regression | Weeks 9-10 |
| Multivariate linear regression | Week 11 |
| Logistic regression | Weeks 12-13 |
| Poisson regression | Week 14 |
| Final | TBD |
Textbook
The course follows the Textbook
being written for this class.
Additional free resources include:
- An Introduction to Statistical Learning
- Introductory Statistics for the Life and Biomedical Sciences
- Computational and Inferential Thinking
Policies
Attendance
Attendance is crucial. If sick, notify the instructor and stay home. Excused absences allow for makeup evaluations.
Collaboration
Work together, but submit your own answers. Collaboration on quizzes, midterms, and finals is prohibited.
Dishonesty, plagiarism, and violations of the Lehigh University Honor Code will be reported.
Technology
Computing
Python 3 will be used to illustrate statistical concepts. However, coding is not required for assignments in this course. Coding will be reserved for BSTA103 – Algorithms Lab II.
Assignments
Grading Breakdown
| Item | Weight |
|---|---|
| Quizzes | 25% |
| Homework | 50% |
| Midterm | 12.5% |
| Final | 12.5% |
Homework
Homework is due in person, one week after the assignment is given. Late homework grades are reduced as follows:
[
f(\text{grade}, \text{days late}) = \text{grade} \times e^{-0.35 \cdot \text{days late}}
]
Homework more than one week late is evaluated as zero unless related to documented mental or physical illness.
Exams
- Midterm: In-class, full period.
- Final: In-class, full period.
- Quizzes: Due by midnight on the same day they are assigned. No communication with anyone except the instructor is allowed for quizzes and exams.
Extra Credit
Extra credit opportunities arise at the end of each chapter, including creating homework questions with answer keys, summarizing material for future classes, or discussing real-world applications.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Lehigh University provides accommodations through Disability Support Services. Contact DSS:
- In person: Williams Hall, Suite 301
- Phone: 610-758-4152
- Email: indss@lehigh.edu
- Online: Disability Services
Principles of Our Equitable Community
Lehigh University endorses The Principles of Our Equitable Community . Respect for differing viewpoints is essential inside and outside the classroom.