The SAS is based on the book "Statistics for Scientists – A Concise Guide for Data-driven Research" by Umberto Michelucci (Program Head) and compactly combines theory, practice and ethical aspects. Instead of a pure collection of formulas, the focus is on understanding: Participants learn when which method makes sense and how to communicate results correctly. Practical examples and Python notebooks facilitate the transfer to AI, data science and analytics projects.
Module 1 – Statistical Thinking & Fundamentals
In this module, the basic concepts of statistics are introduced: population, sample, random variables and outcome spaces. Participants will learn about the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics and understand the role of statistics in data-driven projects. Practical examples show how statistical thinking makes decisions more robust.
Module 2 – Data, Samples & Key Figures
This is about data types (qualitative, quantitative, longitudinal, cross-sectional) and good sampling methods. Topics such as bias and initial bootstrap ideas help to identify typical pitfalls in data collection. Central key figures such as mean, median, variance and standard deviation are introduced and critically interpreted.
Module 3 – Distributions, Hypothesis Testing & Regression
This module covers important distributions such as normal, binomial, and Poisson distributions. Participants learn about confidence intervals, p-values, and type I and type II errors, and use simple hypothesis tests. In addition, correlation, simple linear regression and the understanding of R² are worked out using understandable examples.
Module 4 – Practical Project, Ethics & Communication
In the final module, participants work on a mini-project or notebook on a real data set. They describe and visualize data, interpret key figures, test a simple hypothesis and communicate their results in a way that is appropriate for the target group. In addition, topics such as transparency, reproducibility and ethical aspects of statistical analyses are discussed.
