Who Should Take STAT 204?

1. Students who wish to ultimately do research in probability but for whom 205AB would be too big a jump from their background could take this section of 204 and then take the 205AB sequence afterwards. Alternatively, students can take 204 and try to transition into 205B by doing appropriate reading over the Winter break: the Statistics department may provide tutoring for such students - consult with the Statistics Chair.
2. Students, particularly those from Business, Economics, and IEOR, who wish to take Stat 251 (Stochastic Analysis with Applications to Mathematical Finance).
3. Students who need a relatively sophisticated understanding of probability and stochastic processes to better understand subjects such as theoretical statistics, survival analysis, analysis of algorithms, econometrics, finance, and machine learning.
4. Mathematics students who would like to learn more probability even though it is not essential to their major area, but aren't able or willing to spend the time on it that the 205AB sequence requires.
5. Students in other departments who wish to take a 2 or 3 course minor in Statistics, not all of which (perhaps not any of which) are essential for their major area, and who have already taken the equivalent of Stat 101/134.
6. Masters students who have the background of Stat 101/134 and Math 104 and would like to take another probability course as part of their Masters program.
7. Excellent undergraduate majors in Statistics or Mathematics who have taken Stat 101/134 and Math 104 by their junior year and would like to take a further probability course in their senior year that would count for their major and would also prepare them for a 205AB type course as a PhD student.