Can anyone tell me the pros of calculus based biostats vs regular non-calc based? I want the most out of my education but it has been years since I've taken calc. (I did fine in it though). Is it beneficial to take the calculus based or will I get what I need out of the regular class. Any input is appreciated and I thank you in advance.

matt

p.s. I'm in the international health department and have no desire to do biostats full-time aside from any that is required in an international health setting.

I did not take a calc-based stats class. I actually have a job where I use stats on a regular basis and have had no problem or need for any more than what I took in school. If you have no desire to work in biostats...then I think a regular biostats class will suffice.

Hey there,

Generally I agree with xmatt. I would say if your primary need will be to know how to appropriately select and apply a given test and to have a general understanding of that test then the non calculus course(s) would serve you well. Especially since you've indicated that you do not want to work in biostats. So, unless you are simply interested in a really rigorous study of statistics (there's something to be said for that), go with the non-calc courses.

Calculus? Not really! It's much more important IMO to have a solid basis in matrix algebra, when you take on multivariate analysis and such. It makes using SAS and programming multivariate situations MUCH easier.