This PhD elective subject serves as an introduction to fundamental concepts of probability and statistics in social sciences. It will help doctoral students effectively collect, analyze, and draw inferences from data to help objective findings for qualitative and quantitative research. This elective exposes students to the logic of statistical reasoning and its application in social science studies. It is meant to be a thorough but accessible introduction to descriptive statistics, probability theory, and statistical inference. The emphasis will be placed on statistical reasoning, problem-solving, computer applications, and interpretation of the results. A basic understanding of high school algebra will be helpful, but not a prerequisite, as most of the complex calculations will be performed using computer and software.
