STV4032 – Advanced Statistics for Political Science
Course description
Course content
A central task for political scientists is to draw valid causal inferences, which requires both appropriate research designs and careful statistical modeling. This course goes into more depth in both of these areas, enabling students to carry out advanced quantitative research projects. In particular, the course examines key strategies for dealing with unobserved confounders and for modeling complicated data structures. This is an elective course in advanced statistical analysis for MA students in Political science and Peace and conflict studies. It builds on the compulsory methods courses in the master programs for political science and Peace and conflict studies (STV4021, STV4022, PECOS4025?and PECOS4022).
Learning outcome
Knowledge
You will:
- know the preconditions for employing key strategies for drawing causal inferences
- understand key aspects of Bayesian and frequentist inference
Skills
You will learn to:
- employ key research designs for drawing causal inferences with observational data
- fit Bayesian models using Markov chain Monte Carlo approaches
- analyze a variety of data structures using appropriate models
- diagnose and improve advanced quantitative models
Competences
You will:
- be able to carefully assess the strengths and weaknesses of research designs that are intended to capture causal effects
- become more familiar statistical programming and relevant software packages
- be able to carry out a variety of advanced quantitative research projects
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester?register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.
Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
STV4022 - Anvendt statistikk for statsvitenskap?or?PECOS4022 - ?Applied Statistics for Peace and Conflict Studies?or an equivalent.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with STV4020B – Statistical Analysis (discontinued).
Teaching
10 lectures and 5 seminars.
Students are required to bring their own laptop to lectures and seminars.
Compulsory activities:
Attend three of five seminars
Absence from compulsory activities
For many courses, UiO requires participation in the form of compulsory activities. These must be approved before you can sit for the examination. If you are ill or have another valid reason for being absent from compulsory activities, your absence may be approved or the compulsory activity may be postponed.
Report absence from or the need for a postponed deadline on a compulsory activity?
Absence from compulsory activities - University of Oslo (uio.no)
Examination
Term paper of maximum 4000 words.
Replication code is to be submitted, but does not count towards the word limit.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.