What is statistical inference?

Statistical inference is the process whereby you can draw conclusions about a population based on random samples of that population and the statistics that you draw from those samples. When you rely on statistical inference, you take what you've observed about your samples of that population and apply them to the group as a whole. Applying statistical inference allows you to take what you know about the population as well as what's uncertain to make statements about the entire population based on your analysis.

Why is it important to learn about statistical inference?

If you want to learn about a certain population—whether they're customers or fellow employees—you can use statistical inference to draw conclusions about that population based on your analysis of data about them. You can't always survey or test an entire population to gain insight, but you can sample the population and make educated assumptions based on the data. Understanding statistical inference allows you to take that data and use it to draw conclusions that make sense and prove true.

How can I apply statistical inference in my career?

Statistical inference has plenty of benefits for different business sectors. Statisticians and data analysts use this method often to draw conclusions based on samples of populations. If you're in sales or product development, you can use statistical inference to determine which brands or products are popular with your customers or clients. Scientists use statistical inference to test hypotheses and draw conclusions when it's impossible for them to test or sample an entire population. You can apply statistical inference to analyze the data from surveys of any population that you sample.

How can online courses on Coursera help me learn about statistical inference?

Online courses on Coursera give you both a grasp of the concepts of statistical inference and practical applications. You'll learn from the best instructors in the academic world, and you can learn at a pace and schedule that best suits your schedule and lifestyle. When you finish our courses, you'll know how to use statistical inference in your career, which will give you an advantage whether you're trying to get better at your current job or whether you're looking to make a career change.

What are the benefits of taking an online Statistical Inference course?

Online Statistical Inference courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Statistical Inference skills. Choose from a wide range of Statistical Inference courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Statistical Inference courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Statistical Inference, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Statistical Inference Courses - Learn Statistical Inference Online

Explore the Statistical Inference Course Catalog

University of California, Santa Cruz
Bayesian Statistics: Techniques and Models
Skills you'll gain: Bayesian Statistics, Statistical Modeling, Statistical Methods, Markov Model, Statistical Analysis, Regression Analysis, R Programming, Simulations, Statistical Inference, Probability, Probability Distribution, Algorithms
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
487 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free
University of London
Probability and Statistics: To p or not to p?
Skills you'll gain: Descriptive Statistics, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Methods, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Statistical Modeling, Data Analysis, Probability, Statistical Visualization, Probability Distribution, Statistical Analysis, Data Presentation, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Inference, Mathematical Modeling, Decision Tree Learning, Applied Mathematics
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.5K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Managerial Economics and Business Analysis
Skills you'll gain: Descriptive Statistics, Supply And Demand, Market Dynamics, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Inference, Business Analytics, Bank Regulations, Financial Systems, Financial Policy, Banking, Probability Distribution, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Regression Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Statistical Methods, Economics, Financial Market, Business Economics
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
4K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
University of California, Santa Cruz
Bayesian Statistics: From Concept to Data Analysis
Skills you'll gain: Bayesian Statistics, Statistical Inference, Data Analysis, Probability, Statistical Modeling, Statistical Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Probability Distribution, R Programming, Regression Analysis
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
3.2K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Rice University
Business Applications of Hypothesis Testing and Confidence Interval Estimation
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Sample Size Determination, Statistical Inference, Business Analytics, Estimation, Statistics, Probability & Statistics, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Excel Formulas, Business, Data Analysis, Spreadsheet Software, Decision Making
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
1.3K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
IBM
IBM Data Management
Skills you'll gain: Dashboard, Data Storytelling, Data Warehousing, SQL, Data Presentation, Data Governance, Data Security, Data Migration, Database Design, Data Visualization, Interactive Data Visualization, Descriptive Statistics, Data Mining, Cloud Storage, Data Visualization Software, Extract, Transform, Load, IBM DB2, Data Management, MySQL, Excel Formulas
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
16K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Databricks
Introduction to Computational Statistics for Data Scientists
Skills you'll gain: Bayesian Statistics, Databricks, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Modeling, Probability, Classification And Regression Tree (CART), Jupyter, Regression Analysis, Statistical Programming, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Machine Learning, Probability Distribution, Data Science, Markov Model, Simulations, Data Visualization, Probability & Statistics, Development Environment, Statistical Inference, Algorithms
4
Rating, 4 out of 5 stars
109 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months
IBM
IBM Data Analytics with Excel and R
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Presentation, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Visualization Software, Data Visualization, Shiny (R Package), Data Wrangling, Exploratory Data Analysis, Statistical Visualization, Relational Databases, Big Data, Ggplot2, Database Design, Data Analysis, Data Mining, Dashboard, Excel Formulas, Data Manipulation, Web Scraping, Microsoft Excel
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
27K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Johns Hopkins University
Data – What It Is, What We Can Do With It
Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization, Data Analysis, Research Design, Data Presentation, Descriptive Statistics, Analytics, Statistical Analysis, Quantitative Research, Statistical Methods, Probability & Statistics
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
172 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
IBM
Data Science Fundamentals with Python and SQL
Skills you'll gain: Dashboard, SQL, Descriptive Statistics, Jupyter, Statistical Analysis, Data Analysis, Probability Distribution, Pandas (Python Package), Data Visualization Software, Statistics, Data Visualization, Databases, Stored Procedure, Web Scraping, Relational Databases, R Programming, Automation, Computer Programming Tools, GitHub, Python Programming
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
70K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free
Columbia University
Causal Inference 2
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Inference, Econometrics, Advanced Analytics, Statistical Analysis, Regression Analysis, Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Statistical Methods, Statistical Modeling, Research Design
3.4
Rating, 3.4 out of 5 stars
14 reviews
Advanced · Course · 1 - 3 Months
University of Colorado Boulder
Statistical Inference and Hypothesis Testing in Data Science Applications
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Probability & Statistics, Data Ethics, Statistical Analysis, Quantitative Research, Statistical Inference, Sample Size Determination, Sampling (Statistics), Probability Distribution
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
48 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months