uwloo

STAT 316Introduction to Statistical Problem Solving

Units
0.50
Faculty
Mathematics
Subject
Statistics

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 3 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

This is an applications oriented course which prepares the nonmathematical student to use statistical software as a research tool. Topics include aids for statistical analysis and the preparation of documents such as reports and theses. The course provides sufficient background for application to other problems specific to the individual's field.

Prerequisites

  • Complete 1 of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • ECON221 - Statistics for Economists (0.50)
      • ENVS278 - Applied Statistics for Environmental Research (0.50)
      • HLTH204 - Quantitative Approaches to Health Science (0.50)
      • KIN232 - Research Design and Statistics (0.50)
      • LS280 - Social Statistics (0.50)
      • PSCI314 - Quantitative Analysis (0.50)
      • PSYCH292 - Basic Data Analysis (0.50)
      • REC371 - Quantitative Data Analysis and Mobilization (0.50)
      • SDS250R - Social Statistics (0.50)
      • SOC280 - Social Statistics (0.50)
    • Earned at least 0.5 units from STAT

Antirequisites

  • Complete all of the following
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
      • STAT331 - Applied Linear Models (0.50)
      • STAT371 - Applied Linear Models and Process Improvement for Business (0.50)
    • Not open to students enrolled in Honours Mathematics

Leads to

Fall 2026 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 001673551 / 60MW 10:00–11:20
TUT 101677751 / 60F 08:30–09:20

Reviewed on UW Flow

59% liked it67% easy91% useful

From 17 ratings and 4 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • This was was not bad but tell me y the fuck am i spending 2 hrs on a tutorial thatt is 1 percent only to get it wrong. and the assignments are worth so little which literally amkes no fucking sense cause we spend hours on those. the tut/quizzes are worded weirdly so a lot of ppl do not do well on them plus they make no sense. not to get started on the fucking exam which is worth 40% which makes no sense. like wtf.

    Apr 2025 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • course was a lot of weekly components; 11 quizzes (3% each, one dropped), tutorials (1% each, 1 dropped), and 6 assignments (4% each, one dropped) + a 40% final exam that's semi-open book and not multiple choice (which you'd think is a given for a stats class, but if you took hlth 204-).
    came into the course as an alternate to taking HLTH 335, and unsure if I made the right choice. I don't know if I did, but I don't regret my choice, so that's enough for me. The course wasn't online when I was taking it, and prof Dawoud was teaching it for the first time. a lot of the course was still leftover from when the previous professor was teaching it, so when it came time for the exam, it was bit…

    Apr 2025 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • It's an online class, so it's only as engaging as you let it be. I know too many other people in the class who run the screencasts at 2x speed, then complain about how they don't understand whats going on. Take it slow and take notes. The assignments, quizzes, and tutorials are super fair in my opinion and (to a certain extent) helped me understand the material more than I would have otherwise. If you're debating between this and HLTH 335, my friends and I generally agree that this class is a bit more in-depth, streamlined, and clear, whereas the advantage HLTH 335 has is that it lacks an exam. That being said, the exam is open book, so I didn't find it too bad.

    Mar 2024 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Useful and chill. Dr. Dawoud was realllllyyyy good. Basically as long as you attend tutorial your set for ur assignments and exam. The exam was also really fair. Also the content is really useful not just for health, epidemiology course and so on and so forth, but also it is used in machine learning and other math areas, so if you're interested keep it in mind. BILLION times better than Ashok's chihuahua's or whatever his name is and this is still a massive downplay and underestimate.

    Apr 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

23 posts and comments in 19 threads mention STAT 316, July 2011 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Fall 2024

Stat 316 vs HLTH 335 6 points, 4 comments

u/Certified_Chonky: “Has anyone taken either course? I'm torn between both of them, and I'm not sure what to take, so I wanted to see what people thought of the courses/profs.”

u/DerangedCuckooClock: “I took stat 316 with jack robinson and it was basically weekly quizzes (6 questions each), biweekly assignments, and then a final exam (must pass the exam to pass the course). …”

u/japkatsu: “Hi OP, what did you end up taking? I am currently deciding which course I want to take for the Winter term”

u/Certified_Chonky: “I decided on STAT 316 and don't regret it. From my friends, a lot of HLTH 335 was review. In contrast, STAT 316, touched on stuff not in HLTH, like factor analysis, which was useful for my coop. The assignments and exam where pretty fair and I finished with >90. …”

u/LmaoImAPotato: “… I tried finding the outline or a course notes for STAT 316 but I couldn't find it online. Was there any book or resource that he asked/recommended for the class to have? Or is there any resource you recommend for me to read before going into it? …”

u/kylethesnail: “Hi there, if you could please PM me a copy of the old STAT 316 course outline/syllabus I would greatly appreaciate that!”

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STAT 316 tutorial 1 point, 0 comments

u/Murky_Move3354: “Does anyone who's taken STAT 316 know if the tutorial is mandatory or if its just like office hours to ask questions etc. Its on Fridays at 8:30am for w25 and I really don't want to have to go to that”

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Fall 2023

STAT 316 and HLTH 335 1 point, 1 comment

u/ClassicIssue: “Hello! I was wondering if anyone is currently taking/or took HLTH 335 or STAT 316 and has a copy of the syllabus? Also if anyone has any insights about both those courses, if it was difficult, if one is better than the otheretc. that would be great!”

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Spring 2023

Winter 2022

Fall 2021

Friendly reminder that approximately none of us are medical health professionals. Don't fall for the scareposting, wait for word from the people who actually know what they're talking about. 201 points, 40 comments

u/Certified_Chonky: “Me watching a bunch of CS students who've never even touched a medical journal pull figures out of their ass in ever single comment.”

u/Certified_Chonky: “The manditory stats class Hlth 335 or Stat 316 Aside from that tho, most health sci students deal with health statistics or take an epi course. Can you read chief?”

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Winter 2021

Fall 2020

Fall 2018

Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar