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 Colorado Boulder
Statistical Inference and Hypothesis Testing in Data Science Applications
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Statistical Methods, Probability & Statistics, Data Ethics, Statistical Analysis, Quantitative Research, Statistical Inference, Statistics, Sample Size Determination, Sampling (Statistics)
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
50 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Rice University
Business Applications of Hypothesis Testing and Confidence Interval Estimation
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Statistical Methods, Sample Size Determination, Statistical Inference, Estimation, Statistics, Probability & Statistics, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Excel Formulas, Decision Making
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
1.3K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Duke University
Bayesian Statistics
Skills you'll gain: Bayesian Statistics, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Statistical Modeling, Statistical Methods, Statistical Inference, Statistical Analysis, Regression Analysis, Data Analysis, R Programming, Probability, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Probability Distribution
3.8
Rating, 3.8 out of 5 stars
797 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 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
University of Amsterdam
Inferential Statistics
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Statistical Methods, Sampling (Statistics), Probability & Statistics, Regression Analysis, Statistical Inference, Statistical Analysis, Quantitative Research, Probability Distribution, R Programming
4.3
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
597 reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
IBM
Data Analysis and Visualization Foundations
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Big Data, Data Visualization Software, Data Analysis, Dashboard, IBM Cognos Analytics, Statistical Analysis, Data Mining, Apache Hadoop, Tree Maps, Excel Formulas, Data Wrangling, Apache Hive, Data Collection, Data Mart, Microsoft Excel, Data Warehousing, Data Quality, Data Cleansing, Data Import/Export
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
27K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Coursera Project Network
Essential Causal Inference Techniques for Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Regression Analysis, Data Science, Statistical Machine Learning, Data-Driven Decision-Making, R Programming, Statistical Inference, Applied Machine Learning, Classification And Regression Tree (CART), Machine Learning, Statistical Methods, Advanced Analytics, Data Analysis, Predictive Modeling
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
38 reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
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, Data Analysis, Probability, Probability Distribution
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
491 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
IBM
IBM Data Analytics with Excel and R
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Interactive Data Visualization, Shiny (R Package), Data Wrangling, Exploratory Data Analysis, Relational Databases, Big Data, Data Visualization Software, Ggplot2, Database Design, Data Analysis, IBM Cognos Analytics, Statistical Analysis, Data Presentation, Data Mining, Dashboard, Excel Formulas, Data Manipulation, Web Scraping, Microsoft Excel
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
28K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
DeepLearning.AI
Advanced Learning Algorithms
Skills you'll gain: Classification And Regression Tree (CART), Machine Learning Algorithms, Machine Learning, Applied Machine Learning, Data Ethics, Decision Tree Learning, Tensorflow, Artificial Intelligence, Supervised Learning, Deep Learning, Random Forest Algorithm, Artificial Neural Networks, Performance Tuning
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
7.8K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Illinois Tech
Statistical Learning
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Analysis, Data Analysis, Data Science, Statistical Programming, Statistical Machine Learning, Statistical Methods, Statistical Modeling, Machine Learning Algorithms, Applied Machine Learning, Regression Analysis, Probability & Statistics, Advanced Analytics, Machine Learning, Bayesian Statistics, Statistical Inference, Supervised Learning, Predictive Modeling, Classification And Regression Tree (CART), Unsupervised Learning, Feature Engineering
Build toward a degree
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Johns Hopkins University
Hypothesis Testing in Public Health
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Biostatistics, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Inference, Scientific Methods, Statistical Analysis, Quantitative Research, Medical Science and Research, Probability & Statistics, Public Health
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
637 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months