This course introduces students to the fundamentals of R as used for business applications. R is a both a programming language and a software development environment. It is collaboratively developed under the auspices of the R Foundation for Statistical Computing, and has been available, free of charge, since 1993. Today, it is among the world’s foremost programming languages, and is widely used for statistical analysis and reporting. Learning R will not only enable you to write your own code, but also to use freely downloadable programs developed by a vibrant community of R programmers and researchers.

There are three course goals. The first is to introduce fundamental concepts such as syntax (e.g., comments and statements), structure (e.g., loops and conditional logic), data types, and the process of coding, testing and debugging. These are the building blocks not only of R, but also of other programming languages.

The second goal is to provide opportunities for systematic application of these concepts through a series of exercises. The practice exercises, completed on an individual basis, will involve problems in business, social sciences, and other disciplines.

The third goal is to engage in R development on a larger scale through participation in team projects. The completed projects will be the basis for the in-class presentation at the end of the semester.

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of R as used for business applications. R is a both a programming language and a software development environment. It is collaboratively developed under the auspices of the R Foundation for Statistical Computing, and has been available, free of charge, since 1993. Today, it is among the world’s foremost programming languages, and is widely used for statistical analysis and Learning R will not only enable you to write your own code, but also to use freely downloadable reporting programs developed by a vibrant community of R programmers and researchers.

There are three course goals. The first is to introduce fundamental concepts such as syntax (e.g., comments and statements), structure (e.g., loops and conditional logic), data types, and the process of coding, testing and debugging. These are the building blocks not only of R, but also of other programming languages.

The second goal is to provide opportunities for systematic application of these concepts through a series of exercises. The practice exercises, completed on an individual basis, will involve problems in business, social sciences, and other disciplines.

The third goal is to engage in R development on a larger scale through participation in team projects. The completed projects will be the basis for the in-class presentation at the end of the semester.

No textbook will be needed. We will use a combination of in-class handouts and free online resources.

No textbook will be needed. We will use a combination of in-class handouts and free online resources.