Class meetings: Mondays, 12-2pm (122 Barrows)
Instructor: Dennis M. Feehan ([email protected])
Office hours: Mondays, 3-4pm (2232 Piedmont Ave, Rm 210), or by appointment
Course control number: 25860
Demography is the science of populations and how they change—including death, sex, migration, marriage, and more. Today, demography is a critical part of answering the most pressing questions that face populations all over the world: why do some countries become rich, while some remain poor? Which forces guide the shifting landscape of politics and voting? Who is most affected by the opioid epidemic? In this connector, we will take a tour of cutting-edge problems in demography and how data science can be used to help address them.
NOTE: Please consult the syllabus regularly – it will change over the course of the semester
(You can also click here for the syllabus.).
Course requirements will include:
Attending class, doing assigned readings, and contributing to class discussions are all important to learning the material we will cover.
Part of almost every class will be devoted to working through hands-on labs. These labs will guide you through analysis of demographic problems and datasets. The labs will require you to build on the Python skills you will be learning in Data 8, The labs will also give you a chance to communicate the results of your analysis in writing.
The homework is an essential part of the learning that you will do in the class; there will be approximately 4 homework assignments, which will build on the concepts we discuss in class and the skills that we learn in the labs.
The final project will give you and a partner the opportunity to use a demographic dataset to pose a question, answer the question, and communicate your results in writing and through plots.