Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2025 - STAT 642 G100

Introduction to Statistical Computing and Exploratory Data Analysis - SAS (2)

Class Number: 7127

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Thu, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    STAT 285 or STAT 302 or STAT 305 or STAT 604 or STAT 605 or ECON 333 or equivalent. Open only to students in departments other than Statistics and Actuarial Science.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduces the SAS statistical package. Data management; reading, editing and storing statistical data; data exploration and representation; summarizing data with tables, graphs and other statistical tools; and data simulation. Students with credit for STAT 340 or STAT 342 may not take STAT 642 for further credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

Course Outline:

SAS component

  1. What is SAS?
      - Downloading and installing
      - Overview of the system
  2. Data management in SAS
      a. Data input and structures
          - DATA step
          - Reading specially formatted files
          - Date/time/character formats and manipulations
          - Derived variables
          - Exporting
      b. Data access: from database systems using query languages
      c. Merging and reshaping data
          - sorting/subsetting (set/if/where statements)/ merging/transposing
          - processing using DO LOOPS and SAS arrays
          - modify variable attributes
  3. Data exploration and representation in SAS
          - basic procs (print, plot, tabulate, means, univariate, freq)
          - by statement and uses in analysis and simulation
          - output delivery system to extract information from analyses
  4. Data simulation in SAS

Grading

  • Assignments 10%
  • Midterm 40%
  • *Final Exam (with an option to substitute part of the percentage assigned to the final exam with the completion of a project) 50%

NOTES:

Above grading is subject to change.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Required Text:

SAS and R, Data Management, Statistical Analysis, and Graphics, 2nd ed, by Ken Kleinman and Nicholas J. Horton, Publisher: CRC Press

Hard Copy ISBN: 9781466584495
eBook ISBN: 9781466584501
eBook Rental ISBN: 9781466584501

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Graduate Studies Notes:

Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.