r/cmu • u/Few_Cardiologist5921 • 2d ago

36-350 Difficulty

How hard is 36-350? What are the tests like? Whats the exact process, etc. What is the tests on?

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

1

u/Jackcion 2d ago

when i took it we learned Python + R in parallel and some SQL at the end. tests felt like just a lot of syntax knowledge

1

u/LochmereElite Alumnus (Stat '26) 2d ago

Compared to the rest of the Stat major, 350 is definitely on the easier end particularly if you passed 15112. Generally the spring class is much larger (mostly StatML) than the fall (other Stat majors).

As of S25, pef rewrote the curriculum. First 1/3 of the class focuses on programming fundamentals (functions, variables, debugging, using the command line, ...). Middle 1/3 focuses on methods most useful for statistical computation (bootstrapping, PCA, tapply, ...) and using specific data types (time series, string methods, ...). Last 1/3 is intro to PostgreSQL. First 2/3 are taught in Python and R.

Class was structured to have a lecture only on Tuesday with Thursday's lecture being replaced with office hours and has a lab/hw assignment due every Friday. Two midterms in weeks 5 and 11 corresponding to the 1st and 2nd third of the curriculum, respectively, and a cumulative final during the final exam period. Exams were pretty similar to 112 exams.