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MS&E 252

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Foundations of Decision Analysis

This is the first step for graduate students who want to learn Decision Analysis. Students will get a gentle introduction to basic probabilistic reasoning and will be sufficiently equipped by the end of the course to analyze simple decision problems and to begin learning professional decision analysis. The class has been designed to be accessible to those who do have just a high-school math background. Available online. (Fall Quarter)

Click here for a sample course syllabus from a previous year.


Message from Professor Howard:

Decision analysis is the best way I know how to make decisions. That’ s not to say that thinking about decisions is important, but if you do wish to think about your choices, decision analysis is the best way I know how to achieve clarity of action.  In MS&E 252, I will profess how to carry on a conversation for achieving clarity of actional thought by combining precisely defined concepts. Throughout the quarter, I will ask you to demonstrate your proficiency at conducting a professional conversation about decision-making building on the concepts present in lectures or in course materials. I guarantee that MS&E 252 will help you create powerful distinctions to improve your personal decision-making and to help others with their decisions.

"DA1 was a great introduction to the basics of effectively incorporating uncertainty into decision making" -  Casimir Starsiak, Google, 2008 DA graduate

"DA1 was a great class to help me understand decision theory and risk analysis" - Mitra Mahdavian, Major Consulting Firm, 2009 DA graduate