February 20, 2026
This is the first of two entries on statistics. This entry is going to focus on when is the best time to take statistics if you are going to concentrate in the CPSY department. The second entry is to focus on which is the best statistics class to take. For the purpose of this entry, however, I'm going to presuppose the second entry, and just tell you that the best class to take is CPSY0900, and then tell you that it is offered every semester (BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST STATISTICS CLASS TO TAKE).
So, the question isn't really what class to take, but when to take it. Again, I'm assuming that you're a concentrator in the department - not a student in Applied Math or English or Underwater Basket Weaving (because the underwater basket weaving concentration does have a statistics requirement, so it can be confusing!). Nope, I'm assuming you're Cog Sci or Cog Neuro or Psychology or BDS*
*OK, I put a little asterix here for BDS. The advice is *a little* different. I'll get there.
But the answer is that you want to take it in either your sophomore year or the year you decide to concentrate in the Ifield if you didn't know this coming into Brown.
Yeah. Confusing. Let me unpack.
Suppose you are a first year student, and you KNOW you want to concentrate in Psychology (or pick any of the department's concentrations). You don't want to immediate take statistics. No. Don't do it. It's tempting. You know you will have to. It's a requirement. Yeah...Wait. Exercise patience.
Why? Because sometimes when you take the first 1-2 introductory classes, you maybe realize that you want something slightly different - and you move over to Economics or Sociology or something else THAT HAS A DIFFERENT STATISTICS REQUIREMENT. Now, you have taken CPSY0900 for no reason, because IT WON'T APPLY.
Here's the bigger idea - STATISTICS CLASSES AREN'T ALL THE SAME. There is no real "Introduction to Statistics" - it's not like other sequences of mathematics. Departments tailor their statistics classes to their field. So, CPSY is more for Psychology and Cognitive Science (Although amusingly, many cognitive scientists will disagree with that statement, more on that in another post I haven't written yet), SOC1100 is more for Sociology, ECON1630 is more for Economics, and APMA 0650 is for Applied Math (as is APMA1650). Those are all different fields. I respect all of those fields. I really do. But the statistics thinking is different. And that's OK. What economists do and what psychologists do AREN"T THE SAME THING.
(This is a real sticking point, particularly with APMA1650, which in some ways is a harder class than CPSY0900 - I mean it has a bigger number - but the problem is that we as psychologists want you to know certain things that APMA1650 DOESN'T TEACH and CPSY0900 DOES.
My point is that you shouldn't take ANY statistics class until you know what you're concentrating in. That makes sophomore year (you know, when you have to declare a concentration) the right time. And Spring semester sophomore year is pretty ideal. Fall of Junior year is a close second.
OK, but what if you pick up your concentration later? What if you only decide sophomore year? Then it depends on whether you have taken some intro classes first? Then it would also be sophomore year.
But what about if you pick up up later as a junior or senior, then it's as soon as possible.
Why so early? Why not wait? Well, a few reasons. First, statistics is a prerequisite for the laboratory methods class, and you want to take that before you're a senior (or at least semester 7). And I don't think you can take them concurrently.
But there's another reason - the more advanced classes in the department require primary source reading, and those readings have statistics in them. And it's important to be able to read those sections of a paper TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. You learn a lot more if you understand the statistics than if you don't, and taking the appropriate statistics class can help with that. Basically, CPSY0900 is a class that pays dividends for your understanding of material in other classes. So, sophomore year if you can. Fall of Junior at the latest, or as soon as possible if you are picking up a concentration as a double.
This is a good one for questions - so feel free to drop by my office hours or email me if you want to chat further.