Content, progress and pedagogy of the module

Learning objectives

Knowledge

• understand the special features of duration data (e.g. censoring, non-normality)
• derive the likelihood function for right-censored data
• know basic characterisations of duration data distributions such as the survival and hazard function 
• be able to derive basic non-parametric estimates such as the Kaplan-Meier and Nelson-Aalen estimates
• know parametric models for duration data
• understand the assumptions underlying the Cox partial likelihood
• derive the Cox partial likelihood 
• know methods of model assessment for parametric models and the Cox proportional hazards

Skills

• be able to identify relevant type of censoring for a specific set of duration data 
• be able to estimate and interpret survival functions or cumulative hazard functions for a specific set of duration data
• be able to fit duration data using parametric or semi-parametric regression models
• be able to assess the validity of a model for a specific set of duration data

Competences

• be able to identify an appropriate duration data methodology for investigating a specified hypothesis of interest
• be able to interpret and critically assess results of the analysis carried out using the chosen methodology
• be able to convey the results of the analysis to a non-statistician

Type of instruction

Lectures with exercises.

Extent and expected workload

This is a 5 ECTS course module and the work load is expected to be 150 hours for the student.

Exam

Exams