> It's not expected that this is the first time someone in the course has come across most of the concepts and methods.
It is just cramming at least 4-5 stats classes in there that's all.
Unless you get those right combination it'll be your first time anyway. There are multivariate stat, 2 courses of Bayesian ( 1 tradition and 1 nonparametric), 1 course of comp stat, and whatever the heck else I've haven't encounter.
Bayesian isn't even taught in my grad program at all. I had 2 months to learn Bayesian.
I disagree with the not expected to be first time and maaaaybe it's just to get your feet wet.
Considering the stuff the professor is going over it seem more sink or swim.
That seems impossibly out of step with the world today. How can they explain something as simple as a multi-armed bandit from that point of view?
The syllabus could almost be from an inverse theory class in my field (geology), albeit one with more focus on the underlying mathematics. I don't think it's trying to do too much, it's just not trying to be a intro course.