Introduction to R

Introduction to R

In this course, you will master the basics of R, a computer language and environment for statistics and graphics. The course focuses on getting familiar with the R environment by means of RStudio, to use R for manipulation and exploration of data. Basic programming as well as visualization in R are also part of this course.

Target group/prerequisites

This 2-day course is meant for people who have no experience with R and no specific knowledge is required.

Course design

The course consists of demonstrations and computer practicals.

Program topics

Day 1:

• Introduction to R and RStudio;
• Getting started;
• Data types and structures: from vectors to data frames;
• Reading and writing files;
• Data manipulation in R.

Day 2:

• Programming;
• R coding style for concise, clear and consistent code which are easier to read and edit;
• Standard programming constructs: loops, if-then-else statements, functions, ..., to write basic program scripts;
• R base graphics for basic visualizations (bar plots, pie charts, scatter plots, ...).

Date and venue:

Edition 1: 3 and 5 March 2026 (on Campus)
Edition 2: 23 and 25 June 2026 (on Campus)
 

Study load:

The study load of this course is 0.7 ECTS credits.

Registration & Costs:

PhD candidates affiliated with VLAG/WUR *	175 €
All other PhD candidates	350 €
Postdoc / staff from VLAG	350 €
Postdoc / non-profit staff not affiliated with VLAG	525 €
Industry / Non academics	800 €

Costs includes material, tea/coffee and lunches.
* VLAG/EPS/PE&RC/WASS/WIAS/WIMEK PhD candidates with an approved TSP.

Cancellation conditions: see External knowledge - VLAG Cancellation Conditions