Doctoral Program - Depth and Breadth Requirements

Beginning in Year 2 and prior to TGR, students are required to take a minimum of three statistics courses (nine units) at the 300 level in the department (depth), and a minimum of three courses (nine units) outside the department (breadth), plus additional approved courses bringing the total of breadth and depth units to at least 24 units. These courses may be taken for a letter grade or credit.

Depth Courses

Recommended courses include Stats 307, 311, 314A, 315A, 315B, 317, 318, 320, 322, 325, 350, 359, 361, 362, 363, 367, 370, EE364A and EE364B. Stats 319, 390 or 399 may not be included.

Mainstream statistics courses in other departments may also be considered for this requirement with the Graduate Director’s approval. Any course by another department with co-designation STAT 3xx may be counted, provided the totality of such courses is strictly under half of the required nine units. Courses for the depth and breadth requirements must equal a combined minimum of 24 units.

Breadth Courses

Much of statistics is done in collaboration with scientists and engineers. In order to appreciate scientific problems, students are required to take a minimum of three courses (nine units) at a graduate or advanced undergraduate level in an approved department, e.g., Math, CS, EE, MS&E, GENETICS. Popular areas include Computational Biology and Statistical Genomics, Machine Learning, Applied Probability, Earth Science Statistics, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Any additional units can be at the 100 level or above. Courses used to meet the breadth requirement should be unrelated to coursework in statistics and probability, thus broadening the student’s foundations. Such courses may include Statistics or cross-listed courses with co-designation STAT 2xx or 3xx taught by faculty who have a full, joint, or courtesy appointment in Statistics. Courses for the depth and breadth requirements must equal a combined minimum of 24 units.

Students may use the same courses to meet a Ph.D. minor and the breadth requirement, and therefore the requirement is usually automatically fulfilled when a student completes a Ph.D. minor.

Although students may opt to take the breadth courses in different departments, they are advised to choose an area of concentration in a specific scientific field of statistical applications. Courses taken to meet the breadth requirement must be approved by either the dissertation advisor (if internal) or the Director of Graduate Studies.

Students with a graduate degree in a scientific area that is not essentially mathematics or statistics may petition to waive this requirement. Contact the Student Services Manager for details.