Research and Discovery

Research and Discovery

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Engaging in undergraduate research and other enrichment experiences can help students discover their passions, explore potential careers paths, enhance their learning experience at Cal, create new knowledge, and contribute to society.

Review the Statistics Major Map and Berkeley Discovery Student Resources to explore some possibilities.

 

Berkeley Statistics Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program

The Statistics Department at Berkeley offers opportunities for undergraduate students to gain research experience through projects mentored by PhD students, postdocs, or faculty.

Undergraduate researchers meet with a mentor for one hour every week throughout the term and present their work at a poster session during RRR week. In addition, a faculty sponsor meets with them at least twice during the term.

Participants have the option to receive payment or up to 3 Stat 199 course credits, which count toward graduation but not toward satisfying your major requirements.

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STAT 199 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH (1-3 units)

Students who have an idea for a research project may earn Stat 199 credit provided they find a faculty member in the Statistics Department to supervise their research.

STAT H195 HONORS THESIS (1-4 units)

To graduate with honors, Statistics students must have a 3.3 GPA or higher in the major, in upper division major courses, and overall; and they must enroll in Stat H195 for a letter grade and write a satisfactory honors thesis under the direction of a Statistics faculty member. An honors thesis can be completed in one or two semesters, depending on the scope of the project. In total, the honors thesis should require at least 3 units worth of work.

Office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

The Office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarships is Cal's hub for undergraduate research and prestigious scholarships. This office runs programs such as the Undergraduate Research and Apprentice (URAP), Haas Scholars Senior Capstone Experience for All Majors, Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF), Underrepresented Researchers of Color (UROC), and provides a database for Research Programs and Scholarships.

Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS)

BIDS is a central hub of data-intensive research, open source software, and data science training programs at UC Berkeley.

Cal New Experiences for Research and Diversity in Science (CalNERDS)

The Cal NERDS Program is comprised of a suite of programs and initiatives that provide faculty mentored research opportunities, specialized tech training, graduate school preparation, career coaching, community building, and professional development to high achieving STEM undergraduates and graduate students.

Data Science Discovery Program

The Data Science Discovery Program connects undergraduates with hands-on, team-based opportunities in cutting-edge data research projects at UC Berkeley, government agencies, community groups, and entrepreneurial ventures.

 

How to find a Faculty Member to Supervise Your Research

Students should explore the Statistics faculty research interests to find out which faculty members specialize in a topic related to their research topic. Contact potential faculty advisors to see if they can meet with you to discuss your interests and the possibility of them advising you on an independent research. If a faculty member has agreed, they will need to confirm with an Undergraduate Student Services Advisor in order to set up the Stat 199 or Stat H195 course. Students will be provided with the enrollment information needed to register for the course after it is set up.

The Office of Undergraduate Research also has great advice on how to find faculty mentors.

 

What does undergraduate research in Statistics look like?

Emeritus Professor David Aldous has examples of previous research projects and honors theses he advised on.