The doctoral program requires three statistics courses: PY 602, PY 603, and one approved advanced statistics course.
Statistics courses approved to satisfy the third course are PY 604/BER 643/BER 641 (Multivariate), PY 614 (Categorical), PY 615/BER 646 (SEM), PY 616 /BER 664 (Multilevel Modeling), PY 618 (Statistical Consulting), PY 693 (statistics course such as “LPA/TVEM”, Dyadic Data Analysis, HLM, or other Advanced Statistics), BER 644 (Intro to Bayesian), and BER 657/658 (Psychometrics). As of Fall 2022, approved qualitative data analysis courses can also count towards your third statistics course. For example, BER 632 has been approved as a qualitative course that would count as a third statistics course with a focus on qualitative methods. SW 623 & 626 taken together as a 2-course sequence will also be approved as your “third” stats course.
Courses separated by a slash (/) above such as PY 615/BER 646 (SEM) are similar and students should take only one. Any other third course will be considered if a syllabus and other relevant material are submitted to the Statistics Committee chair (Ansley Gilpin). If the committee feels that the course extends adequately beyond PY 602 and PY 603 and satisfies the spirit of the degree requirement, it will give permission and send documentation to that effect back to the Director of Graduate Studies. The documentation will go into the student’s file for the record.
Note that courses that cover similar topics to PY-required core courses are not approved to satisfy the third course. For example, BER 558 and BER 642 are not approved.
How to Satisfy the +1 Requirement
The statistics minor creates an opportunity for students to acquire advanced skills that may enhance future research efforts and expand job opportunities for the student. The minor is based on a 5 +1 model. The 5 refers to 5 full statistics courses (15 credits). The +1 can be satisfied by one of several routes:
- A sixth course, which may be statistics or methods (other than the 1 required methods course we now have). Methods courses that have been approved are BER 631 and PY 693 (Observational Measurement of Behavior in Psychological Research). SW 623 & 626 together as a 2-course sequence will also be approved for 1-credit towards your minor (Together this sequence teaches you qualitative theory and coding).
- Teaching or co-teaching undergraduate statistics, PY211.
- Serving as a TA for a graduate statistics course.
- Graduate Statistics Readings course, PY 681 (with the syllabus approved by a supervising faculty member and statistics committee)
The 5 statistics courses include required courses PY 602 and 603. The same courses approved for the third statistics course are approved for the advanced courses in the minor.
Other Considerations
- At least two courses for the minor, beyond PY 602 and PY 603, must have PY designations.
- A minimum grade of B is required in all courses for the minor. If a student gets a C in any course, another course must be taken.
- The Statistics Committee will receive applications, consisting of a syllabus or comparable information, for approving additional courses for the minor. Approval will be conferred by a majority vote of the committee.
- The University does not formally recognize graduate minors. Students completing the minor will receive a letter from the Director of Graduate Studies attesting to this accomplishment.
Once a student decides to complete the minor, s/he should notify the Graduate Program Assistant to add this to the student’s Plan of Study.