Guidelines for Statistics Undergraduate Research

University of Chicago

How to Find an Advisor for My Statistics Undergraduate Research?

Step 1: Review Faculty Profiles:

You can start from

Be sure to check faculty’s personal webpages for their research interests, recent publications, and ongoing projects.

Step 2: Reach Out to Potential Advisers:

Once you’ve identified potential advisers, send them a polite and concise email expressing your interest in their research and inquiring about the possibility of working with them. Include the following information in your email:

  • A brief introduction of yourself, including your year and major(s)
  • Any relevant math and stat coursework or experience, computer skills
  • Your research interests and why you are interested in their work
  • A request for a meeting to discuss potential research opportunities

If you get no response, send a gentle nudge a week after the first email. Don’t feel discouraged if you get no response or the professor cannot take you. Reach out to more professors.

If you are working an undergraduate research project under an adviser, you can optionally enroll in STAT 29700 to get course credit for your research work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How to Enroll STAT 29700 or STAT 29900?

Answer: To enroll in STAT 29700 or STAT 29900, you must have a faculty member in the Department of Statistics who agree to supervise your reading and research course, and the two of you together would agree on the topic and scope of the work to be undertaken

According to the section [Reading & Research, BA Seminars, and Independent Studies] https://college.uchicago.edu/advising/registration, students and instructors can arrange Reading and Research (R & R) courses when

  • The material being studied is beyond the scope of a particular course
  • When students are working on material not covered in an existing course, or
  • When students would like to receive academic credit for independent research.

Second, go to https://college.uchicago.edu/advising/tools-forms and download [College Reading & Research Course Form] under the section [Registration & Enrollment Forms]. Please fill out the form with your adviser, and get your adviser’s signature. Third, please send the form to Yibi Huang, yibih@uchicago.edu for a signature.

Finally, send the signed form to Office of the University Registrar by Friday of the 3rd week. If using the electronic form, this may be emailed in. Note: If using an email from the instructor in lieu of a signature, this email must be attached along with the filled out form by Friday of the 3rd week.

Q2: Does STAT 29700 or STAT 29900 count as an elective for the Statistics major?

Answer: Neither STAT 29900 nor STAT 29700 count toward the Statistics major, though they count toward the 42 courses required for graduation.

Q3: How are the grades of STAT 29700 and STAT 29900 determined?

Answer:

  • STAT 29900 is P/F only. Students need to submit a close-to-final draft of their thesis to get a P grade in STAT 29900.
  • STAT 29700 is typically taken for P/F grading, but under certain circumstances may be be taken for a quality grade by petition. Students are expected to meet the adviser regularly (at least bi-weekly) and get some reading or research done to get a P grade in STAT 29700, though no thesis submission is required.

University Guidelines for Reading and Research (R & R) Courses (Including STAT 29700 & 29900)

  • First-year students may NOT register for R & R courses except by petition to the Dean of Students.
  • Students registering for extra-departmental R & R courses must receive approval (per the R & R form) from the undergraduate program chair of their major, rather than the chair of the department in which that course is offered.
  • Registration for more than one R & R course in the same quarter is permitted when the subject matter is different. In other words, students may not receive more than one course credit per quarter for a single project.
  • Students may NOT receive academic credit for paid work in a research environment or elsewhere, although an unpaid internship that has a significant on-campus academic component may be eligible for R & R credit. Consult a College Adviser for more information about this option.

CONTACT: For further questions about the Statistics Undergraduate Research, Bachelor’s Thesis, Honors, STAT 29700 or STAT 29900, please contact Yibi Huang at yibih@uchicago.edu.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided here does not supersede or replace the University’s and Department’s official webpages on:

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