Concentration in Social Statistics

The Center for Social Statistics (CSS) at UCLA offers a “Concentration in Social Statistics” for UCLA doctoral students. The Concentration in Social Statistics is designed to provide students with significant training in methods for quantitative social science. Students completing the concentration will receive a Letter of Recognition from CSS.

Students receive a Concentration in Social Statistics if they successfully complete the following requirements:

1. Identify a CSS-affiliated faculty advisor who agrees to oversee the student’s CSS concentration program of study.
2. Complete a set of 6 statistics or methods courses, at least 3 of which must be completed outside the student’s home department. Possible courses are listed on the CSS website; courses may not include basic courses required for the MA, MS or PhD degrees of the home department. Students requesting approval of courses not listed must submit recent syllabi as well as a short rationale for including these course(s) in their concentration. The set of courses must be approved by the student’s CSS faculty advisor and the CSS program committee.
3. Participate regularly in CSS seminars and workshops for at least 2 years. “Regular” participation will be agreed upon between the student’s CSS faculty advisor and the student, but attendance of at least 1 seminar/workshop a quarter is required.
4. Complete a manuscript on a social statistics or methods topic. This manuscript can be a paper to be submitted to a statistics or methods journal, or the methods section of the student’s dissertation. Ideally, the paper will represent an innovative contribution to the literature in social statistics. The paper must be approved by the student’s CSS faculty advisor and the CSS program committee.

Procedures 

Students who have completed the Concentration in Social Statistics requirements should complete the Request for Concentration in Social Statistics form: https://ucla.box.com/v/form-concentrate-soc-stat and submit it to Jennie Brand brand@soc.ucla.edu. The request will be reviewed by the CSS program committee (currently, Prof. Brand and Prof. Handcock). Once the program is approved, the student will receive the CSS Concentration Letter of Recognition.

Please email Jennie E. Brand brand@soc.ucla.edu or Mark S. Handcock handcock@ucla.edu with questions about the program.