Students are foremost encouraged to communicate and build strong relationships with faculty and their peers and actively seek out research opportunities. Below are some useful resources:
COURSES
Capstone Project (STA 4950)
Gain hands-on experience in applying statistics and data science to real industry projects in this undergraduate course. (Click to expand)
The course is STA 4950 provides students the opportunity to work in small teams with industry clients on supervised semester-long projects, enhancing research, critical thinking, and statistical analysis skills. The course also emphasizes client engagement, collaboration, and professional development for successful project delivery. Information is sent to Statistics and Data Science majors via email as well as through informational sessions with the Statistics Club.
Supervised Research (STA 4911)
Provides firsthand, supervised research. Projects may involve inquiry,
design, investigation, scholarship, discovery, or application. (Click to expand)
Placement: Students will either (a) arrange to work directly with a faculty member or graduate student supervisor, or (b) apply and be selected for projects posted for the term. Project scope, supervision structure, and meeting cadence vary by lab and supervisor.
Internships (STA 4940)
Internships provide students with opportunities to integrate classroom
knowledge, skills, and methods with professional roles, responsibilities, and activities. Involves supervised, practical or research work experience. (Click to expand)
Placement: Students must secure an internship site related to statistics/data science and obtain approval from the departmental internship coordinator). Sites may be private industry, government, non-profit, or research labs. Helpful resources for finding internships are: Career Connections Center, Beyond 120, Student Clubs.
Study Abroad (STA 4956)
This program takes students to England to explore the historical origins of statistics and computing through visits to important historical sites. (Click to expand)
Usually offered bi-annually as 3 credit course spanning 1-4 weeks over the summer. Participants can also obtain additional 3 credits in STA 4930 Overseas Research Project.
Other courses
Many courses within and outside the department provide project-based opportunities such as, but not limited to: STA 3180, 4211, 4241, 4930.
For more information contact departmental undergraduate advisor Dr. Athienitis at athienit@ufl.edu
OTHER
Beyond 120
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) program focused on connecting students with tangible, real-world experiences that help them transpose the relevance of their degree with their future professions. (Click to expand)
Learn more about Beyond 120 here.
Student Organization Led Opportunities
UF hosts various student organizations and clubs that often host workshops, hackathons, conferences, etc. We encourage students to actively participate in student organization. (Click to expand)
You can search for organizations here or view this page of statistics related clubs. Some examples of activities include:
The Undergraduate Statistics Project Competition
The Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education (CAUSE) and the American Statistical Association (ASA) host an undergraduate statistics project competition (USPROC). The purpose of USPROC is to encourage the development of statistics and data science skills, to enhance presentation skills, and to recognize outstanding work by undergraduate statistics and data science students. Learn more here.
ASA Student Contests
Each year the American Statistical Association (ASA) holds Fall and Spring competitions for teams of students. Teams present a variety of skills such as computational, programming, analytical, and general problem-solving on relevant issues. Contest details available here.
CLAS University Scholars Program (USP)
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is sponsoring a single college-wide undergraduate research award. (Click to expand)
With the support of Beyond120 and the Center for Undergraduate Research, the CLAS USP gives undergraduate students an opportunity to work one-on-one with a CLAS faculty member on a research project. More information available here.
Center for Undergraduate Research (CUR)
The Center for Undergraduate Research exists to connect University of Florida students and researchers in ways that go beyond traditional classroom settings. (Click to expand)
Students are encouraged to seek projects that are not limited to the field of statistics. Visit CUR here.
NSF Research Experiences For Undergraduates (REU)
An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. (Click to expand)
Students are granted stipends and other forms of assistance. Undergraduate students must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. Find out more here.
Summer Institutes
Many academic institutions offer summer programs in data science/statistics. .(Click to expand)
Too many to list, so we encourage students to simply search for “Statistics Data Science Summer Institutes Workshops”. Students can apply for funding as well as receive academic credit.