Preface

Degrees of Freedom has been designed for useful reference from the time you apply to graduate school in statistics or biostatistics at the University of California, Berkeley, until you finish your graduate degree here. It was an annually updated document until 1995, when updates ceased. It was revived in 2006 as a wiki. Please note that non-wiki versions of Degrees of Freedom are out-of-date.

Many thanks to all the staff, faculty, and students of the Department of Statistics and the Group in Biostatistics who participated in various phases of producing this guide.

History

Jerzy Neyman came to the Department of Mathematics at Berkeley from University College, London, in 1938. He founded the Statistical Laboratory, which combined research with an extensive instructional program in Probability and Statistics. This program offered M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Statistics. In 1955 the Statistical Laboratory became the Department of Statistics with the following faculty: E. Barankin, David Blackwell, Evelyn Fix, J.L. Hodges, Charles H. Kraft, W. Kruskal, Lucien Le Cam, Erich Lehmann, Michel Loève, Jerzy Neyman (chair), Henry Scheffé and Elizabeth L. Scott. Professors Blackwell and Lehmann still come into the the department regularly.

From 1955 until 1981 the Statistical Laboratory functioned as a research unit under the direction of Jerzy Neyman. The Laboratory supported research in statistical theory and applications to such fields as astronomy, biology, communications theory, problems of health, and weather modification.

In 1981 Leo Breiman was appointed Director of the Statistical Laboratory. Under his direction the Departmental computer facilities greatly improved and expanded, and in 1986 the Statistical Computing Facility (SCF) was founded as a separate unit.

The Department of Statistics offers higher degrees which emphasize theoretical or applied areas in probability and statistics. The Group in Biostatistics, which includes faculty from Public Health and Statistics, offers the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in biostatistics. This program is appropriate for people with strong interests in both statistics and the biological sciences.

Current Graduate Student Enrollment

The programs in statistics and biostatistics bring together students from diverse academic backgrounds. As of Fall 2005, there are around fifty current graduate students, including students from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Greece, Hungary, India, Israel, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Turkey and the United States.

Contact Information

If you want more information, contact the organizations listed below. Keep in mind that office hours are in Pacific Time. To all addresses add University of California, Berkeley CA 94720, USA. Add .berkeley.edu to email addresses (e.g. spam@stat should be spam@stat.berkeley.edu).

Department of Statistics

• Main Office 367 Evans Hall
• Student Affairs Officer 373 Evans Hall, sao@stat

Group in Biostatistics

• Graduate Assistant 140 Warren Hall

Graduate student matters

• Graduate Admissions Office 309 Sproul Hall
• Graduate Fellowship Office 318 Sproul Hall
• Graduate Diversity Program 316 Sproul Hall

Student services

• Services for International Students and Scholars 2299 Piedmont Avenue
• Office of Financial Aid 201 Sproul Hall
• Associated Students of UC Student Union Building
• Disabled Students' Program 230 Golden Bear Center
• Berkeley Parents Network
• University Health Services Tang Center

Housing

• Residential and Student Serivce Programs 2401 Bowditch Street
• International House 2299 Piedmont Avenue

Nondiscrimination Policy

The University of California, Berkeley, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or handicap in any of its policies, procedures or practices; nor does the university discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. This nondiscrimination policy covers admission and access to, and treatment and employment in, university programs and activities, including but not limited to, academic admissions, financial aid, educational services, and student employment.

-- BradLuen - 22 Jan 2007