Quantitative Minor

Quantitative Minor

(coordinated by Brian Flaherty)

Obtaining the quantitative minor denotes that a graduate student has fulfilled statistical, mathematical, computational, and/or other research methods training beyond basic department and area requirements. The following steps are required to obtain the minor.

1. Complete PSYCH 524 and 525 (or equivalent), passing with at least a 3.5 GPA
2. Formulate a plan of study with advisor(s)
3. Obtain final approval of plan
4. Complete plan and final documentation

Specifics about the plan of study, course requirements, and optional paper follow.

Plan of study

Before taking courses for the minor, formulate a plan of study. Your plan should be tailored to your research interests, as well as meet the requirements for the minor (see below). The plan should explain how your proposed coursework and any independent work advances your research interests.

Discuss this plan with your advisor and your area's quantitative point person. Once it is agreed upon by the student, advisor and area’s quantitative point person, submit the plan to Brian Flaherty for final approval. Upon final approval, the plan should be filed with the Department’s Graduate Program Advisor (The list of area quantitative point people is at the bottom.)

NOTE: Generally, the plan of study should be completed and approved prior to taking any courses toward the minor.

Course requirements

Coursework for the quantitative minor is in addition to Psych 524 & 525 (and their associated labs, 522 & 523) or equivalent courses required of all students. In order to be admitted to the Quantitative minor, 524 and 525 must each be passed with a grade of 3.5 or higher.

The minor requires four additional courses (for a minimum of 12 credits). To count toward the minor, a course must be rigorous and include assessment of student learning. The student must attain a basic level of competence in the technique(s) presented. Merely knowing how to run software for the method is not enough. For this reason, CR/NC courses, labs, software classes, and workshops typically will not count toward the minor.

Most graduate students will have no trouble choosing their additional coursework from among regularly offered courses, in Psychology, CSSS or elsewhere on campus. Other students may wish or need to go farther afield. Brian Flaherty maintains an a list of courses that count toward the minor, but students may request the addition of a specific course. Do this by sending a syllabus and any additional information to Brian Flaherty.

All four additional quantitative classes must be passed with a minimum grade of 3.3.

 

Optional paper

In place of one of the four additional courses, a student can choose to write a quantitative research paper or substantive research paper employing quantitative techniques they have learned. This paper will be read and evaluated by two quantitative faculty. Once approved, the paper should be submitted for a conference presentation and/or publication. When a student opts to write such a paper, the minimum number of additional course credits (over and above Psych 522, 523, 524, and 525) required for the minor is reduced to nine.

Final documentation

Once completed, record your work for the minor on the “Documentation of Completion of the Quantitative Minor” form available from the Graduate Program Advisor and on the webpage describing the Quantitative minor (link below).

The current list of courses automatically applicable to the minor is here:
https://psych.uw.edu/graduate/areas/quantitative-minor/courses

Documentation of Completion of the Quantitative Minor form: /storage/areas/quant_minor/form.pdf


Area Quantitative point people:

Animal Behavior – To be determined
Behavioral Neuroscience – David Gire
Cognitive/Perception – Geoff Boynton
Adult Clinical – Lori Zoellner
Child Clinical – Kevin King
Social – To be determined
Developmental – To be determined