Skills Training | Department of Statistics, University of Oxford

Graduate Training Framework

The Department and University offer a range of training provision which covers research, academic and transferable career skills. Students are expected to take responsibility for shaping their own training, supported by their supervisor.

MPLS Graduate Training Framework

Broadening Training

All students are expected to undertake 100 hours of ‘broadening training’ outside their specialist area. This training should broaden your knowledge and understanding of statistics and probability as a whole, rather than be directly related to your research topic.

Academic skills are lecture courses/subjects that form an extension to, and fill gaps in, undergraduate knowledge.

The natural way to do this training (or most of it) is to attend Academy for Postgraduate Training in Statistics (APTS) courses in the first year.
Students are also expected to attend the departmental Graduate Lectures.
The department holds a Distinguished Speaker Seminar Series
MMath Parts B or C/MSc in Statistical Science courses might be of interest.
Courses offered by other departments can be found via the MPLS Researcher Training Programme

Research skills are those needed to actually carry out research, for example safety, equipment use, programming.

All first year students are expected to attend the session on Finding research Information. This is an introduction to the Radcliffe Science Library and research databases, e-journals, e-books, and dissertations available at Oxford.
Postgraduate library training sessions.
Statistical programming course details.
Oxford University IT Services – IT Learning Centre
Departmental IT information: how to get help with IT

Transferable Skills

All research students are required to acquire “transferable” skills as part of their training, and must spend at least 10 days per year in such activities. An account of students’ skills training must be presented at transfer and confirmation of status.

Many important skills can be developed through teaching. Each DPhil student is generally expected to participate in teaching. Undergraduate teaching training is run by the Mathematical Institute with input from the Department of Statistics.
The MPLS Division offers a wide range of transferable skills courses. These include:

Foundation Phase: 0-12 months	Intensive Research Phase: 12-30 months	Completion Phase 24+months	Anytime during the DPhil
Foundations for a Successful DPhil	Poster Design & Presentation	Completing your DPhil	Academic English
Introduction to Research Data Management	GRAD Challenge	Viva preparation & practice	Avoiding plagiarism (online)
How to plan your DPhil	Making a Difference: Applying your Research		Thesis & report writing
Research Integrity (online)	Scientific Writing: Getting your paper published		Navigator for men/ Springboard for women (not 1^st years)
Presentation Skills for beginners	Teaching and Learning: Lab Demonstrators (PLTO		Scientific Writing: core skills
			Managing your supervisory relationship