PSTAT188 Transfer Exploration Seminar
Summer 2026
My name is John Inston and I am a 5th year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Statistics and Applied Probability here at UC Santa Barbara. I am the joint instructor alongside Prof. Michael Ludkovski for PSTAT188 this summer. We hope you find this course both interesting and informative.
This course aims to provide an exploration of the field of data science and its applications in a variety of domains. We will cover the fundamentals of programming for data science using both R and python, including data manipulation, visualization and descriptive analysis. We will also cover the foundational concepts of probability theory to prepare students for the PSTAT120 courses at UCSB.
🔍 Reference Material
The contents of this course was prepared using past teaching material provided by Prof. Ludkovski and Prof. Uma Ravat as well as historical course material made available online by the UCSB Department of Statistics and Applied Probability.
📚 Material
- Course Syllabus:
- Lecture Notes:
- Online lecture notes
- Course Readings:
- Helpful Resources:
✏️ Information
Teaching Staff
| Name | Role | Office Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Ludkovski | Instructor | ludkovski@pstat.ucsb.edu | SH 5520 R 3:15PM - 4:15PM |
| John Inston | Instructor | johninston@ucsb.edu | SH 5431T W 1:00PM - 4:00PM |
For zoom meeting links please check the course Canvas page.
Instruction
Course instruction will comprise of 10 lectures (held twice per week).
- Lecture:
- TR 2:00PM - 3:05PM Phelps 1513
Assessments
There will be NO final exam for this course.
Grading will be based on the completion of weekly assignments and participation in class discussions. Your assignments will be due for submission on Canvas each week in PDF form.
Course Schedule
Please check this schedule regularly throughout the term as it is updated with the latest material and reading suggestions.
| Week | Lecture | Date | Topics | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Tues Aug 4 | Welcome to the PSTAT Department |