Rotation Training Program
Research rotations provide the opportunity for first-year PhD students to obtain research experience in data analysis under the guidance of HDSI faculty members. Through the rotations, students can identify a faculty member under whose sponsorship their dissertation research will be completed. (If a PhD student comes in with an MS and confirmed PI, secondary rotations are to be approved by the PI)
A research rotation is a guided research experience lasting one quarter (10 weeks) obtained by registering for DSC 294 with an instructor. Ph.D. students will participate in a minimum of 2 research rotations during their first year, with a minimum of two different faculty members, and as many as four rotations including summer quarter. A student may rotate twice under the same faculty member as long as they rotate with at least two different faculty members overall. The goal is to help the student identify and develop their research interests and to expose students to new methodological approaches or domain knowledge that may be outside the scope of their eventual thesis. Research rotations should be completed in the first year with a signed committment form from the PI/Faculty Advisor; however, if research misalignment is identified, PhD students have until the end of the second year to secure a signed commitment form from a faculty advisor. Those who fail to identify a research adviser may be advised to leave the doctoral program with an optional assessment for completion of a terminal MS/DS degree.
Necessary Steps:
- Confirm with your PI/Nominating Faculty member your first Research Rotation.
- Work with this PI to identify other rotation opportunities; refer to the HDSI Faculty page https://datascience.ucsd.edu/research/
- Reach out to identified faculty members to learn more about potential rotation opportunities.
- Confirm the faculty members permission to do a rotation.
- After you have confirmed with the instructor, please fill out the request below.