The Vancouver Summer Program with UBC Science provides students with the opportunity to study at a top international research university and experience local Vancouver culture.

What you might expect/course format

Courses with UBC Science include in-class and lab portions taught by UBC faculty members, graduate students, and guest lecturers. Courses also include short field trips and other engaging learning opportunities. Students can expect team-based learning activities and assignments.

July 2025 Course Packages

Statistical Literacy and Reasoning in Data Science

In this course, students will develop their statistical literacy and reasoning. They will also build a deeper understanding of data to make data-driven decisions. Through carefully designed lectures, practical exercises, assignments and a group project, participants will acquire a fundamental understanding of study design and data collection. This will empower the students to systematically organize their own analysis projects and collect representative data. The course learning objectives are: i). build basic data literacy and reasoning, ii). improve students’ ability to formulate data-driven problems, iii). design and properly apply statistical methodologies such as data visualizations, t-test, ANOVA, correlation and linear regression, iv). understand data trends, anomalies, and patterns, v). interpret results, and vi). develop written and oral communication skills to present data-driven insights. This course is ideal for students seeking to build a robust methodological foundation in data analysis and statistical reasoning, with applications in diverse fields to support evidence-based decision-making and data-driven insights. By the end of the course students will have completed a full data science project from conception, to understanding the study design, to conducting analysis and finally presenting their findings via oral and written presentation.

Data Science Tools and Advanced Modeling Techniques

In this course, students will gain practical skills to implement the best data science practices. Students will learn how to code effectively using the R programming language throughout this course (no previous R experience is expected from students). They will master data manipulation, figure creation, and the application of advanced statistical models to datasets. Students will also acquire strong cooperation and organization skills by immersing themselves in the world of reproducible research. By applying their command of statistical reasoning, visualization and analysis, students will be empowered to generate powerful data-driven storytelling in the course’s final presentation. The main learning objectives of this course are: i). understand basic R essentials when coding, ii). master data manipulation and visualization, iii). develop reproducible data workflows, iv). acknowledge fundamental machine learning concepts and implement machine learning methods, and v). accurately assess the predictive performance of models. This course is ideal for students seeking to develop “hands-on” technical data science skills that will help them to implement appropriate data analyses and conduct collaborative research in the future.

Prerequisite: No prerequisites

Additional information: Laptop required. Software setup required prior to first class. Setup instructions will be provided.

For more information

Statistics and Data Science VSP Brochure

Statistics and Data Science VSP webpage

For VSP Statistics and Data Science-specific questions, email Julia Peng at vsp@stat.ubc.ca.

Student testimonials

“I intend to find an internship abroad in the first half of this year, and the VSP grade letter and supporting documents help me a lot with preparing my resumes and CVs. Thank you once again for the wonderful experience at UBC which gave me the courage to apply for it.”

– VSP STAT Student

“I deeply appreciate the high evaluation you gave me—it motivates me to continue working hard and furthering my academic growth in statistics. The knowledge and skills I gained from this program have been invaluable, and I’m excited to apply them in my future studies. The one month I spent in Vancouver will remain one of the most beautiful and unforgettable memories of my life. This experience was not only meaningful and fulfilling but also a perfect blend of learning and living, for which I am truly thankful to you. Thank you once again for your encouragement and support throughout the […]

– VSP STAT Student

“I had the privilege of participating in your course during the summer research program, where I earned an A+. The experience I gained under your guidance has been invaluable, expanding my research capabilities and deepening my understanding of Data Science. Your mentorship has greatly influenced my academic and research pursuits.”

– VSP STAT Student

“Thank you very much for your knowledge in UBC VSP project, the application of R language and the knowledge of statistics have greatly influenced me. In the future, I will continue to explore the application of statistics in the field of finance and constantly improve my programming ability. The one-month study at UBC is the most precious memory of my life. I look forward to visiting you again in Canada in the future.”

– VSP STAT Student

“During my one-month academic journey at UBC, I developed a strong interest in statistics and coding, which stimulate my interest in research and inspire me to put analysis and programming into my long-term career. Therefore, I wanted to ask if you would be willing to write a strong letter of recommendation for my research applications. I would like to thank you for everything you have presented in class and for the inspiration you have brought to the field of analysis.”

– VSP STAT Student