Degree Requirements

Upon admission to the program, the student should demonstrate a background knowledge of mathematics and statistics equivalent to that acquired in upper-division courses in probability and statistics. Deficiencies may be made up by taking courses suggested by the graduate adviser. In most cases, these courses may not be counted toward the degree.

Master of Science in Statistics

A master’s degree may be obtained with report or without report (coursework only). Both options require a Program of Work consisting of 30 semester hours of coursework (10 courses). The report option also requires satisfactory completion of a written report and one associated three-hour report course taken on credit/no credit basis for a 33-hour total. Pursuit of the report option requires the student to find a willing supervising professor who is a member of the Statistics and Data Sciences Graduate Studies Committee.

Degree requirements for both options are distributed as follows: (1) six core courses that provide a foundation for further study, including the following coursework with a grade of at least B: a two-course sequence in theoretical statistics, two courses in statistical modeling, one course in computational methods, and one course in research; (2) six hours of statistics courses chosen from an approved list; (3) six hours of supporting coursework, which may be in a subject area other than statistics but must be logically related and, together with the other degree coursework, constitute a coherent degree program. The report option also requires three hours of master’s report, which is expected to approximate a publishable journal article in length and quality.

Doctor of Philosophy

A doctoral student in statistics must complete a core set of courses in statistical theory and methods. At the end of the first year, students must complete a preliminary written examination covering the main concepts in these core courses. By the end of the second year, students must successfully present a plan of study and demonstrate research proficiency in an oral examination to qualify for candidacy. Students are expected to write and defend their dissertation within two years of admission to candidacy.