1. Graduate Program in Statistics Overview
2. Master of Science Program
3. Doctor of Philosophy Program
4. Internship Program
5. Scheduling Coursework

Graduate Programs in Statistics Overview

The Department of Statistics offers a graduate program, leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. The Department also jointly sponsors graduate work with all subject matter area departments in setting up flexible minor programs in statistics.

The Department of Statistics offers two options in its master's degree programs: (1) the Master of Science degree (thesis option) which requires the preparation of a thesis and (2) the Master of Science (non-thesis option) which requires more formal course work in lieu of the thesis. Within either option, students are allowed to choose either a broad-based or specialized program of study. All choices, however, provide a balanced training in statistical methods, computational statistics, and statistical theory, and are intended to prepare the student to adapt statistical methodologies to practical problems.

The aim of the Ph.D. program is to provide comprehensive and balanced training in statistical methods, computational statistics, and the theory of statistics. Particular emphasis is placed on training students to independently recognize the relevance of statistical methods to the solution of specific problems and to enable them to develop new methods when they are needed. The training aims to convey a sound knowledge of existing statistical theory, including the mathematical facility to develop new results in statistical methodology. At the same time, the program is kept sufficiently flexible to permit students to develop their specific interests.

Master of Science Program (Non-Thesis Option)

A student seeking the Master of Science degree under the Non-Thesis Option must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Coursework

   Note that STAT 601, 651, 652, 653, 658, and 667 may not be used to fulfill any of the coursework requirements listed below.
1. STAT 604, 608, 641 and 642.
2. One credit hour of STAT 681.
3. Two semester credit hours of statistical consulting experience (STAT 684) earned in a minimum of two semesters. Rules governing completing this requirement are given below in Item B.
4. Three semester credit hours of STAT 685 for the preparation of a special problem (see item C below).
5. Eighteen semester credit hours based on one of the emphasis areas outlined below.
6. A total of 36 semester credit hours.

Broad-Based Plan

1. STAT 610,
2. Three additional approved statistics courses.
3. One course from a supporting field.

Biostatistics Emphasis

1. STAT 610, 611, 643 and 644
2. One additional approved statistics courses.
3. One course from a supporting field.

Computational Emphasis

1. STAT 610 and 611
2. Two courses in Mathematics (e.g., MATH 609, MATH 610 or MATH 660).
3. Two courses in Computer Science (e.g., CPSC 603, CPSC 654 or CPSC 659).

Applied Emphasis

1. STAT 630, 636, 657, 659
2. One additional statistics courses.
3. One course from a supporting field.

2. Consulting Experience

   One semester credit hour of STAT 684 can be obtained through the completion of any of the experiences listed below.
1. One semester of service in the Statistical Consulting Center.
2. One semester of a departmentally approved internship.
3. Special experiences, with prior approval from either the Department Head or the Associate Department Head that involve the following:
   1. At least one semester of activity
   2. The application of statistical knowledge
   3. Working with non-statisticians
   4. Sufficient statistical supervision.

3. Advisory Committee

   Form a master's advisory committee and complete a special project under the direction of the chairman of the advisory committee. Three semester credit hours of STAT 685 are earned by completion of this project. Upon completion, the student is required to compose a written report and make an oral presentation on the work. The purpose of this project is to familiarize the student with the type of problems that may be encountered in future work and to give the student a chance to develop the ability to present results both verbally and in writing. In many cases, work done during an internship may be used as the basis for the student's master's project. However, this project must be completed under the supervision of the chairperson of the student's advisory committee.

4. Departmental Exam

   Pass the departmental MS examination (see below).

5. Oral Exam

   Pass a final oral examination. This examination is concerned with the student's coursework and special problem. It is administered by the student's advisory committee.

Master of Science Program (Thesis Option)

A student seeking the Master of Science degree under the Thesis Option must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Coursework. Note that STAT 601, 651, 652, 653, 658, and 667 may not be used to fulfill any of the coursework requirements listed below.
1. STAT 604, 608, 610, 611, 641 and 642.
2. One credit hour of STAT 681.
3. Six semester credit hours of STAT 691 for preparation of a thesis (see item B below).
4. Nine semester credit hours based on one of the emphasis areas outlined below. STAT 691 semester credit hours may not be used to satisfy this requirement.
5. A total of 34 semester credit hours.

Broad-Based Plan

1. Two additional approved statistics course.
2. One course from a supporting field.

Biostatistics Emphasis

1. STAT 643 and 644
2. One course from a supporting field.

Computational Emphasis

1. At least one course in Mathematics (e.g., MATH 609, MATH 610 or MATH 660).
2. At least one course in Computer Science (e.g., CPSC 603, CPSC 654 or CPSC 659).

2. Advisory Committee

   Form an advisory committee and complete a thesis under the direction of the chairman of the advisory committee. The Department does not insist that this represent an original contribution to the field of statistics. It is intended to train the student in carrying out independently a piece of research; this may represent an application of existing statistical methods in a new area or a comparative evaluation of statistical methods.

3. Departmental Exam

   Pass the departmental MS examination (see below).

4. Oral Exam

   Pass a final oral examination. This examination is concerned with the student's coursework and thesis. It is administered by the student's advisory committee.

Master's Diagnostic Examination

The MS examination covers basic statistical methods. The examination is evaluated with the performance judged to be "Pass" or "Fail." To receive a Master's Degree, a student must take and pass the exam. The qualifying exam is offered twice a year--prior to the beginning of the fall semester and prior to the beginning of the spring semester, and must be taken at the earliest possible time after the student has completed the required courses: STAT 610, 611 (or 630), 604, 608, 641, and 642. Any exception to this time limit must be obtained in writing from the head of the Department. The results of a student's examination are reported to the faculty of the Statistics Department. If the student's performance is judged to be deficient, the examination may be retaken the next time it is offered. Only one retake of the examination is allowed.

Doctor of Philosophy Program

The breadth of the field of statistics as well as the frontiers of knowledge in a particular research area are emphasized in the Ph.D. program. The student seeking a Ph.D. in statistics is required to fulfill the following requirements. A Ph.D. selection committee will examine the background of entering students to determine if they have the appropriate math/stat background to successfully complete the program. Those students determined to have the appropriate background will need to complete the courses under Option I and the remaining students will take the courses under Option II.

1. Coursework. Note that STAT 601, 651, 652, 653, 658, and 667 may not be used to fulfill any of the coursework requirements listed below.
1. Required Courses
1. Option I: STAT 605, 612, 613, 614, 620, 632, 648, (621 or 642).
2. Option II: STAT 604, 608, 610, 611, 641, 642, 605, 612, 613, 614, 620, 632, 648.
2. At least four courses from the elective course list provided below.
3. If entering with a Bachelor's degree then complete three additional courses from the elective course list.
4. For those students selecting the Methodology / Applications emphasis, two semester credit hours of statistical consulting experience (STAT 684) earned in a minimum of two semesters. Rules governing acceptable methods for completing this requirement are given below in Item B. No consulting experience is required of students selecting the Theory/Methodology emphasis.
5. Four semester credit hours of STAT 681.
6. A sufficient number of research hours, STAT 691, to achieve a total of at least 96 semester credit hours beyond a Bachelor's degree or 64 semester credit hours beyond a Master's degree.
7. Elective Course List: 607, 608, 615, 616, 621, 623, 626, 627, 631, 636, 643, 644, 647, 657, 659, 661, 662, 665, 671, 673, 674, 689 (may be taken repeatedly) MATH 607, MATH 615, MATH 625, MATH
2. Consulting Experience. One semester credit hour of STAT 684 can be obtained through the completion of any of the experiences listed below.
1. One semester of service in the Statistical Consulting Center.
2. One semester of a departmentally approved internship.
3. Special experiences, with prior approval from either the Department Head or the Associate Department Head that involve the following:
   1. At least one semester of activity
   2. The application of statistical knowledge
   3. Working with non-statisticians
   4. Sufficient statistical supervision.
3. Ph. D. Examinations:

Ph.D. students in Option I:

There will be three examinations covering Theory (614, 620), Methodology (612,613), Applied / Computational Statistics (605,648). The exams are evaluated as Pass or Fail. The exams will be offered during the second week in August every year and students must take at least two out of the three exams at the end of their first year in the Ph.D. program. To continue in the Ph.D. program, a student must pass two of the three exams within two years of entering the Ph.D. program. Each year, after the Ph.D. exams are graded, the Ph.D. Examination Committee will report the results of the exams to the faculty. The committee will also make recommendations concerning the appropriate advisement of those students who did not pass the required number of exams. A report of these recommendations will also be presented to the faculty prior to meeting with the individual students.

Based on the results of the exams and the student's performance in their first year Ph.D. courses, the students will be given one of several options concerning their continuation in the Ph.D. program.

Possible Options given to students:
1. Take the second year of courses, and then take the exams again during August of the next year. If a student passed 1 of the 2 examination, then he/she would only need to pass one more exam during the next offering of the exams.
2. Discontinue the Ph.D. program and take the necessary M.S. courses to receive an M.S. in statistics.
3. If after two attempts a student has not passed two of the exams, he/she will be given the option to complete the required courses for an M.S. and will not be allowed to continue for a Ph.D.

Ph.D. students in Option II:

Ph.D. students in Option II will not take the Ph.D. exam at the end of their first year. Instead, they will take the MS Diagnostic Exam at the end of their first year. The Ph.D. Examination committee will review the performance of all Option II students with respect to their performance in courses and their performance on the M.S. Diagnostic Examination. Based on this review, a recommendation will be made concerning the continuation of these students in the Ph.D. program.
4. Form a Ph.D. advisory committee and pass the Preliminary Examination administered by the advisory committee (see below).
5. Write a Ph.D. Dissertation and pass the final Defense of Dissertation Examination (see below). The student is also required to present the results of their research in a regularly scheduled departmental seminar.

Preliminary Examination

Once a student has decided upon an area of research, a faculty member of the Statistics Department should be found to direct the research. The student and the advisor should work together to form a Ph.D. advisory committee and to submit a degree plan to the University Office of Graduate Studies. This degree plan must be approved by the Office of Graduate Studies before the student is allowed to take the preliminary exam. The preliminary examination consists of the following parts:
1. A written examination developed by the statistics members of the student's advisory committee. This examination is not to be taken until the student has passed two of the Ph.D. exams. This exam may be waived at the discretion of the departmental committee members.
2. Written examinations administered by members of the student's advisory committee from outside the Statistics Department. These members may choose to waive these examinations.
3. An oral examination administered by the members of the student's advisory committee. This examination may not be taken until the student has successfully completed the first two parts of the preliminary examination, unless of course, both examinations are waived.
Note that the preliminary exam must conform to the time limits and scheduling requirements listed in the university graduate catalog. In particular, the exam is given no earlier than a date when the student is within approximately six credit hours of completion of the formal course work (i.e., all course work on the degree plan except 681, 684, and 691) or no later than the semester following the completion of the formal course work on the degree plan.

The Ph.D. Dissertation

After successfully completing the course work and the preliminary examination, a period of time is to be devoted to a research topic in either statistical methodology or statistical theory under the guidance of the student's advisor. The results of this research must be communicated in a written dissertation satisfying the guidelines established by the University. The research must constitute an original contribution to the science of statistics and may derive new results in statistical theory or methodology or may be concerned with developing statistical methodology in new areas of application. Once the student's advisor feels that the student has completed the dissertation, a final oral examination is conducted by the advisory committee in which the student defends the dissertation.

Internship Program

Students after one year of coursework are eligible to participate in an internship with a sponsoring company, hospital, or federal agency. The internships are generally a semester's stay at the sponsor's site. If a student participates in one of the internship programs approved by the department head, then:

1. The student is given credit for one hour of STAT 684.
2. In many cases work done during the internship may be used as the basis for a Master's project. However, this project must be completed under the supervision of the chairperson of the student's advisory committee.

Scheduling Coursework

The following list indicates the Department's usual schedule of course offerings. Those courses marked even or odd are offered only in even numbered and odd numbered years, respectively. Because several courses are offered only every other year, it is important to plan a program of study and schedule of courses as early as possible.

Courses	Semester(s) Offered	Courses	Semester(s) Offered	Courses	Semester(s) Offered	Courses	Semester(s) Offered
201	1,2	605	2	627	2(odd)	657	2
211	1,2,3	607	1	630	1,3	658	4
212	1,2	608	2	631	2(odd)	659	2
301	1,2	610	1	632	2	661	2
302	1,2,3	611	2	636	1	662	1(odd)
303	1,2,3	612	1	641	1	665	4
307	1,2	613	2	642	2	667	3
407	1	614	1	643	1	671	1(odd)
408	2	615	1	644	2	673	1(even)
414	1	616	2	647	1	674	2(odd)
415	2	620	2	648	1	681	1,2
485	1,2,3	621	2	651	1,2,3	684	1,2,3
601	1,2	623	4	652	1,2,3	685	1,2,3
604	1	626	3	653	2	691	1,2,3

1: Fall, 2: Spring, 3: Summer, 4: As resources allow.