Prospective Students
Thank you for considering our distance learning graduate statistics program!
We are delighted that you have decided to take a look at the graduate education offered by Texas A&M University via Online Learning.
We want our online students to:
- Experience the on-campus environment as close as possible.
- Have the same class room presentation (via web videos) as the on-campus students.
- Have the same course materials, books, notes etc.
- Have the same homework.
- Have the same exams which are administered in the same manner as they are for the on-campus students.
- Have the ability to ask questions via discussion boards.
- Meet live with the instructor on a weekly basis using a web-based conferencing software (Centra).
- Work with other students in online study sessions using Centra.
Our online courses in statistics are offered in conjunction with the on-campus course. Thus, while there is flexibility when a student watches the classroom presentations, there are specific due dates for homework and specific dates for the exam. We truly want to replicate the on-campus environment as close as possible.
Delivery of the Distance Courses
The online courses try to replicate, as close as possible, the on-campus courses. To that end, each of the on-campus courses, which are a part of the Online Program, is recorded before an on-campus class. These are made available to the online students either by streaming via the web or by downloading a zip file. In addition, each course has a website with a discussion board, syllabus, class notes, etc. Also, the online course will have a Q&A web conference session once a week. Thus, the online student will watch 3 lectures of 50 minutes each for a Monday/Wednesday/Friday course or 2 lectures of 75 minutes each for a Tuesday/Thursday course.
Online classes offered in the summer and a few of the online classes offered in the fall and spring will use recordings made in a previous semester. The online summer classes may have 2 or more web conferences Q&A’s each week of the summer term. The Q&A sessions are also recorded for viewing later.
Prerequisites
For the Master of Science degree in Statistics you need two semesters of calculus and a knowledge of matrix algebra.
For individual courses and/or certificates, see the Courses page for specific prerequisites for each course.
Proctors
During the approval process for the Master of Science in Statistics, we represented to the statistics faculty, the Office of Graduate Studies, the Faculty Senate and the University administration that our online program would replicate the on-campus program as close as possible. The administering and proctoring of exams were a part of that representation.
Accordingly, the exams for online students will be proctored, timed and materials limited according to the desires of the professor teaching the class. Some professors allow open book, notes, etc. Other professors only allow a formula sheet. For an on-campus MWF class, some professors may allow 50 minutes; some may allow 60 minutes. Thus, we will administer the exams according to each professor's wishes.
For example:
In Stat 641, the exams for the on-campus students are proctored with a 60 minute time limit and a specified number of formula sheets, depending on the exam. Therefore, for Stat 641 distance students, the proctor will insure that student stays within the 60 minute time limit and has only the number of formula sheets specified for that exam. Each instructor will inform you of her/his rules for exams.
There is more information on the proctors under the Homework/Exams Process page.
F. Michael Speed, PhD
Professor and Director of Online Learning
Department of Statistics
Associate Dean for Technology Mediated Instruction
College of Science TAMU 979-845-3141