The Master of Science program in statistics requires the following work.

Note: MS students planning to enter the doctoral program may wish to include in their course selections STAT:5120 (Mathematical Methods for Statistics), STAT:6990 (Readings in Statistics), and at least one 7000 level courses, since these are parts of the required PhD core.

The MS final examination consists of two parts: one covers the topics presented in STAT:5100 Statistical Inference I and STAT:5101 Statistical Inference II; the other part covers the topics presented in STAT:5200/IGPI:5199 Applied Statistics I, STAT:5201 Applied Statistics II, and DATA:5400/STAT:5400/IGPI:5400 Computing in Statistics. Each part includes a few problems that test readiness for the PhD program.

Final examinations are offered the week before classes begin in August. Study guides are available.  Students who do not succeed the first time they take the exam may repeat it once, with the possibility of a retake the week before classes begin in January.

Students must complete all requirements and be granted the Master of Science degree within one calendar year of passing the MS final examination; those who do not meet this deadline are required to take the exam again.

Students entering the PhD program, who will choose either biostatistics, probability/mathematical statistics, or data science as their concentration area, and who already have taken the equivalent of the first-year courses, may take the MS final examination in statistics before beginning further studies.

All students are encouraged to fulfill 2 semester hours of STAT:6990, engaging in a project that aligns with their application and career interests. Typically, students register for two consecutive 1 semester hour enrollments in STAT:6990 during the fall and spring semesters of the second year. However, this can also be pursued one or two semesters earlier, based on the students’ readiness and motivation. 

Students need to present orally in Statistics Student Organization (SSO) meeting. The advisor evaluates the work and the presentation and assigns a grade of satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

Remark for students aiming to qualify for the PhD program: The project represents one piece of the body of work used to determine PhD qualification. STAT:6990 must be satisfactorily completed within one calendar year of passing the MS final exam. It’s highly advantageous though not necessary that a student’s STAT:6990 advisor becomes their PhD dissertation advisor.

The applicant for a master's degree is required to file a plan of study, approved by the advisor and the DEO, with the Graduate College within the session in which the MS final exam is taken, and by a date to be established by the Graduate College dean.

The plan shall meet the requirements for the degree approved by the graduate faculty. The plan of study is completed by the faculty and is submitted for you. There is nothing you need to do, except review it. It is usually completed at the beginning of your fourth semester and a copy is placed in your mail box in 241 Schaeffer Hall (SH).

If a student makes a change in their plan of study (i.e. adds or deletes a course), they must file an application for change in plan of study (see program coordinator or your advisor).

The student must file an application for an anticipated degree with the Registrar not later than ten weeks after the start of the semester or one week after the start of the summer session in which the degree will be conferred. Failure to file the application for degree by the deadline may result in postponement of graduation to a subsequent session.

Students must be registered for the semester in which they graduate. Students who have completed their coursework may register for GRAD:6001 (000:001) Master's Final Registration for 0 semester hours with their advisor's approval.

The following timeline describes the key milestones in the MS program. Meeting these milestones on time constitutes "adequate progress" toward the MS degree.

Year 1

• Complete at least 18 semester hours of coursework with a GPA of at least 3.0, including courses needed to prepare for the MS Final Examination.

Year 2

• Take the MS Final Examination before classes start in the fall. If necessary, re-take the exam in January.
• Complete the remaining coursework with a GPA of at least 3.0, meeting the requirements of the MS program.
• If taking STAT:6990, draft the project by end of fall, polished and presented by mid-spring.
• Complete the Plan of Study.
• File the Application for the MS degree before Spring Break for Spring graduation. In the rare case of needing to graduate in a Fall semester, file the application before the second Friday of October.
• Students in our MS program who want to continue into our PhD program should apply to the PhD program by the same deadline above or as soon as they have completed the MS final exam and presented their project for STAT:6990. Students in our MS program apply to the PhD program simply by notifying the Director of Graduate Studies. No additional application materials are needed.