PhD Program

General Requirements

The general requirements for the Ph.D. degree in applied statistics are outlined below. Students must complete a minimum of 57 hours of coursework and 24 hours of dissertation research. The Ph.D. course requirements include the requirements for the master's degree. After completing most of the M.S. level coursework, the student must pass a written examination covering this coursework. This exam is also the M.S. comprehensive exam. For students receiving masters degrees at other institutions, the timing of when to take this exam is worked out on an individual basis. This examination is usually given in January of each year. In addition, when most of the Ph.D. coursework has been completed, the student must pass a written comprehensive examination. This usually occurs after six or seven semesters in the program for students entering without an advanced degree in Statistics.

The interdisciplinary field coursework requirement can be fulfilled by taking twelve (12) hours of coursework in a maximum of two fields from a list of approved courses in mathematics, computer science, management science, industrial engineering, finance, and other areas.

An original research dissertation must be written, with the supervision of a faculty advisor and approval of the student's dissertation committee chaired by the faculty advisor, which furthers knowledge in the theory and application of statistics.

Students typically take four to five years beyond an undergraduate degree to obtain a Ph.D. in applied statistics, usually obtaining the M.S. degree in applied statistics along the way.

Degree Requirements

• Required Core Courses (36 hours)

• Statistics Electives (9 hours)

• Interdisciplinary Field Courses (12 hours)

• Dissertation Research (24 hours)

Statistics Electives

The following list of courses or related coursework approved by the applied statistics faculty can be used as suitable statistical electives.

Interdisciplinary Field Courses (12 hours)

Ph.D. students in applied statistics must complete twelve (12) hours in an approved interdisciplinary field of study.