Program Overview

Program Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy in Statistical Science is designed to provide students with a strong background in statistics and a working knowledge in a secondary field. The program is interdisciplinary, combining statistics classes with courses from a partnering allied department, such as Biology, Economics, Education, Mathematics, or Psychology.

Degree Description

The PhD in Statistical Science aims to teach students to develop new statistical methods to solve real-life problems that arise in their chosen area of concentration. The program requires core and elective statistics classes, as well as classes from the allied department. At least one member of the student's committee is encouraged to be from the appropriate allied department in the student's field of research.

Core Statistics Courses

• Stat 548 Statistical Theory I (Advanced Probability)
• Stat 549 Statistical Theory II (Advanced Inference)
• Stat 536 Statistical Computing
• Stat 574 Linear and Non-linear Mixed Models
• Stat 575 Theory of Multivariate Analysis

Admission Requirements

Prerequisites for admission include courses in:

• Calculus
• Linear Algebra
• Computer Programming
• Statistical Methods Analysis and Advanced Linear Algebra are recommended, as well as additional statistics classes.

International Student Requirements

International students may need to surpass the Graduate School's minimum English language proficiency exam scores. The minimum scores for admission are:

• 75 TOEFLI
• 6.5 IELTS
• 105 Duolingo The minimum score required for assistantship consideration is:
• TOEFL score of 100
• IELTS of 7
• Duolingo of 130

Application Requirements

The application will require:

• Unofficial transcripts from all previous institutions
• GPA above a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Resume/CV
• Email contact information for 3 references
• Personal statement
• GRE scores are not required but encouraged

Student Opportunities

Students are encouraged to create industry connections by completing an internship at some point in their studies. Students may also gain consulting experience working for CISER, the Center for Interdisciplinary Statistical Education and Research, as part of their assistantship duties.

Career Placements

Graduates from the Statistical Science PhD program begin careers in both academia and government or industry. Examples of career placements include:

• Data Scientist
• Assistant Professor
• Quantitative Analyst
• Research Scientist

Program Statistics

• Total Graduate Faculty in Program: 35
• Total Core Graduate Faculty in Program: 30
• Graduate Students in Program: 18
• Students Receiving Assistantships: 17
• Priority Deadlines:
  • Fall: January 10
• Campus: Pullman