Program Overview

Introduction to the Ph.D. in Statistics Program

The goal of the Statistics Ph.D. program is to train students to conduct original methodological and/or theoretical research in statistics and to apply advanced statistical methods to scientific problems. Students are expected to take advanced graduate classes in the theory and applications of statistics and other relevant classes.

Program Requirements

The Ph.D. program requires a Qualifying Exam, a Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam, and a Final Oral Exam. The Ph.D. requires 90 hours of graduate credit, including a dissertation. At least 45 hours must be completed at the university after the filing of the program of studies, which must be approved by the student's Ph.D. graduate committee. The Ph.D. program will normally include at least 12 hours and at most 55 hours of dissertation research.

Core Courses

• At least 90-credit hours for a Ph.D. degree
• Most students will use their M.S. degree credit hours earned to account for approximately 1/3 of these hours
• A typical Ph.D. program will also include dissertation hours for approximately 1/3 of these hours
• Students are required to complete the following core courses with a final grade of B- or higher:
  • STAT 950: Computational Statistics
  • STAT 980: Advanced Probability Theory I
  • STAT 982: Advanced Inference
  • STAT 983: Statistical Learning
  • STAT 984: Asymptotics & Applications
• Students may take STAT 981 in place of STAT 984
• Six additional credit hours from 900-level elective courses are required, excluding STAT 997 and STAT 999

Ph.D. Qualifying Exam

The Ph.D. Qualifying Exam is a written exam over the MS core course that assesses preparedness for the Ph.D. program. Students are allowed to take the exam if they have a GPA of at least 3.5 in their MS and Ph.D. core courses taken, where a grade of B- or higher is needed in each course. This test is given in early January and in late May each year. Pass/No Pass grades for the exam are assigned by the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Committee. Students have two attempts to receive a Pass grade; a third attempt can be granted by a majority vote of the Department's faculty if extreme circumstances prevented a student from achieving a Pass.

Finding a Faculty Advisor and Forming a Supervisory Committee

Full acceptance into the Department's Ph.D. program requires that the student choose a faculty advisor (or a temporary sponsor) and form a Ph.D. Supervisory Committee within one month after passing the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam. The student's advisor will chair the Supervisory Committee and direct the dissertation.

Program of Studies

Before the student has completed 45 credit hours (half of coursework), the Office of Graduate Studies requires the student to turn in a Program of Studies form. This form is completed with the advice and consent of the student's Supervisory Committee. The form is signed by the student's Supervisory Committee Chair, the Department Graduate Chair, and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam

The Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam involves a dissertation proposal that is presented in an open forum, followed by an oral defense conducted by the student's Supervisory Committee. This Committee will give a Pass/Fail grade. A portion of the exam needs to be in a written format to satisfy the requirements for the Office of Graduate Studies.

Final Oral Exam

The final Oral Exam is a dissertation defense. For this exam, students present their dissertation research to the University in an open forum, followed by a final oral defense conducted by the student's Supervisory Committee. This committee gives a Pass/Fail grade.

Ph.D. Program Timeline

• Admission: Student is admitted "provisionally" into the Ph.D. program and starts by taking the core MS courses.
• Ph.D. Qualifying Exam: Student takes Ph.D. Qualifying Exam in their 4th semester (Spring) after completing MS-level core courses.
• Forming a Supervisory Committee: After a student has passed the Qualifying Exam, but before they have completed 45 credit hours (half of coursework), the student forms a supervisory committee and selects a Faculty advisor who will chair the Committee.
• Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam: The Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam is taken after the student has formed their Supervisory Committee and completed the required coursework.
• Final Oral Exam: The final Oral Exam is taken after the student has passed the Comprehensive Exam and completed their dissertation research.