Graduate Programs

The Department of Statistics offers the M.S. degree in Statistics and the Ph.D. degree in Applied Statistics.

Admission Domestic and international applicants must supply scores from the GRE general exam. In addition, TOEFL scores must be supplied by applicants whose first language is not English who do not hold a degree from a U.S. institution. The department considers applications for teaching assistantships at the same time as those for fellowships. Normally, Ph.D. eligible admitted students are awarded fellowships during the winter quarter for fall quarter admissions.

The Department of Statistics offers the M.S. degree in Statistics.

Admission Students entering the Master’s program must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a strong background in Statistics and sufficient training in Mathematics or take STAT 160A, STAT 160B, STAT 160C, STAT 161 and STAT 170A, STAT 170B, STAT 171, covering basic areas of probability and statistics. These courses would not be counted as credit towards the master’s degree.

Students must also meet the other requirements for admission as specified by the Graduate Division. The program is Plan II (Comprehensive Examination) described in the Graduate Studies section of this catalog. No foreign language is required.

Course Work Graduate students in Statistics must take (or have taken) appropriate courses in Mathematics to give them the proper background for graduate work in Statistics. Important areas include Calculus (at least MATH 008B or MATH 009A, MATH 009B, MATH 009C, and MATH 010A) and Linear Algebra (at least MATH 131). Students are strongly encouraged to take at least one of the following: MATH 120 (Optimization), MATH 126 (Combinatorics), MATH 135A, MATH 135B (Numerical Analysis), MATH 151A, MATH 151B, MATH 151C (Advanced Calculus), MATH 165A, MATH 165B (Complex Variables), and MATH 209A, MATH 209B, MATH 209C (Real Analysis). The specific courses selected naturally depend on the research area selected by the student.

The program consists of a minimum of 37 approved units. These must include 1 unit of STAT 288; 12 units of STAT 201A, STAT 201B, or STAT 201C; 4 units of STAT 207, and 12 units of STAT 293 are counted toward this total. In addition, at least 8 units must be from STAT 200A, STAT 200B, STAT 203A, STAT 203B, STAT 205, STAT 215, STAT 216A, STAT 216B, STAT 220A, STAT 220B, STAT 230, and STAT 240.

Early in the program the student submits a program proposal, which requires the approval of the M.S. advisor. The advisor also supervises the student’s progress and course of study.

Comprehensive Examination After completion of the required courses, the student takes a written comprehensive examination. This is generally offered twice annually, in the fall and spring quarters.

Petition to Change Degree Objective Some students can petition to change their degree objective from the M.S. degree to the Ph.D. program in Applied Statistics depending on their performances in the written comprehensive exam and coursework.

The Department of Statistics offers the Ph.D. degree in Applied Statistics.

The program emphasizes both the theory of statistics and its application to special fields of interest. In addition to courses in statistics, a student would take courses in a substantive field from which a thesis problem requiring a statistical approach should arise. The substantive field may be chosen from areas such as biology, economics, political science, psychology or administration. Specialties might include, for example, population genetics, biological control, hydrology, epidemiology, geology, discrimination in learning, or scales and measurements.

Admission Students entering the program must have completed either a bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree in Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or some other quantitatively based discipline. Students lacking sufficient preparation for some statistics graduate classes must complete some preparatory work in Statistics, Computer Science, or Mathematics depending on their background. Students also have to meet the general requirements listed in the Graduate Studies section of this catalog.

Change Degree Objective Students with a Batchelor’s degree in the Ph.D. program who have satisfied all the requirements for the Master’s degree may apply for this degree while completing requirements for the Ph.D. program.

Ph.D. Course Requirements

I. Course Requirements

(A) Core: STAT 207, STAT 210A, STAT 210B, three quarters of STAT 293 and one quarter of STAT 288.

(B) 16 units of additional 200 level Statistics courses, not graded S/NC, excluding STAT 201A, STAT 201B, and STAT 201C and STAT 231A and STAT 231B.

(C) 12 units of breadth requirement: of the courses listed below, the following courses fulfill the breadth requirement: STAT 200A, STAT 203A, STAT 215, STAT 216A, STAT 220A.

(D) Substantive: Twelve units (or equivalent) in Substantive Fields with a minimum GPA of 3.00 appropriate to the student’s interest. The requirement may be waived if the student already has the background in the substantive area.

II. Teaching: At least three quarters of teaching service. Statistics 424 / Programs and Courses

III. Miscellaneous: In preparation for the written qualifying examinations, a student can register for up to 6 units of STAT 291 (Individual Studies in Coordinated Areas) only during quarters that the student actually participates in qualifying examinations.

Foreign Language Requirement None

Qualifying Examination The written Part 1 & Part 2 are offered twice annually, in the fall and spring quarters. After passing the written exams the student will work with advisor to prepare for the Oral examination. Advancing to Candidacy takes place when students complete all the course requirements for the Ph.D. program and passes the written and oral exams. We expect students to complete the qualifying exams before the beginning of the third year.

Dissertation The dissertation is pertinent to a problem area specified by the candidate’s substantive field and is submitted in accordance with the requirements of the Graduate Division, Riverside.

Teaching Requirement All students in the program, for at least three quarters, assist with laboratory (practice) sections of undergraduate Statistics courses or individual tutorial (consultative) work with undergraduate students.

Normative Time to Degree 15 quarters