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 445 / Programs and Courses 445 / Programs and Courses

same time as those for fellowships. Normally, Ph.D. eligible admitted students are awarded five year financial assistantship.

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 009A, MATH 009B, MATH 009C, and MATH 010A) and Linear Algebra (at least MATH 131).

Degree Requirements Students are required to complete a minimum of 41 units that must include STAT 201A, 201B, 201C, STAT 202A, 202B, 202C, STAT 206, STAT 208, STAT 288, and two consecutive quarters of STAT 293.

Comprehensive Examination All M.S. students are required to take a written comprehensive examination and pass at the M.S. level, with no more than two attempts allowed to pass. The written exams will be offered twice annuallly, but close to the beginning and close to the end of the of the spring quarter. A program proposal is not required.

Professional Development Requirement:

• 1. Two quarters of STAT 293 give students

training in

• (a) the ability to use fundamental statistical

techniques to formulate problem and solution in diverse real-world application;

• (b) the ability to use at least one statistical

software package to conduct statistical data analysis;

• (c) the ability to communicate with

researchers in statistical community and other disciplines by using graphical methods to display and interpret information.

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 202A, STAT 202B, STAT 202C, STAT 206, STAT 207, STAT 208, STAT 210A, STAT 210B, STAT 288, and two consecutive quarters of STAT 293.

(B) 20 units of additional 200 level Statistics

courses not graded S/NC, excluding 201A, STAT 201B, STAT 201C, STAT 231A and STAT 231B.

(C) Substantive: Four units (or equivalent)

in substantive field 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.

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 All Ph.D. students are required to take a written comprehensive examination and pass at the Ph.D. level with no more than two attempts allowed to pass. The written exams will be offered twice annually, but close to the beginning and close to the end of spring quarter. 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.

Professional Development Requirement:

• 1. STAT 293 gives students training in

• (a) the ability to use fundamental statistical

techniques to formulate problem and solution in diverse real-world application;

• (b) the ability to use at least one statistical

software package to conduct statistical data analysis;

• (c) the ability to communicate with

researchers in statistical community and other disciplines by using graphical methods to display and interpret information.

• 2. Professional writing development: Students

are trained to prepare a research proposal on topics relevant to the student’s research area as part of their written qualifying exam.

• 3. Pedagogy: Ph.D. students are required to

enroll in Teaching Assistant Development Program (TADP) Orientation in order to TA and enroll in STAT 302 during the quarter they teach. Three quarters of TA experience required.

Normative Time to Degree 15 quarters