phd statistics qualifying exam

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The department encourages research in both theoretical and applied statistics. Faculty members of the department have been leaders in research on a multitude of topics that include statistical inference, statistical computing and Monte-Carlo methods, analysis of missing data, causal inference, stochastic processes, multilevel models, experimental design, network models and the interface of statistics and the social, physical, and biological sciences. A unique feature of the department lies in the fact that apart from methodological research, all the faculty members are also heavily involved in applied research, developing novel methodology that can be applied to a wide array of fields like astrophysics, biology, chemistry, economics, engineering, public policy, sociology, education and many others.

Two carefully designed special courses offered to Ph.D. students form a unique feature of our program. Among these, Stat 303 equips students with the  basic skills necessary to teach statistics , as well as to be better overall statistics communicators. Stat 399 equips them with generic skills necessary for problem solving abilities.

Our Ph.D. students often receive substantial guidance from several faculty members, not just from their primary advisors, and in several settings. For example, every Ph.D. candidate who passes the qualifying exam gives a 30 minute presentation each semester (in Stat 300 ), in which the faculty ask questions and make comments. The Department recently introduced an award for Best Post-Qualifying Talk (up to two per semester), to further encourage and reward inspired research and presentations.

PhD Program Requirements

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Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy program in statistics prepares students for careers in university teaching and research or in government or industrial research. Students entering the program spend four semesters acquiring a basic background in probability, mathematical statistics, and applied statistics and take general examinations on these subjects. More specialized study follows with the thesis research, which usually begins in the third year. This research may be concentrated in any area of statistics or probability in which a faculty member is interested. Students also have the opportunity to gain experience in applied statistics through participation in statistical consulting . Completion of the Ph.D. program normally requires three to five years.

Requirements

Students who enter this program should have knowledge of probability equivalent to the content of STAT 51600 or STAT 51900 . A course in mathematical statistics is desirable, as is a course in regression.

Besides satisfying the general regulations of the Graduate School for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, the student must complete the following requirements:

Plan of Study

A tentative plan of study should be submitted electronically to the Graduate School by the end of the third session for doctoral students. An individual plan of study is crafted by the student and major professor with the approval of the student's doctoral advisory committee and the department.

Qualifying Examination

There are four Ph.D. qualifying examinations that cover material in methodology, probability, mathematical statistics, and computational statistics and are based on the core courses of the first year of graduate study in statistics.

Preliminary Examination

A student who has submitted an approved plan of study and passed the qualifying exams is required to take a preliminary exam. The purpose of the preliminary exam is to test the preparedness of the student for research. The preliminary exam is an oral exam that is administered by the student’s Ph.D. advisory committee. The student will then be recommended to the Graduate School for admissions to candidacy for the Ph.D degree.

Dissertation

A thesis must be submitted in final form, presenting new results of sufficient importance to merit publication. These results may be theoretical advances in probability or statistics, or methodological advances in the application of probability or statistics. The thesis must be accepted by the advisory committee. The student must present the contents of the thesis in an open examination.

Once a student is admitted to candidacy, the final examination marking completion of the doctoral program must be passed within five calendar years. Extensions of the limit may be granted by the graduate committee on petition by the student and his or her major professor. This may require reapproval of the plan of study and/or retaking of all or part of the Ph.D. degree qualifying examination.

Teaching Experience

Every doctoral candidate is required to teach at least quarter-time for one semester unless decided otherwise by the department.

Upon successful fulfillment of these requirements, the candidate will be recommended to the faculty to receive the Ph.D. degree.

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If you are interested in applying to the Ph.D. Program, please visit How to Apply .

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Department of Statistics and Data Science

Qualifying exams.

The qualifying exam process consists of:

• Exams in probability (December) and theoretical statistics (May).  Students who do not pass an exam in their first year of study have the option of a retake the following year.
• Oral exam: scheduled individually for each student, exploring research in an area of interest that might lead to an eventual dissertation topic.  Students should approach faculty (with advice from the DGS) about scheduling an exam at a convenient time before the end of their second year.
• Practical Exam: a written report on an analysis of a data set, held during a five day period in December, following the end of classes, or as a capstone project for S&DS 625 at the discretion of the instructor and DGS.  Students are expected to be comfortable with R, and have had experience at working with real data. Most students gain that experience from a combination of Stat 661, 625 and participation in the statistical consulting clinic (Stat 627-628).

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS AND DATA SCIENCE

Phd program, phd program overview.

The doctoral program in Statistics and Data Science is designed to provide students with comprehensive training in theory and methodology in statistics and data science, and their applications to problems in a wide range of fields. The program is flexible and may be arranged to reflect students' interests and career goals. Cross-disciplinary work is encouraged. The PhD program prepares students for careers as university teachers and researchers and as research statisticians or data scientists in industry, government and the non-profit sector.

Requirements

Students are required to fulfill the Department requirements in addition to those specified by The Graduate School (TGS).

From the Graduate School’s webpage outlining the general requirements for a PhD :

In order to receive a doctoral degree, students must:

• Complete all required coursework. .
• Gain admittance to candidacy.
• Submit a prospectus to be approved by a faculty committee.
• Present a dissertation with original research. Review the Dissertation Publication page for more information.
• Complete the necessary teaching requirement
• Submit necessary forms to file for graduation
• Complete degree requirements within the approved timeline

PhD degrees must be approved by the student's academic program. Consult with your program directly regarding specific degree requirements.

The Department requires that students in the Statistics and Data Science PhD program:

• Meet the department minimum residency requirement of 2 years
• STAT 344-0 Statistical Computing
• STAT 350-0 Regression Analysis
• STAT 353-0 Advanced Regression (new 2021-22)
• STAT 415-0 I ntroduction to Machine Learning
• STAT 420-1,2,3 Introduction to Statistical Theory and Methodology 1, 2, 3
• STAT 430-1, STAT 430-2, STAT 440 (new courses in 2022-23 on probability and stochastic processes for statistics students)
• STAT 457-0 Applied Bayesian Inference

Students generally complete the required coursework during their first two years in the PhD program. *note that required courses changed in the 2021-22 academic year, previous required courses can be found at the end of this page.

• Pass the Qualifying Exam. This comprehensive examination covers basic topics in statistics and is typically taken in fall quarter of the second year.

Pass the Prospectus presentation/examination and be admitted for PhD candidacy by the end of year 3 . The statistics department requires that students must complete their Prospectus (proposal of dissertation topic) before the end of year 3, which is earlier than The Graduate School deadline of the end of year 4. The prospectus must be approved by a faculty committee comprised of a committee chair and a minimum of 2 other faculty members. Students usually first find an adviser through independent studies who will then typically serve as the committee chair. When necessary, exceptions may be made upon the approval of the committee chair and the director of graduate studies, to extend the due date of the prospectus exam until the end of year 4.

• Successfully complete and defend a doctoral dissertation. After the prospectus is approved, students begin work on the doctoral dissertation, which must demonstrate an original contribution to a chosen area of specialization. A final examination (thesis defense) is given based on the dissertation. Students typically complete the PhD program in 5 years.
• Attend all seminars in the department and participate in other research activities . In addition to these academic requirements, students are expected to participate in other research activities and attend all department seminars every year they are in the program.

Optional MS degree en route to PhD

Students admitted to the Statistics and Data Science PhD program can obtain an optional MS (Master of Science) degree en route to their PhD. The MS degree requires 12 courses: STAT 350-0 Regression Analysis, STAT 353 Advanced Regression, STAT 420-1,2,3 Introduction to Statistical Theory and Methodology 1, 2, 3, STAT 415-0 I ntroduction to Machine Learning , and at least 6 more courses approved by the department of which two must be 400 level STAT elective courses, no more than 3 can be non-STAT courses. For the optional MS degree, students must also pass the qualifying exam offered at the beginning of the second year at the MS level.

*Prior to 2021-2022, the course requirements for the PhD were:

• STAT 351-0 Design and Analysis of Experiments
• STAT 425 Sampling Theory and Applications
• MATH 450-1,2 Probability 1, 2 or MATH 450-1 Probability 1 and IEMS 460-1,2 Stochastic Processes 1, 2
• Six additional 300/400 graduate-level Statistics courses, at least two must be 400 -level

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Qualifying Exams, Preliminary Exams, Final Exams

Qualifying examinations.

A PhD qualifying exam is offered once each year, at the end of June. The exam covers material in STAT 527, 528, 511, and 575. It consists of two four-hour exams, given on two different days. There are approximately two problems per course, for a total of about eight problems. T he exams are interchangeable, i.e. there could be questions relating to any course on either or both exams.

Every eligible PhD student is required to take the Qualifying exam after the first full year. A student receiving a passing score on the exam becomes a PhD candidate and maintains regular progress towards the PhD degree. A student who does not achieve a passing score will have one of two possible outcomes: (1) near passing, allowed to make a second attempt the following year, or (2) terminal non-passing score.

Preliminary Examination

During the first two years of graduate study, the student should be thinking seriously about what area of statistics to concentrate in, so that upon completing the qualifying examinations, work can begin toward the preliminary examination. The preliminary examination is frequently an oral presentation of the proposed thesis topic.

To schedule your Preliminary Exam visit here . Your request will be processed by the staff in the office and arrangements will be made with the the Graduate College to confirm your committee as well as make arrangements with the Office of the Registrar for an exam location. 

You are permitted to have a committee member who is not University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign affiliated. In order to proceed with a non-University of Illinois affiliated committee member, you will need to provide a CV as well as a letter of justification from your Chair on why the individual should serve on the committee. In addition, a valid email address for the non-University of Illinois committee member must be provided so that office staff may contact directly to obtain the appropriate signatures.

Once the office staff have received your request to schedule your Prelim Exam, they will reserve an adequate space that will have both a computer and a projector in the room. If you require additional technology in the room, please indicate as such in your request form. The office staff will also submit the committee approval to the Graduate College. Once the room and committee has been confirmed, you and the committee will be notified via email of the schedule and location of the Prelim Exam.

Preliminary Examination Committee

The Preliminary Examination Committee consists of at least four faculty members, not all of whom need to be in the Department of Statistics. The committee must be approved by the Graduate Advisor of the Department of Statistics, ad well as the Graduate College. The student prepares a written report to be presented to the members of the Committee at least two weeks before the Preliminary Exam. The Preliminary Exam itself consists of a short presentation by the student followed by questions from the members of the Committee. The Committee then has three choices: pass the student, fail the student, or postpone their decision with an indication to the student of what further work must be accomplished to satisfy the Committee. Since failure means that the Committee believes that the chances for success are very slim, only under extraordinary circumstances will a failed student be allowed to retake the Preliminary Exam. A pass means the student is eligible to begin thesis work.

Doctoral Thesis and Defense Examination

The thesis is written under the supervision of the student's faculty advisor. It must consist of original work, presumably an outgrowth of the preliminary work. A thesis examination committee consisting of at least four faculty members, appointed by the Graduate College at the request of the Department of Statistics, reads the thesis. The student is examined orally by this committee during the defense examination. The committee members should be given sufficient time to study the thesis prior to the examination.

After the defense examination had been passed, copies of the thesis, whose format and physical appearance have been approved by the Department of Statistics and the Graduate College, are to be submitted to the Thesis Office of the Graduate College for final approval.

To schedule your Final Exam and begin preparations for your Thesis format review, you will need to visit here . Your request will be processed by the staff in the office and arrangements will be made with the the Graduate College to confirm your committee as well as make arrangements with the Office of the Registrar for an exam location. 

You are permitted to have a committee member who is not University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign affiliated. In order to proceed with a non-University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign affiliated committee member, you will need to provide a CV as well as a letter of justification from your Chair on why the individual should serve on the committee. In addition, a valid email address for the non-University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign committee member must be provided so that office staff may contact directly to obtain the appropriate signatures.

Once the office staff have received your request to schedule your Final Exam, they will reserve an adequate space that will have both a computer and a projector in the room. If you require additional technology in the room, please indicate as such in your request form. The office staff will also submit the committee approval to the Graduate College. Once the room and committee has been confirmed, you and the committee will be notified via email of the schedule and location of the Final Exam.

Thesis Review

By following the structure and templates outlined on the Graduate College’s website, you should be able construct your thesis properly and to the standards of the university. For examples and templates, please see:  http://www.grad.illinois.edu/thesis/format .

Once your thesis is completed, it must receive a format review from the Department’s Thesis Format Reviewer. The Format Reviewer will check to make sure you meet the standards and requirements set forth by the Graduate College. Upon approval from the Format Reviewer you can then submit your Thesis to the Graduate College by using their web-portal found here:  http://www.grad.illinois.edu/thesis/submit .

After receiving approval from the Department Format Reviewer, a Dissertation Approval Form (TDA) will be submitted to the Graduate College indicating that the thesis has met the department’s approval and is now ready for review from the Graduate College. The Graduate College will not review a thesis until the TDA has been submitted.

For more information about Thesis and Dissertations, please see:  http://www.grad.illinois.edu/thesis

Graduate Student Handbook (Coming Soon: New Graduate Student Handbook)

Phd program overview.

The PhD program prepares students for research careers in probability and statistics in academia and industry. Students admitted to the PhD program earn the MA and MPhil along the way. The first year of the program is spent on foundational courses in theoretical statistics, applied statistics, and probability. In the following years, students take advanced topics courses. Research toward the dissertation typically begins in the second year. Students also have opportunities to take part in a wide variety of projects involving applied probability or applications of statistics.

Students are expected to register continuously until they distribute and successfully defend their dissertation. Our core required and elective curricula in Statistics, Probability, and Machine Learning aim to provide our doctoral students with advanced learning that is both broad and focused. We expect our students to make Satisfactory Academic Progress in their advanced learning and research training by meeting the following program milestones through courseworks, independent research, and dissertation research:

By the end of year 1: passing the qualifying exams;

By the end of year 2: fulfilling all course requirements for the MA degree and finding a dissertation advisor;

By the end of year 3: passing the oral exam (dissertation prospectus) and fulfilling all requirements for the MPhil degree

By the end of year 5: distributing and defending the dissertation.

We believe in the Professional Development value of active participation in intellectual exchange and pedagogical practices for future statistical faculty and researchers. Students are required to serve as teaching assistants and present research during their training. In addition, each student is expected to attend seminars regularly and participate in Statistical Practicum activities before graduation.

We provide in the following sections a comprehensive collection of the PhD program requirements and milestones. Also included are policies that outline how these requirements will be enforced with ample flexibility. Questions on these requirements should be directed to ADAA Cindy Meekins at [email protected] and the DGS, Professor John Cunningham at [email protected] .

Applications for Admission

• Our students receive very solid training in all aspects of modern statistics. See Graduate Student Handbook for more information.
• Our students receive Fellowship and full financial support for the entire duration of their PhD. See more details here .
• Our students receive job offers from top academic and non-academic institutions .
• Our students can work with world-class faculty members from Statistics Department or the Data Science Institute .
• Our students have access to high-speed computer clusters for their ambitious, computationally demanding research.
• Our students benefit from a wide range of seminars, workshops, and Boot Camps organized by our department and the data science institute .
• Suggested Prerequisites: A student admitted to the PhD program normally has a background in linear algebra and real analysis, and has taken a few courses in statistics, probability, and programming. Students who are quantitatively trained or have substantial background/experience in other scientific disciplines are also encouraged to apply for admission.
• GRE requirement: Waived for Fall 2024.
• Language requirement: The English Proficiency Test requirement (TOEFL) is a Provost's requirement that cannot be waived.
• The Columbia GSAS minimum requirements for TOEFL and IELTS are: 100 (IBT), 600 (PBT) TOEFL, or 7.5 IELTS. To see if this requirement can be waived for you, please check the frequently asked questions below.
• Deadline: Jan 8, 2024 .
• Application process: Please apply by completing the Application for Admission to the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences .
• Timeline: P.hD students begin the program in September only.  Admissions decisions are made in mid-March of each year for the Fall semester.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the application deadline? What is the deadline for financial aid? Our application deadline is January 5, 2024 .
• Can I meet with you in person or talk to you on the phone? Unfortunately given the high number of applications we receive, we are unable to meet or speak with our applicants.
• What are the required application materials? Specific admission requirements for our programs can be found here .
• Due to financial hardship, I cannot pay the application fee, can I still apply to your program? Yes. Many of our prospective students are eligible for fee waivers. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a variety of application fee waivers . If you have further questions regarding the waiver please contact  gsas-admissions@ columbia.edu .
• How many students do you admit each year? It varies year to year. We finalize our numbers between December - early February.
• What is the distribution of students currently enrolled in your program? (their background, GPA, standard tests, etc)? Unfortunately, we are unable to share this information.
• How many accepted students receive financial aid? All students in the PhD program receive, for up to five years, a funding package consisting of tuition, fees, and a stipend. These fellowships are awarded in recognition of academic achievement and in expectation of scholarly success; they are contingent upon the student remaining in good academic standing. Summer support, while not guaranteed, is generally provided. Teaching and research experience are considered important aspects of the training of graduate students. Thus, graduate fellowships include some teaching and research apprenticeship. PhD students are given funds to purchase a laptop PC, and additional computing resources are supplied for research projects as necessary. The Department also subsidizes travel expenses for up to two scientific meetings and/or conferences per year for those students selected to present. Additional matching funds from the Graduate School Arts and Sciences are available to students who have passed the oral qualifying exam.
• Can I contact the department with specific scores and get feedback on my competitiveness for the program? We receive more than 450 applications a year and there are many students in our applicant pool who are qualified for our program. However, we can only admit a few top students. Before seeing the entire applicant pool, we cannot comment on admission probabilities.
• What is the minimum GPA for admissions? While we don’t have a GPA threshold, we will carefully review applicants’ transcripts and grades obtained in individual courses.
• Is there a minimum GRE requirement? No. The general GRE exam is waived for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. 
• Can I upload a copy of my GRE score to the application? Yes, but make sure you arrange for ETS to send the official score to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
• Is the GRE math subject exam required? No, we do not require the GRE math subject exam.
• What is the minimum TOEFL or IELTS  requirement? The Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences minimum requirements for TOEFL and IELTS are: 100 (IBT), 600 (PBT) TOEFL, or 7.5 IELTS
•  I took the TOEFL and IELTS more than two years ago; is my score valid? Scores more than two years old are not accepted. Applicants are strongly urged to make arrangements to take these examinations early in the fall and before completing their application.
• I am an international student and earned a master’s degree from a US university. Can I obtain a TOEFL or IELTS waiver? You may only request a waiver of the English proficiency requirement from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by submitting the English Proficiency Waiver Request form and if you meet any of the criteria described here . If you have further questions regarding the waiver please contact  gsas-admissions@ columbia.edu .
• My transcript is not in English. What should I do? You have to submit a notarized translated copy along with the original transcript.

Can I apply to more than one PhD program? You may not submit more than one PhD application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. However, you may elect to have your application reviewed by a second program or department within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences if you are not offered admission by your first-choice program. Please see the application instructions for a more detailed explanation of this policy and the various restrictions that apply to a second choice. You may apply concurrently to a program housed at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and to programs housed at other divisions of the University. However, since the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences does not share application materials with other divisions, you must complete the application requirements for each school.

How do I apply to a dual- or joint-degree program? The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences refers to these programs as dual-degree programs. Applicants must complete the application requirements for both schools. Application materials are not shared between schools. Students can only apply to an established dual-degree program and may not create their own.

With the sole exception of approved dual-degree programs , students may not pursue a degree in more than one Columbia program concurrently, and may not be registered in more than one degree program at any institution in the same semester. Enrollment in another degree program at Columbia or elsewhere while enrolled in a Graduate School of Arts and Sciences master's or doctoral program is strictly prohibited by the Graduate School. Violation of this policy will lead to the rescission of an offer of admission, or termination for a current student.

When will I receive a decision on my application? Notification of decisions for all PhD applicants generally takes place by the end of March.

Notification of MA decisions varies by department and application deadlines. Some MA decisions are sent out in early spring; others may be released as late as mid-August.

Can I apply to both MA Statistics and PhD statistics simultaneously?  For any given entry term, applicants may elect to apply to up to two programs—either one PhD program and one MA program, or two MA programs—by submitting a single (combined) application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.  Applicants who attempt to submit more than one Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application for the same entry term will be required to withdraw one of the applications.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences permits applicants to be reviewed by a second program if they do not receive an offer of admission from their first-choice program, with the following restrictions:

• This option is only available for fall-term applicants.
• Applicants will be able to view and opt for a second choice (if applicable) after selecting their first choice. Applicants should not submit a second application. (Note: Selecting a second choice will not affect the consideration of your application by your first choice.)
• Applicants must upload a separate Statement of Purpose and submit any additional supporting materials required by the second program. Transcripts, letters, and test scores should only be submitted once.
• An application will be forwarded to the second-choice program only after the first-choice program has completed its review and rendered its decision. An application file will not be reviewed concurrently by both programs.
• Programs may stop considering second-choice applications at any time during the season; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences cannot guarantee that your application will receive a second review.
• What is the mailing address for your PhD admission office? Students are encouraged to apply online . Please note: Materials should not be mailed to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences unless specifically requested by the Office of Admissions. Unofficial transcripts and other supplemental application materials should be uploaded through the online application system. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Office of Admissions Columbia University  107 Low Library, MC 4303 535 West 116th Street  New York, NY 10027
• How many years does it take to pursue a PhD degree in your program? Our students usually graduate in 4‐6 years.
• Can the PhD be pursued part-time? No, all of our students are full-time students. We do not offer a part-time option.
• One of the requirements is to have knowledge of linear algebra (through the level of MATH V2020 at Columbia) and advanced calculus (through the level of MATH V1201). I studied these topics; how do I know if I meet the knowledge content requirement? We interview our top candidates and based on the information on your transcripts and your grades, if we are not sure about what you covered in your courses we will ask you during the interview.
• Can I contact faculty members to learn more about their research and hopefully gain their support? Yes, you are more than welcome to contact faculty members and discuss your research interests with them. However, please note that all the applications are processed by a central admission committee, and individual faculty members cannot and will not guarantee admission to our program.
• How do I find out which professors are taking on new students to mentor this year?  Applications are evaluated through a central admissions committee. Openings in individual faculty groups are not considered during the admissions process. Therefore, we suggest contacting the faculty members you would like to work with and asking if they are planning to take on new students.

For more information please contact us at [email protected] .

For more information please contact us at  [email protected]

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PhD Program information

The Statistics PhD program is rigorous, yet welcoming to students with interdisciplinary interests and different levels of preparation. Students in the PhD program take core courses on the theory and application of probability and statistics during their first year. The second year typically includes additional course work and a transition to research leading to a dissertation. PhD thesis topics are diverse and varied, reflecting the scope of faculty research interests. Many students are involved in interdisciplinary research. Students may also have the option to pursue a designated emphasis (DE) which is an interdisciplinary specialization:  Designated Emphasis in Computational and Genomic Biology ,  Designated Emphasis in Computational Precision Health ,  Designated Emphasis in Computational and Data Science and Engineering . The program requires four semesters of residence.

Normal progress entails:

Year 1 . Perform satisfactorily in preliminary coursework. In the summer, students are required to embark on a short-term research project, internship, graduate student instructorship, reading course, or on another research activity. Years 2-3 . Continue coursework. Find a thesis advisor and an area for the oral qualifying exam. Formally choose a chair for qualifying exam committee, who will also serve as faculty mentor separate from the thesis advisor.  Pass the oral qualifying exam and advance to candidacy by the end of Year 3. Present research at BSTARS each year. Years 4-5 . Finish the thesis and give a lecture based on it in a department seminar.

Program Requirements

• Qualifying Exam

Course work and evaluation

Preliminary stage: the first year.

Effective Fall 2019, students are expected to take four semester-long courses for a letter grade during their first year which should be selected from the core first-year PhD courses offered in the department: Probability (204/205A, 205B,), Theoretical Statistics (210A, 210B), and Applied Statistics (215A, 215B). These requirements can be altered by a member of the PhD Program Committee (in consultation with the faculty mentor and by submitting a graduate student petition ) in the following cases:

• Students primarily focused on probability will be allowed to substitute one semester of the four required semester-long courses with an appropriate course from outside the department.
• Students may request to postpone one semester of the core PhD courses and complete it in the second year, in which case they must take a relevant graduate course in their first year in its place. In all cases, students must complete the first year requirements in their second year as well as maintain the overall expectations of second year coursework, described below. Some examples in which such a request might be approved are described in the course guidance below.
• Students arriving with advanced standing, having completed equivalent coursework at another institution prior to joining the program, may be allowed to take other relevant graduate courses at UC Berkeley to satisfy some or all of the first year requirements

Requirements on course work beyond the first year

Students entering the program before 2022 are required to take five additional graduate courses beyond the four required in the first year, resulting in a total of nine graduate courses required for completion of their PhD. In their second year, students are required to take three graduate courses, at least two of them from the department offerings, and in their third year, they are required to take at least two graduate courses. Students are allowed to change the timing of these five courses with approval of their faculty mentor. Of the nine required graduate courses, students are required to take for credit a total of 24 semester hours of courses offered by the Statistics department numbered 204-272 inclusive. The Head Graduate Advisor (in consultation with the faculty mentor and after submission of a graduate student petition) may consent to substitute courses at a comparable level in other disciplines for some of these departmental graduate courses. In addition, the HGA may waive part of this unit requirement.

Starting with the cohort entering in the 2022-23 academic year , students are required to take at least three additional graduate courses beyond the four required in the first year, resulting in a total of seven graduate courses required for completion of their PhD. Of the seven required graduate courses, five of these courses must be from courses offered by the Statistics department and numbered 204-272, inclusive. With these reduced requirements, there is an expectation of very few waivers from the HGA. We emphasize that these are minimum requirements, and we expect that students will take additional classes of interest, for example on a S/U basis, to further their breadth of knowledge. 

For courses to count toward the coursework requirements students must receive at least a B+ in the course (courses taken S/U do not count, except for STAT 272 which is only offered S/U).  Courses that are research credits, directed study, reading groups, or departmental seminars do not satisfy coursework requirements (for courses offered by the Statistics department the course should be numbered 204-272 to satisfy the requirements). Upper-division undergraduate courses in other departments can be counted toward course requirements with the permission of the Head Graduate Advisor. This will normally only be approved if the courses provide necessary breadth in an application area relevant to the student’s thesis research.

First year course work: For the purposes of satisfactory progression in the first year, grades in the core PhD courses are evaluated as: A+: Excellent performance in PhD program A: Good performance in PhD program A-: Satisfactory performance B+: Performance marginal, needs improvement B: Unsatisfactory performance First year and beyond: At the end of each year, students must meet with his or her faculty mentor to review their progress and assess whether the student is meeting expected milestones. The result of this meeting should be the completion of the student’s annual review form, signed by the mentor ( available here ). If the student has a thesis advisor, the thesis advisor must also sign the annual review form.

Guidance on choosing course work

Choice of courses in the first year: Students enrolling in the fall of 2019 or later are required to take four semesters of the core PhD courses, at least three of which must be taken in their first year. Students have two options for how to schedule their four core courses:

• Option 1 -- Complete Four Core Courses in 1st year: In this option, students would take four core courses in the first year, usually finishing the complete sequence of two of the three sequences.  Students following this option who are primarily interested in statistics would normally take the 210A,B sequence (Theoretical Statistics) and then one of the 205A,B sequence (Probability) or the 215A,B sequence (Applied Statistics), based on their interests, though students are allowed to mix and match, where feasible. Students who opt for taking the full 210AB sequence in the first year should be aware that 210B requires some graduate-level probability concepts that are normally introduced in 205A (or 204).
• Option 2 -- Postponement of one semester of a core course to the second year: In this option, students would take three of the core courses in the first year plus another graduate course, and take the remaining core course in their second year. An example would be a student who wanted to take courses in each of the three sequences. Such a student could take the full year of one sequence and the first semester of another sequence in the first year, and the first semester of the last sequence in the second year (e.g. 210A, 215AB in the first year, and then 204 or 205A in the second year). This would also be a good option for students who would prefer to take 210A and 215A in their first semester but are concerned about their preparation for 210B in the spring semester.  Similarly, a student with strong interests in another discipline, might postpone one of the spring core PhD courses to the second year in order to take a course in that discipline in the first year.  Students who are less mathematically prepared might also be allowed to take the upper division (under-graduate) courses Math 104 and/or 105 in their first year in preparation for 205A and/or 210B in their second year. Students who wish to take this option should consult with their faculty mentor, and then must submit a graduate student petition to the PhD Committee to request permission for  postponement. Such postponement requests will be generally approved for only one course. At all times, students must take four approved graduate courses for a letter grade in their first year.

After the first year: Students with interests primarily in statistics are expected to take at least one semester of each of the core PhD sequences during their studies. Therefore at least one semester (if not both semesters) of the remaining core sequence would normally be completed during the second year. The remaining curriculum for the second and third years would be filled out with further graduate courses in Statistics and with courses from other departments. Students are expected to acquire some experience and proficiency in computing. Students are also expected to attend at least one departmental seminar per week. The precise program of study will be decided in consultation with the student’s faculty mentor.

Remark. Stat 204 is a graduate level probability course that is an alternative to 205AB series that covers probability concepts most commonly found in the applications of probability. It is not taught all years, but does fulfill the requirements of the first year core PhD courses. Students taking Stat 204, who wish to continue in Stat 205B, can do so (after obtaining the approval of the 205B instructor), by taking an intensive one month reading course over winter break.

Designated Emphasis: Students with a Designated Emphasis in Computational and Genomic Biology or Designated Emphasis in Computational and Data Science and Engineering should, like other statistics students, acquire a firm foundation in statistics and probability, with a program of study similar to those above. These programs have additional requirements as well. Interested students should consult with the graduate advisor of these programs. 

Starting in the Fall of 2019, PhD students are required in their first year to take four semesters of the core PhD courses. Students intending to specialize in Probability, however, have the option to substitute an advanced mathematics class for one of these four courses. Such students will thus be required to take Stat 205A/B in the first year,  at least one of Stat 210A/B or Stat 215A/B in the first year, in addition to an advanced mathematics course. This substitute course will be selected in consultation with their faculty mentor, with some possible courses suggested below. Students arriving with advanced coursework equivalent to that of 205AB can obtain permission to substitute in other advanced probability and mathematics coursework during their first year, and should consult with the PhD committee for such a waiver.

During their second and third years, students with a probability focus are expected to take advanced probability courses (e.g., Stat 206 and Stat 260) to fulfill the coursework requirements that follow the first year. Students are also expected to attend at least one departmental seminar per week, usually the probability seminar. If they are not sufficiently familiar with measure theory and functional analysis, then they should take one or both of Math 202A and Math 202B. Other recommended courses from the department of Mathematics or EECS include:

Math 204, 222 (ODE, PDE) Math 205 (Complex Analysis) Math 258 (Classical harmonic analysis) EE 229 (Information Theory and Coding) CS 271 (Randomness and computation)

The Qualifying Examination 

The oral qualifying examination is meant to determine whether the student is ready to enter the research phase of graduate studies. It consists of a 50-minute lecture by the student on a topic selected jointly by the student and the thesis advisor. The examination committee consists of at least four faculty members to be approved by the department.  At least two members of the committee must consist of faculty from the Statistics and must be members of the Academic Senate. The chair must be a member of the student’s degree-granting program.

Qualifying Exam Chair. For qualifying exam committees formed in the Fall of 2019 or later, the qualifying exam chair will also serve as the student’s departmental mentor, unless a student already has two thesis advisors. The student must select a qualifying exam chair and obtain their agreement to serve as their qualifying exam chair and faculty mentor. The student's prospective thesis advisor cannot chair the examination committee. Selection of the chair can be done well in advance of the qualifying exam and the rest of the qualifying committee, and because the qualifying exam chair also serves as the student’s departmental mentor (unless the student has co-advisors), the chair is expected to be selected by the beginning of the third year or at the beginning of the semester of the qualifying exam, whichever comes earlier. For more details regarding the selection of the Qualifying Exam Chair, see the "Mentoring" tab.  

Paperwork and Application. Students at the point of taking a qualifying exam are assumed to have already found a thesis advisor and to should have already submitted the internal departmental form to the Graduate Student Services Advisor ( found here ).  Selection of a qualifying exam chair requires that the faculty member formally agree by signing the internal department form ( found here ) and the student must submit this form to the Graduate Student Services Advisor.  In order to apply to take the exam, the student must submit the Application for the Qualifying Exam via CalCentral at least three weeks prior to the exam. If the student passes the exam, they can then officially advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. If the student fails the exam, the committee may vote to allow a second attempt. Regulations of the Graduate Division permit at most two attempts to pass the oral qualifying exam. After passing the exam, the student must submit the Application for Candidacy via CalCentral .

The Doctoral Thesis

The Ph.D. degree is granted upon completion of an original thesis acceptable to a committee of at least three faculty members. The majority or at least half of the committee must consist of faculty from Statistics and must be members of the Academic Senate. The thesis should be presented at an appropriate seminar in the department prior to filing with the Dean of the Graduate Division. See Alumni if you would like to view thesis titles of former PhD Students.

Graduate Division offers various resources, including a workshop, on how to write a thesis, from beginning to end. Requirements for the format of the thesis are rather strict. For workshop dates and guidelines for submitting a dissertation, visit the Graduate Division website.

Students who have advanced from candidacy (i.e. have taken their qualifying exam and submitted the advancement to candidacy application) must have a joint meeting with their QE chair and their PhD advisor to discuss their thesis progression; if students are co-advised, this should be a joint meeting with their co-advisors. This annual review is required by Graduate Division.  For more information regarding this requirement, please see  https://grad.berkeley.edu/ policy/degrees-policy/#f35- annual-review-of-doctoral- candidates .

Teaching Requirement

For students enrolled in the graduate program before Fall 2016, students are required to serve as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) for a minimum of 20 hours (equivalent to a 50% GSI appointment) during a regular academic semester by the end of their third year in the program.

Effective with the Fall 2016 entering class, students are required to serve as a GSI for a minimum of two 50% GSI appointment during the regular academic semesters prior to graduation (20 hours a week is equivalent to a 50% GSI appointment for a semester) for Statistics courses numbered 150 and above. Exceptions to this policy are routinely made by the department.

Each spring, the department hosts an annual conference called BSTARS . Both students and industry alliance partners present research in the form of posters and lightning talks. All students in their second year and beyond are required to present a poster at BSTARS each year. This requirement is intended to acclimate students to presenting their research and allow the department generally to see the fruits of their research. It is also an opportunity for less advanced students to see examples of research of more senior students. However, any students who do not yet have research to present can be exempted at the request of their thesis advisor (or their faculty mentors if an advisor has not yet been determined).

Mentoring for PhD Students

Initial Mentoring: PhD students will be assigned a faculty mentor in the summer before their first year. This faculty mentor at this stage is not expected to be the student’s PhD advisor nor even have research interests that closely align with the student. The job of this faculty mentor is primarily to advise the student on how to find a thesis advisor and in selecting appropriate courses, as well as other degree-related topics such as applying for fellowships.  Students should meet with their faculty mentors twice a semester. This faculty member will be the designated faculty mentor for the student during roughly their first two years, at which point students will find a qualifying exam chair who will take over the role of mentoring the student.

Research-focused mentoring : Once students have found a thesis advisor, that person will naturally be the faculty member most directly overseeing the student’s progression. However, students will also choose an additional faculty member to serve as a the chair of their qualifying exam and who will also serve as a faculty mentor for the student and as a member of his/her thesis committee. (For students who have two thesis advisors, however, there is not an additional faculty mentor, and the quals chair does NOT serve as the faculty mentor).

The student will be responsible for identifying and asking a faculty member to be the chair of his/her quals committee. Students should determine their qualifying exam chair either at the beginning of the semester of the qualifying exam or in the fall semester of the third year, whichever is earlier. Students are expected to have narrowed in on a thesis advisor and research topic by the fall semester of their third year (and may have already taken qualifying exams), but in the case where this has not happened, such students should find a quals chair as soon as feasible afterward to serve as faculty mentor.

Students are required to meet with their QE chair once a semester during the academic year. In the fall, this meeting will generally be just a meeting with the student and the QE chair, but in the spring it must be a joint meeting with the student, the QE chair, and the PhD advisor. If students are co-advised, this should be a joint meeting with their co-advisors.

If there is a need for a substitute faculty mentor (e.g. existing faculty mentor is on sabbatical or there has been a significant shift in research direction), the student should bring this to the attention of the PhD Committee for assistance.

PhD Student Forms:

Important milestones: .

Each of these milestones is not complete until you have filled out the requisite form and submitted it to the GSAO. If you are not meeting these milestones by the below deadline, you need to meet with the Head Graduate Advisor to ask for an extension. Otherwise, you will be in danger of not being in good academic standing and being ineligible for continued funding (including GSI or GSR appointments, and many fellowships). 

†Students who are considering a co-advisor, should have at least one advisor formally identified by the end of the second year; the co-advisor should be identified by the end of the fall semester of the 3rd year in lieu of finding a Research Mentor/QE Chair.

Expected Progress Reviews: 

* These meetings do not need to be held in the semester that you take your Qualifying Exam, since the relevant people should be members of your exam committee and will discuss your research progress during your qualifying exam

** If you are being co-advised by someone who is not your primary advisor because your primary advisor cannot be your sole advisor, you should be meeting with that person like a research mentor, if not more frequently, to keep them apprised of your progress. However, if both of your co-advisors are leading your research (perhaps independently) and meeting with you frequently throughout the semester, you do not need to give a fall research progress report.

Statistics PhD Admissions

Application Deadline for Autumn 2024-25: Thursday, November 30, 2023 (11:59pm PST)

Applicants may not matriculate in any other quarter.

Application Review

File review begins promptly after the application deadline. Internal applications will be evaluated at the same time as the external applications: there is no separate review process for internal applicants. Please be aware that the Graduate Admissions Committee is not required to review incomplete applications.

We urge applicants to take all required tests well before the application deadline.

Decisions Announced: by mid-February

NB: If you are considering applying to our PhD program, please also consider applying to be a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. The deadline to apply for this prestigious fellowship for 2024-25 is October 11, 2023, at 1pm PST. For more details see the Knight-Hennessy program overview .

Application Requirements and Procedures

Financial support, phd admissions faq.

PhD in Statistics

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Statistics prepares students for careers in industry, research institutions, and universities. The students initially undergo a sound training in theory and applied statistics, followed by advanced courses and dissertation research. Statistics faculty in the department work in diverse areas of research topics and are also actively involved in interdisciplinary research collaboration. This provides our PhD students a wide array of research topics to choose from for their PhD dissertation.

All PhD students have the opportunity to work as paid interns in the nearby industries and research institutions, such as Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Proctor & Gamble, and Medpace, after they finish a set of core applied statistics courses.  The internships are coordinated by the Department. The Department is consistently successful in placing most of our students with an internship of student’s interest. The internship offers the students experience in applying statistical methods they learn to real-world problems under the mentorship of experienced statisticians and researchers, while they pursue their PhD degree. Students also have the opportunity to choose a PhD dissertation research topic related to their internship work.  

The multifaceted training of our students, through course work, research, and the wide range of interdisciplinary experience through internship, sets our PhD program apart from other PhD programs in statistics. Our past students have had an extremely high success rate of employment in industries, research institutions, and universities after graduation.

Admission Requirements

Students applying for the program should have or be expecting to obtain a bachelor’s degree in statistics or a related area. Specifically, all students should have taken: 

• Three semesters of calculus up to and including multivariate calculus
• A semester course in linear algebra
• A semester course in calculus-based probability and statistics
• Courses in pure and applied statistics similar to STAT 6021-6022 (Mathematical Statistics I and II) and STAT 6031 (Applied Regression Analysis) and STAT 6032 (Design and Analysis of Experiments).

An official GRE score is required for admission.  This requirement is waived for UC undergraduates with a degree in a relevant field and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, for applicants with at least 6 graduate credits in a relevant field with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher, or for applicants with numerous years of relevant work experience with demonstrated advancement.  A quantitative score of 160 or higher is recommended.

The English proficiency requirement is met for applicants with degrees earned in English from accredited universities and colleges in  the US or other English-speaking countries .

Financial Support

Most of our PhD students receive full financial support (tuition remission and a Graduate Assistantship, a fellowship, or an internship), and most are supported through their entire UC career.  Travel support is available for students to attend or present their work at conferences.  

All applicants for the PhD program are automatically reviewed for graduate assistantship eligibility at the time of application. 

• Financial aid opportunities for students in the Mathematical Sciences Department
• Tuition and fees for graduate and professional students

Application Instructions

Applicants will need to meet the minimum requirements to be considered for the program. Completed applications will be reviewed beginning February 1 . We will continue to receive applications until all positions are filled.

All application materials from international students requiring a US visa must be received prior to April 1 (but sooner is better) in order to allow time for the necessary paperwork to be processed. The visa application process can often take 90 days or more to complete.

How to apply: 

1. Create  an online application

2. Include these documents in your application:

• Three letters of recommendation. The application system will automatically send an email to each of the recommenders with a link to submit their letters. 
• Unofficial copy of transcript (official transcript will be required if you are admitted to the program). 
• GRE general test score
• Statement of purpose/cover letter 
• English Proficiency for international students.

3. Pay the application fee

UC’s CEEB college code is 1833, as established by The College Board . CEEB codes are used to ensure that test scores are sent to the correct institution. 

• More information about submitting your application materials
• FAQs for the admission process

Program Description

The credit-hour requirement includes a minimum of 90 graduate credits beyond the bachelor's degree or a minimum of 60 credits beyond a master's degree, including 7 hours in dissertation research, with a GPA of 3.3 or higher. 

All incoming PhD students are required to take the  qualifying exam before the beginning of their first semester. Students who do not pass this exam at the PhD level are placed in the appropriate 6000 - level courses. The Statistics Qualifying Exam is based on the two two-semester sequences Mathematical Statistics STAT6021-6022 and Applied Statistics STAT6031-6032.

All PhD students must pass the  preliminary examination  by the end of their second year.  The Statistics Preliminary Exam is based on the two courses Linear Models and Multivariate Analysis II STAT 7024 and Statistics Theory STAT 7031.

After the preliminary examinations, an advanced examination in the area of examination of the student is required. An advanced exam may either be a written exam, a presentation or a series of presentations. The exam will be administered by a committee. Generally, this committee will form the students’ dissertation committee.

Visit the curriculum guide to learn more about the required courses. More details concerning the requirements of the program are explained in the Mathematical Sciences Department’s Graduate Handbook . See the course descriptions for information on the content.

About Cincinnati

Cincinnati is a big city with a small-town feel. The cost of living is low, but the quality of life is high.  Forbes named Cincinnati the #5 most affordable city and the #9 best city for raising a family. Cincinnati has ranked the best place to live in Ohio by U.S. News & World Report, also the fourth-best city in the country for parks . UC is home to over 10,500 graduate students, 20% of which are international students.

• Why Cincinnati  
• Estimated living expenses  (for international students)

For further information, please contact the Graduate Program Director, Dr. Robert Buckingham:

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 513-556-4085

See the full list of our graduate programs

PhD Program

The PhD Statistics program provides excellent training in the modern theory, methods, and applications of statistics to prepare for research and teaching careers in academia or industry, including interdisciplinary research in a wide array of disciplines. The median time to degree is five years.

Students will take courses in modern theory, methods, and applications of statistics, demonstrate mastery of this material via a qualifying examination, and then conduct statistical research under the supervision of one of the many regular or affiliate faculty members in the department, resulting in a dissertation.

The PhD qualifying examination is primarily based on the first-year curriculum. Most students pass at the end of the summer after the first year of the program. Students select between two versions of the examination, one with questions from mathematical statistics and probability or the second with questions from mathematical statistics and statistical methods.

Graduates are prepared for positions in academia, business, or government. They have taken positions at leading universities such as UC-Berkeley, Penn, and Yale and at top companies such as Google, Facebook, and Eli Lilly. The department strives to support students in the PhD program as teaching, research, or project assistants.

Questions about our Statistics PhD Programs can be directed to our graduate program coordinator at  [email protected] .

Resources, Regulations, and Policies

• Statistics PhD Handbook 2023-2024 More
• Criteria for Satisfactory Progress More
• Current PhD Regulations More
• 2014 PhD Regulations More

PhD Statistics Program Options

There are two program options students can select from – PhD Statistics, Statistics Option or PhD Statistics, Biostatistics Option . 

We have a single admissions process for both options and we encourage applicants to select only one of the options and not list both when applying. Selection of the program to which you apply has very little influence on the admissions decision. If you are unsure of which program option to choose, students who enter our PhD program may readily switch between the programs. 

Please note that the Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics has a separate PhD program in Biomedical Data Science that is distinct from the programs in the Department of Statistics.

Statistics Option

Career Outcomes : Students will be prepared for research and teaching careers in academia, industry, and other disciplines.

Coursework : Students will take courses in several broad areas of statistical methods and theory. This includes two-semester sequences in mathematical statistics and in statistical methods, either a course in probability theory or a course in statistical computing, a statistical consulting course, and a wide variety of elective options.

Biostatistics Option

Career Outcomes : Students will be prepared for careers in clinical research, genetics, drug testing, and experimental design in academia, government, and private sector.

Coursework : Students in the Biostatistics named option complete the same required courses as are in the Statistics named option, but have additional required coursework in biostatistics and biology and fewer elective course requirements.

Applying to the PhD Statistics Program

The application deadline is December 1 for a fall term start (no spring admissions).   A reminder to only list either the Statistics Option or Biostatistics Option in your application, not both. Again, students who enter the PhD program in Statistics can readily switch between the programs.

We welcome applications from around the world and strive to admit well-qualified applicants who are interested in the diverse array of research interests of our faculty. We do not make preliminary evaluations of any applicant inquiry based on email communication. No decision will be made until after the deadline has passed and a completed file (including the application fee) has been received.

Before applying to the Statistics Department, please read the Graduate School Frequently Asked Questions. Note that there is a non-refundable application fee. Applicants whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide an English proficiency test score.

To be considered for financial assistantship, all required application materials listed below should be submitted via the electronic application at https://apply.grad.wisc.edu/ by the December 1 deadline.

• Letters of Recommendation
• Transcripts
• Statement of Purpose
• CV or Resumé
• Supplemental Application (Including a List of Courses)
• English Proficiency
• A minimum of three (3) letters of recommendation to be submitted electronically by the recommenders.
• The online application for admission asks for the name and email contact information of the references from whom you request recommendations. A recommendation request will be sent, by email, to each of your references. The email will include your name with a link to each department’s electronic recommendation form. The request can be sent at any time providing you meet department deadlines. You can change references or send a reminder through your application.
• It is common practice to contact your references ahead of time so that they expect your request.
• After you have submitted your application, you can view receipt of your recommendations through the online status system.
• As part of the online application, please upload a clear and easy-to-read PDF copy of your transcript from each institution of higher learning (post High School) that you have attended. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. If we offer you admission, you will be asked to provide an official copy of your transcript to the Graduate School at that time. Admission will be contingent upon receiving the official transcript.
• If courses at the institution were not taught in English, we will need an electronic copy of both the transcript in the original language, and the transcript in English.
• Your statement of purpose should include why you feel that the UW-Madison program is a good fit for you, and conversely, why you are a good fit for our program. What are you hoping to work on in the field with your degree? Are there any professors here that you would particularly like to work with? Any research areas in statistics that particularly excite you?
• The overall length of the statement is usually about 2 pages, single or double spaced. You can use whatever font and formatting you are comfortable with.

Please upload a PDF copy of your CV or Resumé to the online application.

A supplemental application is required as part of the online application. You will be asked to answer the following questions and provide the following information:

• Are you applying to the Biostatistics option? Yes/No (There is no advantage to applying to both programs.)
• List any major competitive honors, awards, and/or fellowships you have received.
• List any undergraduate or graduate research experiences.
• Provide a table with all courses you have taken, are currently taking, or plan to take prior to coming to UW-Madison that contain substantial mathematical, statistical, quantitative, or computational content. Include courses from other disciplines such as economics, physics, or engineering, if applicable. Use one row per course with columns for the course number, course title, textbook used (if possible), and grade received (if already completed). Upload this document as a pdf.

The GRE is not required.

• For all international degree-seeking students, see the  Graduate School requirements page  for additional information.

Consult the Graduate School for general information about graduate admissions to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

If you have any further questions, please email [email protected] . Please include your full name and what semester you are interested in applying for.

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Qualifying examination.

You must pass the Qualifying Examination, covering probability theory and statistics at the level of the core courses. The Qualifying Examination is typically taken at the end of the first year, and must be passed before the start of the third year. The exam consists of two parts:

• a 4-hour closed book in-class portion, and
• a take-home applied statistics component.

The in-class portion is scheduled early in the week of Spring Semester after final exams. The take-home problem is distributed at the end of the in-class exam, with a due-time 72 hours later. 

Exams from previous years are available to view in our Duke Box Folder. Since the first year curriculum has been revised over time, exams from earlier years may cover material that is less relevant. You are encouraged to form study groups to review for the exam.

Access Exams in Duke Box

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Qualifying Exams

The Statistics Qualifying Exam is generally taken after the following four core courses are taken.

• STAT 564 Theory of Probability
• STAT 566 Theory of Statistics
• STAT 571A Advanced Statistical Regression Analysis
• STAT 571B Design of Experiments

The exam consists of two sections (Theory and Methodology) and is taken over a two day period.  It is offered in January and August.  PhD students must take the exam and must receive a score of "PhD Pass" in order to continue towards candidacy in the program.  Master's students have the option of taking the exam (and earning at least a "MS Pass") or doing a thesis.

For more information on the qualifying exam see the Program Handbook .

Qualifying Exam Dates

The next Qualifying Exam date is:

• August 8 and 9, 2024

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Campus Address : University of New Mexico Department of Mathematics and Statistics 1 University of New Mexico, MSC01 1115 Albuquerque, NM 87131

Physical Address : University of New Mexico Department of Mathematics and Statistics 311 Terrace Street NE, Room 389 Albuquerque, NM  87106

Phone: (505) 277-4613 Fax: (505) 277-0988

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Past Qualifying Exams - Statistics

Exam preparation.

For the MS/PhD qualifying exams and the PhD comprehensive exam the following courses are suggested:

• Stat 540 & 545 for the take-home exam.
• Stat 553 & 561 for the in-class exam.
• Stat 546, 556, 557 and 567 for the comprehensive exam.

Previous exams

Note that exams before 2015 are less relevant for how current exams are prepared.  Links to data within take-home exams may no longer work.

(Comprehensive exams at bottom.)

Qualifying exams

• 2023 Aug Qualifying Exam, in-class part
• 2023 Jan Qualifying Exam, in-class part
• 2022 Aug Qualifying Exam, in-class part
• 2022 Jan Qualifying Exam, in-class part
• 2021 Aug Qualifying Exam, in-class part
• 2021 Jan Qualifying Exam, in-class part
• 2020 Aug Qualifying Exam, in-class part
• 2020 Jan Qualifying Exam, in-class part
• 2019 Jan Qualifying Exam, in-class part
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Florida State University

FSU | Department of Statistics

Department of Statistics

• Graduate Program

PhD Degrees

Doctor of philosophy degrees.

The Department of Statistics at FSU offers a PhD in statistics and a PhD in biostatistics. Course programs and exact degree requirements are determined individually for students through consultation with their supervisory committee. General requirements for the PhD degree are in the FSU Graduate Bulletin. See the FSU Graduate Bulletin for the University's degree requirements, requirements for residence, time limits for the degree, and minimum dissertation hours.

Requirements for All Doctoral Students

Required course for all PhD students.

The course STA5910: Supervised Research, "Faculty Research Presentations," must be taken by all PhD students.

Qualifying Examination

This written examination is offered at the beginning of each spring and fall semester, usually shortly before the start of classes. It is normally taken at the beginning of the spring semester of the second academic year of work in the department. The examination is prepared, administered and graded by the graduate student awards and exams committee. This committee forwards student performance on the examination to the graduate director and department chair to be used in the student’s annual evaluation.

The examination will be graded as passed or failed. Students pursuing the PhD who receive a grade of “failed” may retake the examination at a later time. However, FSU allows the examination to be taken only two times. A second failure on the qualifying exam makes the student ineligible to continue in the doctoral program.

Students intending to take this exam must register for STA 8964 during the semester they take the exam. Students retaking the exam must also register for STA 8964 during the semester they retake the exam.

Students must pass the PhD qualifying exam before they can advance to doctoral candidacy and register for dissertation hours. Students receiving department financial support must pass the exam by January of their third academic year.

The PhD qualifying exam is oriented toward problem solving. The exam consists of a list of questions grouped by topic. The materials covered on the exam for the PhD in Statistics and Biostatistics are taken from the courses listed in Table 10. Copies of past qualifying exams are available.

Careful readers will note that the qualifying exam for Statistics includes material from STA 5106 and not STA 5198, whereas the qualifying exam for Biostatistics covers STA 5198 and not STA 5106. A student passing the qualifying exam in one program only will achieve candidacy in that program. A student successfully completing the questions from both sets of required material will be recognized as having passed the qualifying exams for both Statistics and Biostatistics.

Table 10: Courses covering the material included on the PhD Qualifying Exam.

x Statistics Majors only

y Biostatistics Majors only

Essay Examination

After successful completion of the PhD qualifying examination, the student must begin to consider a suitable topic for a dissertation. As an intermediate step between the qualifying examination and the dissertation, PhD students are required to submit an essay that doubles as a proposal for a dissertation topic.

After consultation with the major professor, the student selects a topic and begins initial investigation of the topic to determine whether a thesis in the area is desired. Following this preliminary investigation, the student writes an essay that should contain

• A literature review of the problem, stating what is known about it to date;
• Some preliminary research results;
• A plan for future research.

Additionally, all PhD students will take an exam based on their essay. This examination is conducted in two parts.

• A 40-50 minute oral presentation of the student's essay open to the entire Department of Statistics.
• An oral examination by the student's supervisory committee. This part of the examination will immediately follow the seminar presentation. It is "closed door" and is conducted orally by the student's supervisory committee to determine success in formulating a research area and ability to do research in that area.

The essay should be written with these goals in mind. A copy of the essay should be sent to the department academic assistant and provided to the supervisory committee members at least three weeks before the essay examination.

Dissertation Defense

The dissertation defense is the last department examination for a PhD candidate. This defense follows the same two-part procedure as the essay examination:

• A 40-50 minute oral presentation of the student's dissertation open to the entire Department of Statistics. All members of the university's graduate faculty are invited to attend the seminar.
• An oral examination. This closed-door part of the thesis defense immediately follows the presentation and is administered by the student's supervisory committee.

Academic courtesy requires that the dissertation be submitted to each member of the supervisory committee and to the department chair at least four weeks prior to the date of the oral examination. Individual committee members may have their own requirements or policies regarding timing and it is the student's responsibility to ensure that each committee member's requirements are met and that each member has an adequate opportunity to read the dissertation. A copy of the dissertation should also be sent to the department academic assistant at least four weeks prior to the defense. Faculty interested in the topic may obtain a copy of the dissertation from the department academic assistant before the defense.

The defense must be completed at least four weeks prior to the date on which the degree is to be conferred. Consult the registrar's office or webpage for deadline dates. Students must enroll in STA 8985 during the term in which they defend their dissertation.

Other Requirements

During the final semester of doctoral work, each PhD candidate must comply with a variety of university administrative requirements prior to obtaining the degree. The university also has specific requirements regarding the format for dissertations and abstracts. These requirements are issued by the Graduate School. Each candidate should become familiar with these requirements well in advance of their final semester's work.

All PhD students must take the department courses required for their degree, either the PhD in Statistics or the PhD in Biostatistics.

PhD students must take at least one course each semester for the first three years of study. Beyond the third year and after the departments required coursework has been completed, additional course work other than dissertation research will be determined by the student with the approval of their major professor and their dissertation committee.

All required coursework (as provided in the table of required courses for the degree being sought) except dissertation hours must be taken for a letter grade.

PhD students must demonstrate active involvement in the scholarly community through interaction with faculty and peers. This requirement may be met through participating in various scholarly activities including enrollment in courses, attendance at colloquium, utilization of the library, utilization of university computational facilities, engaging in collaborative study and research beyond the university campus, and attendance and presentations at professional conferences. Note: It is the students responsibility to document this involvement every year as part of their annual review.

Interdisciplinary Option

Students in either PhD program (Statistics or Biostatistics) may choose to pursue research in an interdisciplinary field of study. A student following the interdisciplinary option (IO) will typically take three graduate courses in an outside area related to the student's research area. No more than one of the three IO courses may be a DIS given by another department in the IO area of specialization.

Graduation Requirements

While engaged in dissertation research, students must register for the number of hours of dissertation (STA6980) determined jointly with their major professor (not less than three semester hours) for at least two of the three semesters of the academic year. Students are required to take a minimum of two semester hours of dissertation every semester until they graduate.

In their final semester, students must apply for degree clearance in the first two weeks of the term. Clearance is contingent upon successful completion of your program of study, as filed with the department. Therefore, the program should at all times accurately reflect the coursework taken. The student will be required to account for any discrepancies.

Students not enrolled in the PhD program who plan to continue working towards a PhD degree after earning a masters must contact the academic program specialist in the department to discuss moving into the PhD program. Students already admitted into the PhD program but who would like to apply for the masters degree must also contact the academic program specialist in the department to have the degree program added to their record.

There are many graduation requirements set by the university. Consult the FSU Graduate Bulletin for a comprehensive list.

Transferring Credits from Another University, Waiving Required Classes

The department follows the University's criteria for allowing transfer credits:

"Transfer of courses not counted toward a previous degree from another regionally accredited graduate school (or comparable international institution) is limited to six semester hours, and transfer of courses not counted toward a previous degree within Florida State University is limited to twelve semester hours, except when the departmental course requirement exceeds the thirty-two hour University-wide minimum requirement. In the latter case, additional transfer credit may be allowed to the extent of the additional required hours."

The complete University criteria may be found on the FSU Graduate Bulletin.

For those wishing to use courses from another university to meet the department's courses requirement, the student must obtain approval of the waiver from the instructor in our department who teaches the required course and the graduate director.

A form for applying for the waiver may be obtained from the Department Office.

PhD Degree in Statistics

Students in the PhD in Statistics degree program tailor their academic programs to be consistent with their individual career objectives. Programs can be designed to prepare graduates for careers in research and/or teaching, for careers emphasizing the application of statistics or for careers requiring the development of new statistical methodology.

Required courses for all students seeking the PhD in Statistics are given in Table 11.

Table 11: Required courses for the PhD in Statistics. All courses are three credit hours.

The department requires a minimum of 36 credit hours of coursework for the PhD in Statistics. All required courses must be taken for a letter grade, but up to 6 credit hours of other coursework can be taken S/U.

Students entering the program with equivalent work (as determined by the faculty) from other institutions will not be required to repeat it. However, in preparing a course program, students should keep in mind that they are required to pass the PhD qualifying examination as one step towards the degree. Students entering the graduate program without any prior graduate work in statistics typically begin course work by studying toward the MS degree in mathematical statistics. Students are responsible for the material normally covered in the core course work of the MS in mathematical statistics degree.

Students are strongly encouraged to register for STA 6468, Advanced Topics in Probability and Statistics, whenever topics to be covered are related to the student’s areas of concentration. The final selection of courses will be determined by the student and major professor and supervisory committee.

Doctor of Philosophy in Biostatistics

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Biostatistics prepares students for specialized careers in academia, industry, and government. Program graduates will find themselves sought after by employers in such varied areas as biotechnology, public health, pharmaceuticals, AIDS research, epidemiology, insurance, food sciences, and agribusiness. With an aging US population, the development of new drugs, and advances in the understanding of biological functions at the level of individual genes and proteins, the need for more people trained to design studies and analyze data from these research areas continues to increase.

Required courses for PhD in Biostatistics are presented in Table 12.

Table 12: Required courses for the PhD in Biostatistics. All courses are three credit hours.

The department requires a minimum of 36 credit hours of coursework for the PhD in Biostatistics. All required courses must be taken for a letter grade, but up to 6 credit hours of other coursework can be taken S/U. Flexibility is allowed in selecting the additional coursework for the Biostatistics PhD. The final selection of courses will be determined by the student and major professor and supervisory committee.

Financial Support

The department provides financial support for many of its graduate students. The two main ways in which students are funded are through teaching assistantships and research assistantships.

Types of Support

Teaching assistantships are the most common type of support in the department. These are halftime appointments. Students are paid a salary in return for 20 hours of work each week during the fall and spring semesters. Limited teaching assistantships are available each summer. Teaching assistants may be called upon to perform a combination of the following duties:

• Lecture in lower division statistics courses (STA 1XXX, 2XXX).
• Teach recitation sections of low-level statistics courses.
• Grade homework, projects, and exams for lower and upper level undergraduate and graduate level courses.
• Assist FSU students at the Strozier Library statistics help desk.
• Assist faculty with course-related tasks.
• Assist faculty in the Statistical Consulting Center.

Assignment of graduate students to differing duties is based on department need and when possible, student preference.

There are several university requirements that must be met before a graduate student may teach. These requirements are set forth in the document, "University-wide Standards for Teaching Assistants at Florida State University." This document is maintained by and available from the Office of Graduate Studies. Additionally, a TA must pass the departmental course "Teaching in the Discipline" before teaching.

Research assistantships are supported with funds from research contracts or grants, generally from agencies outside the university, held by department faculty. Students receiving such support assist faculty members with their research programs. Usually a student combines duties under this assistantship with their dissertation work, but the exact duties are established by the faculty member providing support.

In recognition of the differing degrees of responsibility of the above tasks, the amount of stipend provided to a student depends on the duties assigned. There are three levels of stipend in the department. The highest pay is reserved for students lecturing their own courses. The medium level is attained by those who teach recitation sections or work in the Statistical Consulting Center, and the third level is for the remaining students. Research assistant pay is determined by the faculty member supplying the salary.

Other avenues of support include competitive assistantships and fellowships available through the University. More general types of support include loans and grants and are administered through the University's Office of Student Financial Aid. Additionally, opportunities for employment in other university units are often available.

Restrictions on Support

Recipients of federal fellowships or traineeships or university fellowships must abide by the conditions of these awards. International graduate students must observe employment restrictions associated with visas issued. These regulations usually confine employment to appointments supportive of their field of study. Graduate students holding assistantships in the department or other units of the university must obtain permission for additional employment from the director of the project providing the assistantship, the faculty advisor or dissertation director, and the department chair. Any outside employment unrelated to the discipline or deemed to substantially lengthen the time to completion of the degree program may not be approved.

Holders of assistantships are required to register for at least nine hours each semester. Students are advised to consult the FSU Graduate Bulletin for the university policy regarding minimum enrollment requirements for assistantship holders and university residence requirements. Note that students not receiving support must also register for a minimum number of hours each term to meet University requirements.

The department expects all students to apply for the in-state residency tuition classification.

Requirements for Continued Department Support

Students receiving department financial support must complete the following to continue to receive it:

1. Master’s degree students who have not been accepted for continuing to the PhD degree will not receive financial support beyond their second year. 2. To be eligible to receive department financial support as a teaching assistant, PhD students must:

(a) Complete both PIE Day 1 and PIE Day 2 training in the first year. (b) Complete the Teaching-in-the Discipline training workshop in the first year. (c) Pass the PhD written qualifying exam by January of their third academic year. (d) Students whose primary language is not English must take and pass the FSU SPEAK exam with a score at least 50 by the end of the spring semester of their second academic year.

3. Financial support as a TA stops at the end of the fifth academic year.

4. For PhD students who have passed their qualifying exam, their financial support will be terminated if they receive two “Unsatisfactory” grades from their advisor in their dissertation study. Students who do not meet these milestones may continue toward their degree, but with no department financial support. The department chair makes the final decision on matters of continued support.

Tutoring for Payment

The Department receives numerous requests for tutors in statistics. Graduate students in statistics may tutor for payment subject to the following policies and procedures:

Under no circumstances is anyone to tutor, for payment, a student taking a course he or she is teaching or assisting with. For example, a graduate student currently teaching STA2023 may NOT tutor any student currently taking STA2023, even if that student is in another section. The graduate student may tutor, however, a student in STA 2122.

Students may engage in tutoring only insofar that it does not detract from their graduate studies. Students on academic probation are not to tutor. Questions regarding these policies may be addressed to the chair.

Students wishing to tutor are requested to submit the following information to the department secretary: a list of courses they wish to tutor and where or how they can be contacted. The department will maintain a file on tutors giving the above information. When requests are received, the caller will be given the information in the tutor file. The department does not make recommendations.

Please remember that tutoring is suggested as a last resort for students having difficulties in their course work. All graduate student instructors in the department are expected to make sufficient time available for office hours for student help.

Advisors and Committee Formation

The advisor provides academic counsel to the student, advises the student in the preparation of a program of study (see below), and approves the program of study. At no time will a student be without a department advisor. Master's students and students who have not yet been admitted to PhD candidacy will be advised by the graduate director.

Students who have passed the PhD qualifying examination should choose a faculty member to direct their dissertation. This selection of a major professor is a decision based upon mutual research interests of the students and their major professors. The department web-page contains faculty information and indicates research interests. Students should indicate their interests to the faculty member with whom they wish to work. Assuming the faculty member agrees, the student then forms a new supervisory committee to replace the one formed during their first term at FSU. Members of the doctoral supervisory committee are selected in consultation with the major professor subject to certain constraints. In addition to the major professor, the supervisory committee must have at least three other members: two other faculty members from the department and a tenured faculty from outside the department. All committee members must have graduate faculty status. The composition of the committee should reflect the student's research interests and areas of concentration. The composition of the committee is flexible and may be altered at the discretion of the student. Approval of the doctoral supervisory committee by the department chair is required.

The doctoral supervisory committee assumes responsibility for the student's academic advisement. It advises the student in the preparation of a doctoral program of study (see below) and must approve it.

Each year an assessment of the progress of the student is made by the student's advisor. The entire committee conducts the PhD essay examination and the dissertation defense.

Program of Study

A student must have on file with the department an approved program of study at all times. This document represents an agreement between the student and department delineating the course requirements the student must satisfy for a degree. The program of study may be amended at any time with the mutual consent of the student and their advisor. In preparing a program of study, the student must be aware of the degree and residence requirements established by the department and by the university. These forms are available from the department secretary and the department webpage. The forms should be typed and signed by the student's committee members and by the department chair. The original is placed in the student's file in the department office. A copy is made for the major professor who uses it in future course advising. The student is responsible for updating this document annually.

Annual Review

Each year a graduate student progress evaluation is conducted. This is a review of the academic performance of each graduate student. Students are informed whether or not their progress is satisfactory and are expected to remedy any deficiencies noted. The review is used by the department chair in decisions pertaining to the continuation of students in the program. Students not making timely and satisfactory progress toward their intended degree will not be continued in the department. The review is performed by the graduate director or, for students admitted to PhD candidacy, their dissertation director.

The department chair makes the final decision on matters of continuance in the department's degree programs.

The Student Advisory Committee

The Department of Statistics, through the Student Advisory Committee (SAC), participates in the university-wide program which promotes active involvement of students in academic decision making. The SAC consists of one representative each from the first and second year classes, two advanced representatives, and two officers.

The main function of the committee is to act as a liaison between faculty and students. By making themselves available for comments from both groups, the committee promotes effective communications and student awareness of department policies. A member of the SAC attends department faculty meetings. Some past inputs from SAC to the faculty have been to request new courses and invite specific guest speakers to department colloquia.

In addition, the SAC sponsors social/recreational events and enters teams in various intramural programs available on campus.

SAC members are elected each spring term by the graduate students. A representative of the incoming is class chosen at the beginning of the following fall term.

Statistical Consulting Center

As a service to the university, the department operates the Statistical Consulting Center (SCC).

Department members associated with the SCC offer assistance to faculty and students in the university who require statistical help with their research. Occasional assistance is provided to state agencies or to other community members.

Department Colloquia

The department colloquium is a lecture-discussion series on research and applications in topics of interest to members of the department. Colloquia are presented by faculty members, graduate students and visitors to the department.

Attendance at colloquium is expected of all faculty and graduate students in the department. Suggestions for colloquium presentations are always welcomed, and should be passed to the faculty though the SAC.

The department has an annual speaker competition for graduate students, the Anna and Yongyuan Li presentation award. The student who is judged by the faculty of the awards committee to have made the best presentation for the academic year is given the award.

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PhD Qualifying Examination

The PhD Qualifying Examination (QEP) is given every year during August, approximately one week prior to the start of Fall semester. This exam is given only once per year.

A student who passes the QEP is eligible for an MS degree in Statistics, pending the completion of the appropriate coursework. See the previous chapter for more details.

Parts, Scope and Time Allowed

The QEP tests material covered during the First-Year core of the PhD program. This core corresponds to STAT6420, STAT 8260, STAT 6810 and STAT 6820. However, the exam does not have separate sections for each course’s material, but rather it tests this core material in a comprehensive way that will require students to synthesize  material from all four courses. If you are missing any part of the First-Year core in your previous coursework, youwill be required to pass the QEP before continuing in the PhD program.

The exam will have two separate parts:

• Statistical Theory. This is an “in-class” exam which the students have 6 hours to complete. During that time, you may refer to books and notes but will not have access to a computer or the Internet. At the discretion of the Examination Committee, the Theory portion may include a take-come component.
• Applied Statistics and Data Analysis. This is a “take-home” exam which you have 4 days to complete. You will be presented with 2 or 3 problems, each with a corresponding data set, from which you must choose 1 problem to solve. The questions are open-ended, requiring you to analyze the data in some appropriate way and draw conclusions about the scientific question(s) of interest. You will hand in a written report detailing the decision you made along the way (for example, which analyses you chose and why), the conclusions you drew, and so forth. You will be evaluated on both the quality of the analysis (the choices you made and how well you justified them) and of the written report (organization, etc.; English language usage specifically doesn’t need to be a criterion, although reports need to be understandable).

Typically, the statistical theory portion of the exam is given on a Monday, and the applied statistics/data analysis portion is made available on the same day, to be turned in on the Friday of the same week.

Each part of your QEP is graded by at least two members of the committee that set the exam. The resulting scores are averaged to determine your score on each part. A pass/fail grade is then determined for each part of the exam. There is no differentiation of different levels of passing (for example, pass at the MS level, or pass at the PhD level). You must pass both parts of the exam to continue in the PhD program.

Rules for Taking and Re-Taking

For your initial attempt, you must take both parts of the QEP. If you do not pass both parts on your initial attempt, you may retake the part or parts of the exam you failed the following August. More than two attempts at the exam will not be allowed.

Faculty Responsibilities

Two faculty committees, one for each part of the exam (stat theory and applied stats/data analysis), have responsibility for setting the exam and administering it. Each of these committees have 4 members, including at least one person who has recently taught one of the first year PhD core courses, and at least one person who has not recently taught one of the first year PhD core courses. Questions for the exam are solicited from the membership of these exam committees as well as the broader faculty, who are encouraged, but not required, to contribute. The committees are responsible for ensuring that the exam is appropriate and reasonably consistent from year to year. They also have the responsibility for grading the exams and making pass/fail recommendations to the entire Graduate Faculty of the Department, who then vote on the results. These committees also have responsibility for the QEM.

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ISE Graduate Handbook 2024-2025: Appendix B Operations Research Qualifying Exam

This section outlines the policies and guidelines for the PhD qualifying exam for PhD students in the Operations Research program. Exceptions are described at the end of the section for students who needed to retake the old format, i.e., written qualifying exam.

The goal of this oral exam is to ensure PhD students have:

• Sufficient core background in Operations Research in order to make good progress towards the Candidacy Examination.
• Some preliminary experience with an ISE faculty research advisor, demonstrating a basic ability to identify and explore a research area.

The exam material is based on all courses listed as Fundamentals for Ph.D. Students in the OR grad curriculum sheet .

Exam timeline and scheduling

Scheduling timeline

Students must take their qualifying exam before the end of the 1st semester of their 2nd year in the PhD program . For students starting in Autumn, this is the autumn semester of their second year in the program. For students starting in Spring, this is the spring semester of their second year in the program. It is suggested that the exam is scheduled during the 2nd semester of the 1st year, if possible, for timely progress. Exceptions will be considered on an individual basis.

Two qualifying exam attempts are allowed. If asked to retake the exam, the second attempt must be scheduled in the semester following the first attempt. Failure to schedule the exam according to this timeline will be counted as a failure. Students are allowed to take their exams ahead of this timeline with their advisor’s approval.

Exams can take place at any time during the year subject to the approval of the Qualifying exam committee.

All PhD students, who have not passed the exam by the 2nd week of the 3rd semester, should file an application to graduate for an MS degree with the graduate school prior to the deadline in their third semester (3rd Friday), assuming they will have completed the 30 credit hours required for a MS degree at the end the third semester. This will allow them to receive a MS degree that semester, assuming they complete the MS degree requirements, even if they don’t pass the exam. Students entering with a MS degree, which is supplying 30 credit hours towards their PhD degree, will need to cancel their application to graduate when passing the exam so that their prior MS degree will still count towards their PhD credits hours

Scheduling procedure

Students should fill out the “ISE OR Request for the PhD Qualifying Exam” form by the third Friday of the semester in which their exam is to be scheduled. This form, along with the student’s advising report, should be emailed to the ISE graduate program coordinator. The advising report 24 should show that the student has already taken, or is currently taking, all the OR PhD required courses (see also the “Results” section below for more information).

Exam format and guidelines

Oral exam committee members

The Qualifying exam committee will consist of three ISE OR faculty members. The student’s advisor will be on the committee. One of the other two members will come from the “Probabilistic” area and the other will come from the “Deterministic” area. Both will be selected by a person designated by the OR faculty. These committee nominees will be to the Graduate Studies Chair for final approval. Currently, the person designated by the OR faculty is the liaison between the department chair and the OR faculty. If there is some faculty member who is considered unacceptable to the student or advisor, this fact along with justification should be communicated to the designated OR faculty member who is making the selections.

Oral examination procedures

The exam will be a 90-minute oral exam. It consists of a 10-minute presentation by the student, followed by 80 minutes of questions/answers from the committee.

The 10-minute presentation will be an uninterrupted presentation on a research problem chosen by the student and their advisor. The student may present their ongoing research work, if any. Alternatively, the student will start working on a research problem with their advisor at the beginning of the semester in which they are taking the oral exam, and present their progress (e.g., problem statement, brief literature review, and/or a proposed solution approach) during the 10- minute presentation.

The presentation will be followed by 20 minutes of questions by each committee member, followed by a second round of questions by any committee member. These will be on fundamental knowledge and basics from the ISE OR coursework and will cover all the three main areas (i.e., Statistics, Stochastics, and Optimization). The questions need not be on or related to the presentation.

Upon completion of the oral exam, each committee member will provide one of the following three scores:

• 2 (pass): Student shows good knowledge of fundamental concepts covered in the ISE OR coursework, as well as ability to apply this knowledge and propose solutions to (openended) research problems.
• 1 (marginal): Student shows overall knowledge of fundamental concepts from coursework and some ability to solve research problems. However, student has difficulty when solving questions posed from coursework and/or extending this knowledge to propose solutions to research problems.
• 0 (fail): Student has difficulty in recalling fundamental concepts and/or answering questions from the ISE OR coursework and/or approaching research problems.

To pass the qualifying exam, the student should receive (a) a cumulative score of 4-6 in the oral exam, and (b) satisfactory grades on the OR PhD required courses. Failure to meet either of these two criteria (i.e., a cumulative score of 0-3 in the oral exam, and/or subpar performance in the required courses) will lead to failing the qualifying exam.

Individualized recourse plans will be proposed by the committee for students who fail to pass the exam. This may include taking additional courses in one or more of the three exam areas and obtaining a minimum grade of B+ in each course or retaking the exam in the next semester.

If a second exam is required, it is expected that all members of the new Qualifying exam committee will be different, except for the advisor.

Exceptions for Students Who Have Taken the (Previous) Written Exam

Exception: students with a conditional pass during previous Qualifying Exams will not be required to do the 10-minute presentation. They will only answer questions to a (smaller size) committee in the area in which they received a conditional pass. For instance, if the student had already passed optimization in Spring 2022, then the optimization section will be removed from the exam: 20 minutes will be removed from the exam length, and the committee will have 1 less member assigned. Such students are expected to complete the new qualifying exam by Autumn 2023.

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2024 Statistics Departmental Graduation highlights Faculty and Student Awards

The Spring 2024 graduation ceremony for the statistics department was a resounding success, marked by moments of inspiration and celebration. Dr. Rebecca Doerge, former PhD student and current Provost of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, delivered a compelling commencement address, reflecting on the journey of the graduates and offering insights into the promising future ahead. Amidst a backdrop of academic achievement and camaraderie, the event epitomized the culmination of hard work, dedication, and the vibrant spirit of the statistics community.

During the ceremony, we had the privilege of honoring the exceptional faculty and students whose achievements have truly distinguished them within the statistics department. Read below to see the honorees and their awards:

Faculty Awards:

Dr. Emily Hector was awarded the 23-24 Dennis Boos Citizenship Faculty Award. This award was given in recognition of Dr. Hector’s work chairing and now being a member of the Seminar Committee.

Dr. Shu Yang was awarded the 23-24 Cavell Brownie Mentoring Faculty Award! This award was given in recognition of her outstanding work as a faculty advisor. She has advised or co-advised 10 Ph.D. students and is currently working with 13 Ph.D. candidates.

Dr. Herle McGowan was awarded the 23-24 D.D. Mason Faculty Award. This award was given in recognition of the distinction Dr. McGowan has brought to the Department of Statistics through her outstanding record of high-profile service.

Graduate Student Awards:

Shih-Ni Prim won the BB Bhattacharyya Graduate Excellence Award: This award honors a student who has excelled in their mathematical statistics studies and shows promise of exceptional dissertation research.

Chenin Gao won the Paige Plagge Award: This award is given for good citizenship to a graduate student with an outstanding academic record, who in the judgment of the committee has especially enhanced the life of fellow students with encouragement, generosity and/or humor.

Wei Zhao won the Rawlings Family Award for Communication in Data Science: This award is given to students who have demonstrated great communication skills and active participation in classes, and making great project presentations. 

Sukanya Bhattacharyya won the William H. Swallow Fellowship Award: This award is given to students who help to diversify our graduate program, such as help with the department recruiting events and help with the department diversity missions.

Neil Dey & Wenwei Vivia Jiao won the William Mendenhall Graduate Award for excellence in teaching of statistics: This award is given to students for their excellent performance in teaching a statistics course.

Haitao Hunter Jiang won the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award: This award is given to students for their excellent TA work. 

Naomi Giertych won the Francis Giesbrecht Award for Statistical Consulting: This award is given to students for their excellent consulting work. 

Manting Jin & Jisu Oh won the Gertrude M. Cox Academic Achievement Award: This award is given to students for their excellent performance in the PhD Qualifying Exams. 

Undergraduate Outstanding Senior awards:

Amanda Baright won the Outstanding Senior Award for Community Service for her broad reaching service to the department and university, including her role as a COS Ambassador, leadership of multiple student groups, and one-on-one mentorship of younger students.

Ava Collier won the Outstanding Senior Award for outstanding transfer student for fitting in as much experience as humanly possible in her two years at NC State, finishing with a 4.0 in Statistics and adding. Computer Programming minor.

Andrea Stancescu won the Outstanding Senior Award for Scholarship for completing a grueling collection of courses leading to a 4.0 double major in Math and Statistics, preparing her to begin her PhD program at NCSU in the Fall. Not only that, but she also found time for multiple research projects, an internship at SAS, and served as a TA for math classes.

Andrea Stancescu also won the Outstanding Senior Award for research for participating in multiple research experiences during her time at NCSU, highlighted by work to improve the university’s efforts for supporting students from underrepresented populations to succeed in STEM fields.

Leah Rohde won the Outstanding Senior Award for  Resiliency for overcoming a series of obstacles and for tackling her education with both passion and grace in the face of those situations.

Kudos to all the award winners and congratulations to the Statistics class of 2024. Way to go!

Shenlong Wang wins NSF CAREER award to create AI systems that can imagine hypothetical scenarios in the physical world

5/16/2024 Jenny Applequist

Written by Jenny Applequist

Counterfactual scenarios will be simulated to predict the outcomes of different courses of action.

Computer Science and Coordinated Science Lab professor Shenlong Wang at The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award to support the creation of AI systems that can make digital twins—that is, digital replicas—of the physical world that are capable of simulating counterfactual “what-if” scenarios, enabling users to assess the potential outcomes of actions if they are carried out in the real world.

To do so, he will need to create digital replicas with a greater “understanding” of the world than current systems, making it possible for them to “imagine” unseen scenarios rather than just represent things they’ve already observed.

Wang explained that the developed tools will be able to produce high-quality imagery with applications in the entertainment industry and in virtual and augmented reality—but, more importantly, that they could also have a “very helpful and very profound impact in the real world.”

He said the “twin worlds” will act like the real world, providing realistic observations. “The agent can then use these realistic observations to take multiple different actions and then return it to the twin world, and then the twin world can generate multiple expected outcomes. Then, we can decide which outcome we want. And then we can transfer this insight to help the agent make the right decision in the real world.”

There are multiple reasons why such a capability would be highly desirable. It would allow users to try out dangerous actions—say, new surgical techniques—in a risk-free way. It would make it possible to see what happens in scenarios for which little data are available, such as situations that are rare in real life—for example, what happens to a city’s water distribution infrastructure during a 100-year flood—without having to wait for such scenarios to happen in reality. Further, because virtual time can run much faster than real-time, models can be run forward to predict the long-term consequences of actions, even decades into the future.

“If computers can help us to make more informed predictions, we essentially have a time machine,” said Wang. “We might be able to see what’s going on in the next century!”

This diagram shows how hypothetical scenarios can be run through the world’s digital twin (right side), allowing users to “rehearse” multiple proposed solutions in the virtual world before choosing one to apply in the real world (left side).

Wang will consider two use cases in the project. One of them is autonomous driving, which is familiar territory for him. Before joining Illinois' faculty, he worked as a research scientist at Uber, building simulators to test self-driving vehicles’ safety. His second use case will be climate risk assessment for agriculture. For that, the shorter-term goal is to determine things like carbon emission levels based on ordinary mobile phone photographs of a soybean field; in the longer-term, the more ambitious goal is to gain such insights from satellite imagery.

Wang said that he’s particularly happy about the planned education and outreach components of his project. He anticipates that the strong visual appeal of the work and the excitement of being able to create one’s own virtual world will be attractive to young people. While studying computer vision and machine learning normally starts with a lot of intimidating math, he plans to offer an immersive initial experience to make this area more approachable to K through 12 schoolchildren.

Wang's Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award to Digitize and Simulate the Large Physical World via Knowledge-Grounded Scene Representation is the NSF's most prestigious award in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.

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This story was published May 16, 2024.

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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of Statistics

Prof. Kun Chen receives 2024 Innovative Scholarship award from UConn CLAS.

https://clas.uconn.edu/faculty-staff/awards/

Congratulations!