M.S. Statistics Degree in Applied Statistics

This program prepares students for employment as professional statisticians. It is not designed to be preparation for the Ph.D. degree program, though students completing the program with outstanding records are encouraged to consider the Ph.D. degree. The M.S. degree program in applied statistics also is a suitable minor for doctoral candidates in other fields.

Plan of Study

At least 33 credit hours are required for the MS in Applied Statistics. At least 24 of the credit hours must be listed as STAT courses. (Jointly listed courses must be taken under the STAT designation to count towards the sum of 24.)

The plan of study should emphasize methodological and computational courses rather than advanced probability or advanced mathematical statistics courses which are more appropriate for the MS in Mathematical Statistics.

No STAT course should appear on the plan of study with a number below 51300 with the exception of STAT 50600.

Unless noted otherwise, courses are offered in both fall and spring.

A. Must have (21 credit hours):
  • STAT 58200 (Spring Only) Statistical Consulting and Collaboration [or STAT 51500 (Statistical Consulting Problem) and two semesters in the Statistical Consulting Service STAT 59700 (Statistical Consulting Seminar)]
  • STAT 51400 Design of Experiments
  • STAT 51900 Introduction to Probability (or STAT 51600 Basic Probability and Applications)
  • STAT 52500 Intermediate Statistical Methodology
  • STAT 52600 Advanced Statistical Methodology
  • STAT 52800 Introduction to Mathematical Statistics (or STAT 51700 Statistical Inference)
  • STAT 598G Introduction to Computational Statistics
A supplemental note should appear on the plan of study if one or more of the courses above (or their equivalent) has been previously taken and does not appear on the plan of study.

B. Must have at least 6 credit hours:
  • STAT 51300/IE 53000 Statistical Quality Control
  • STAT 52000 Time Series and Applications (Spring only)
  • STAT 52200 Sampling and Survey Techniques (every other Spring, in odd years)
  • STAT 52400 Applied Multivariate Analysis (Fall only)
C. Additional STAT courses appropriate for Plan of Study:
  • STAT 50600 Statistical Programming & Data Management
  • STAT 529K Bayesian Applied Decision Theory (Note: STAT 529K is only offered during the Maymester)
  • STAT 53200 Elements of Stochastic Processes (Spring only)
  • STAT 55300 Theory of Linear Models and Design of Experiments (Spring only)
  • STAT 598D Computational Statistics (Spring only)
  • STAT 598Z Concepts in Computing with Data

Oral Examination

For the Master of Science in Applied Statistics, the focus of the oral examination will be a problem-project set distributed to all candidates several weeks before the oral. This will contain problems and projects important to a working statistician that require careful thought and originality. The student will prepare a written report on the assigned part of the problem-project set to submit to the examination committee at least a week before the oral examination.