College of Arts and Science

Departmental E-mail: deptstat [at] indiana [dot] edu

Departmental URL: www.stat.indiana.edu/

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin. Requirements may or may not be reflected identically in departmental URLs.)

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

• Master of Science in Applied Statistics
• Master of Science in Statistical Science
• Doctor of Philosophy in Statistical Science

Special Departmental Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Admission Requirements

Statistics is an increasingly interdisciplinary field. Recognizing that fact, the IU Department of Statistics welcomes students from a variety of quantitative backgrounds, not just statistics and mathematics.

To be admitted to the Master of Science in Applied Statistics program a student must be pursuing an M.S. or a Ph.D. in another program at IU.

Students entering our Master of Science or Ph.D. in Statistical Science programs should have a bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited university. Academic preparation should include at least two undergraduate courses in statistics, some background in mathematics that includes courses in multivariate calculus and linear algebra, and some familiarity with computer programming. 

Applicants will be evaluated using a combination of academic transcripts, grade-point averages, GRE scores, TOEFL scores (for international applicants), letters of recommendation, and personal statements. Selection criteria include breadth and depth of preparation, quality of academic performance, and motivation. 

Master of Science in Applied Statistics

The M.S. in Applied Statistics is intended for the student pursu­ing a Ph.D. or an M.S. in another field who wishes to enhance his or her statistical knowledge and credentials by obtaining a graduate degree in Statistics, in addition to a graduate degree in his or her primary field of study.

Course Requirements

A total of 31 credit hours including STAT S520, S631, S632, and S690, plus two courses from MATH M463, STAT S620, S625, S626, S637, S640, and S670. The remaining

12 credit hours must be taken in an area relevant to the field of Statistics, and must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. 

Research Paper

Recommended, but not required.

Master of Science in Statistical Science

The M.S. program trains students to become applied statisticians who collaborate with researchers in various disciplines to design experiments and analyze data.

Course Requirements 

A total of 31 credit hours including MATH M463, STAT S620, S631, S632, and S690; two courses from STAT S625, S626, S637, S640, and S670; three additional courses, two of which must be statistics courses at the 500-level or above.

Research Paper

Required.

Doctor of Philosophy in Statistical Science

The Ph.D. program trains students as research statisticians who develop new statistical methodology. This program is for graduate students who wish to obtain positions as research statisticians in academia, government, or industry.

Course Requirements 

A total of 90 credit hours. Students are required to take the following courses: MATH M563, STAT S620, S631, S632, S690, S710, S721, S722, and INFO I500, plus two additional courses in statistical theory. Also required are 26 hours of Applied Statistics and Collaborative Research courses. Students can fulfill this requirement through a combination of coursework, research, and statistical consulting internships.

Minor

All students must complete a minor outside the department. Minor requirements are set by the awarding department and are described in the University Graduate School Bulletin.

Qualifying Examination

Each August, the department will administer two written qualifying exams, one in Statistical Theory and one in Data Analysis. Students may elect to take either exam at the end of year 2 or 3. Students who fail an exam may take it again the following year. Students who fail either exam more than once will be dismissed from the program. Students advance to candidacy after passing both exams and completing required coursework.

Advisory and Research Committees

For each student admitted to the PhD program, a doctoral advisory committee will be formed in the first year of training. After passing their qualifying exams, students must form a research (dissertation) committee. The student’s committee (advisory or research) will consult with the student at least once per year to help the student determine his/her course of graduate study, develop a research program, approve the student’s course selections, and review the student’s progress in all areas (for example, completion of required courses, course grades, and research progress). The student’s committee will determine whether or not the student is making adequate progress in all areas. Should the advisory (or research) committee determine that a student is not making adequate progress in any area, this may be grounds for eliminating a student’s department funding, probation, or dismissal from the program.

Dissertation Proposal and Research

A dissertation is required. The dissertation represents original methodological research by the student. The research should be of sufficient quality to merit publication in peer-reviewed journals.

After passing the qualifying exams, students should begin the process of finding a dissertation advisor, forming a dissertation committee, and identifying a dissertation topic. The dissertation proposal is an oral exam intended to demonstrate to the statistics faculty that the student is prepared to begin research. The student will make an oral presentation that outlines the proposed research, including summaries of related work and descriptions of the techniques that will be used. The dissertation committee and other statistics faculty will then question the student.

Ph.D. Minor in Statistical Science

Doctoral students obtaining a Ph.D. in another discipline are welcome to choose Statistics as an outside minor. Five graduate courses in statistics are required, at least three of which must be at the 600-level or above taken from the Department of Statistics. The specific minor courses must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies of the Department of Statistics.