Master’s Degree in Statistics

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers programs that lead to the Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Mathematics or Statistics.

  • In both of these programs, thesis and non-thesis options are available.
  • These programs provide students with excellent preparation for further study toward the doctorate, employment in industry or government, teaching at the high school or community college levels, or becoming an instructor at a major university.
  • Some opportunities exist for students to work on applied research projects through faculty members who have grants or contracts.

Master's Committee

At the beginning of the second year, each student in a Master's program will select a major professor from the mathematics and statistics graduate faculty. Together with the student, the major professor will select a committee consisting of the major professor as chairperson and at least two graduate faculty members from the relevant area (mathematics or statistics).

  • Depending upon the student's program's nature, this committee may have members from outside the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
  • If the student declares a minor, then a graduate faculty member from the student’s minor area of study will be a minor member of this committee.
  • The Master's committee will approve the student’s entire program. Each student will either write a thesis or project, and his/her committee will determine the topic in each case.
  • It will be the responsibility of the student’s committee to ensure that the thesis or project is well written and that its mathematical or statistical content is appropriate.
  • The student will be required to present and defend their thesis or project to their committee and other interested parties.

Common Requirements for Master's Degree

For a master's degree in Mathematics or Statistics, the student needs to earn at least 33 hours of graduate credits within 3 years.

Master's Degree with Thesis Option:

  1. Earn 27 semester hours of graduate credits in the program plus six hours of MA/ST-9000 earned as thesis credits.
    • A minimum of 12 coursework credit hours, exclusive of thesis/research credits, must be at the 8000 level or higher.
    • Enrollment in LIB 9010 during the final semester is mandatory to meet the Graduate School requirements for graduation.
  2. Present and defend the thesis with an oral examination component administered by the student's Master’s committee.
    • This oral examination is open to the general members of the faculty and students.
    • The majority vote of the student's Master’s committee will determine pass or fail.

Master's Degree with Non-thesis Option:

  1. Earn 30 semester hours of graduate credits in the program, plus three hours of DIS 7000 / MA/ST-9000 earned as project credits on a mathematical/statistical topic.
    • A minimum of 15 coursework credit hours must be at the 8000 level or higher.
  2. Present the project to his/her committee, and the presentation is open to the general members of the faculty and students.
    • During the presentation, the committee and the general audience may ask questions.
    • The majority vote of the committee determines the pass or fail.

Note:

  • A maximum of 6 credit hours of Directed Individual Study (DIS) coursework can be taken toward the degree. DIS courses are designated as 7000-level credit hours and may be used to meet the 8000-level course requirement.
  • A grade of S for satisfactory or U for unsatisfactory is given for thesis/research credit. A student cannot graduate with a U grade in the final semester, and thesis research hours where a U grade is earned cannot be used to meet the 6-hour credit requirement for the Thesis option.
  • DIS MA/ST 7000 is reserved only for Math/Stat graduate students. With the Head's approval, we can open a section for non-majors in Math/Stat.

Specific Degree Requirements -- Master's degree in Statistics

Students need to earn credits from the Statistics Core Courses:

  1. ST 6543 - Introduction to Mathematical Statistics I
  2. ST 6573 - Introduction to Mathematical Statistics II
  3. ST 8533 - Applied Probability
  4. ST 8603 - Applied Statistics
  5. ST 8613 - Linear Models I