Doctorate in Statistics

Admission

See About Statistics for admission requirements.

Qualifying Examination

To enter the PhD program in statistics, a student must pass the qualifying examination. The examination, offered at the beginning of each fall semester, is based on Statistics 7750, 7760 and 8310. A student may not take the qualifying examination more than twice without approval of the graduate faculty of the department. The examination is prepared, administered and evaluated by the graduate faculty.

Retaking the Exam

Until it is passed, a student who plans to pursue a PhD in this department must take the qualifying examination each fall semester after completing two semesters, not counting summer semesters, in this graduate program unless permission to not take the examination is granted by the graduate faculty of the department.

Doctoral Committee

Within one semester of passing the qualifying examination, a student must choose a doctoral program committee in consultation with his or her adviser. This committee consists of at least five members, at least three of whom are members of the doctoral faculty in statistics and at least one from another MU doctoral program.

Preliminary Examination

Students must pass the qualifying examination and have a doctoral program committee prior to taking the preliminary examination, which is usually taken at the beginning of the third year. The examination is given in the beginning of the fall semester and is based on Statistics 8320, 9710, 9720 and 9310.

A student may not take the preliminary examination more than twice without approval of the graduate faculty of the department. The examination is departmental. It is prepared, administered and evaluated by the graduate faculty.

Required Course Work

Before taking the comprehensive examination, students should complete six courses from the following: Statistics 9100, 9320, 9370, 9210, 9410, 9510, 9810 and 9820 taken at MU or at comparable institutions. (Different 9100’s can be counted more than once.) Other courses may be substituted at the discretion of the student’s doctoral program committee.

Comprehensive Examination

Students must pass the preliminary examination before taking the comprehensive examination. The doctoral program committee plans and conducts the comprehensive examination, which consists of both written and oral sections.

Dissertation

A dissertation, prepared under the direction of a dissertation supervisor, is required. The dissertation should be presented in an open seminar as part of the final examination, which is be conducted by the final examination committee. The dissertation should be made available for public review, through the Department of Statistics office, for at least one week before the examination.

Additional Requirements

Additional requirements for the PhD in statistics are determined by the student’s program committee and the director of graduate studies.

PhD Minor

To receive a designated minor in statistics for a PhD degree, at least 15 18 credit hours of course work at the 7000 level or higher must be completed from the Department of Statistics at MU. The courses must include Statistics 7750, 7760, and 8310 and three elective courses chosen from 7110, 7150, 7210, 7250, 7310, 7810, 7830, 7850,7870, and any 8000 or 9000 level course except for 8085, 8090, and 9085. The courses must include Statistics 8310 and 8320, but may not include Statistics 7002, 7020, 7050, 7070, 7085, 7510, 7530, 8085, 8090, or 9085. Students must have taken a calculus based mathematical statistics course at the level of Stat 7710 or 7760 or above, but no more than 6 hours of Stat 7710, 7750, and 7760 can be counted towards the 15 hours.

These courses The plan of study must be approved by the director of graduate studies of the Statistics Department and be completed with an average grade of B (3.0) or higher. Each student is encouraged to seek approval of his/her plan of study as soon as possible. Students must also pass the qualifying examination based on the 3 required courses: Statistics 7750, 7760, and 8310.

- Updated 4/24/2007