Master of Arts in Statistics

This page covers:

• MA in Statistics
• MA in Statistics with emphasis in biostatistics
• Dual MA in Statistics & Economics
• Master’s minor in Statistics

Admission

See About Statistics for MA and PhD admission requirements.

Degree Requirements

The general requirements for receiving a master’s degree are at least 30 semester hours of course work at the 7000 level or higher, of which at least 18 hours must be from the Department of Statistics at MU. The 30 hours may not include credit hours of 7050, 7510, 7530 or 7710 or more than a total of six hours of 8090.

At least 15 semester hours of course work at the 8000 level or above must be taken from the Department of Statistics at MU. The 15 semester hours cannot include more than a total of three hours of 8090.

Additional courses recommended but not required are Statistics 7110, 7250, 7310, 7810, 7830, 7870, 8310, 8320, 8370, 9210, 9310, 9410 and 9320; Mathematics 7700 and 7900; Computer Science 1050 or 2050.

Remedial Courses

The following courses are required if equivalent courses were not taken as an undergraduate: Mathematics 7140, Statistics 7750 and 7760. These courses may not be used for more than six of the required 30 hours.

Original Written Work

All candidates must submit a written report on an independent effort toward producing original work. This report may, with the adviser’s consent, take the form of a thesis, a written review on a set of papers in statistics, or a written report an independent study project, which may include an original application of statistics. For this work, a student must register for at least three semester hours of 8090.

Presenting the Work

All candidates are required to present an open seminar on the results of the written report. The report should be made available for public review, through the Department of Statistics office, for at least one week before the examination.

Examination

The MA examination covers material presented in the written report and the seminar and may also cover course work.

Satisfactory Progress

Length of Study

A master’s candidate is expected to complete the master’s degree within three calendar years beginning with the first semester of enrollment unless approval is obtained from the graduate faculty of the Department of Statistics.

Grade Requirements

Any student, while a graduate student in this program, who receives a grade of C or lower in six or more hours of courses offered by the Department of Statistics or a grade of C or lower in nine or more hours of all courses taken will be dismissed from the graduate program unless contrary action is taken by the graduate faculty of the department.

For each credit hour over three hours with a grade of C or lower in courses offered by the Department of Statistics at the 7000 level and above, the student must receive a credit hour with a grade of A in courses offered by the department at the 7000 level and above.

MA in Statistics with Emphasis in Biostatistics

Students wishing to specialize in biostatistics may obtain a degree with special emphasis.

The general requirements are the same as those for the MA degree in statistics. In addition, students must take (i) Statistics 7410 and (ii) either 8410 or 9410, and they must submit a project or thesis related to biostatistics.

Dual Master’s Degree in Economics and Statistics

The department offers a cooperative MA degree with the Economics Department.

Students may obtain MA degrees in economics and statistics with 48 hours of course work numbered 7000 or higher from the University of Missouri instead of the 52 or more required for separate degrees. (These 48 hours may not include any of the following: Economics 7351, 7353, or Statistics 7510, 7530, 7710.) Eighteen or more hours are required from the Department of Economics. At least 15 hours must be numbered 8000 or higher with no more than four hours of 8090.

Students must take the core economics courses 8451 and 8453 and research workshop 8413 (2 credit hours). Eighteen or more hours are required from the Department of Statistics. At least 15 hours must be numbered 8000 or higher with no more than three hours of 8090. Statistics 7750 and 7760 and Mathematics 7140 are required if equivalent courses were not taken as an undergraduate.

All candidates must submit a thesis or written project demonstrating an independent effort towards producing original work satisfactory for each degree. The candidate may complete a separate thesis/project for both economics and statistics or a single joint thesis/project satisfying both requirements.

Master’s Minor

To receive a designated minor in statistics for a master’s degree, at least 12 credit hours of course work at the 7000 level or higher must be completed from the Department of Statistics at MU. The courses should be unified in theme and must be approved by the director of graduate studies in the Department of Statistics.

The courses must be completed with an average grade of B (3.0) or higher; shall not include Statistics 7002, 7070, 7085, 8085 or 9085; and shall not include more than one course from Statistics 7710 and 7750.