2009-2010 University Catalog 
  
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2009-2010 University Catalog

Statistical Science, PhD

Banner Code: VS-PHD-STAT

School: The Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering 

Department: Statistics 

The terminal degree PhD in statistical science represents the highest academic attainment for a statistician and, as such, requires in-depth knowledge of modern statistical theory and practice. Current research areas of key department faculty in the program include sampling, statistical signal processing, biometric identification, biostatistics, statistical genetics, statistical graphics, and data exploration.

Degree Requirements

Students are required to complete 72 credits. Typically, a student entering with a master’s degree in statistics, mathematics, or similar discipline is able to receive a reduction of up to 24 credits from approved course work. In particular, students entering with a master’s degree in statistics are expected to have completed course work equivalent to STAT 544, 554, 652, and 656 with a 3.50 GPA. The program also requires a course in advanced calculus (MATH 315 or equivalent) with a B or better. In exceptional circumstances, talented students with a mathematically intensive undergraduate degree may be admitted.

Written qualifying exams will be taken in the following areas:

  • Applied Probability
  • Applied Statistics and Data Analysis
  • Statistical Inference

Students are required to complete 24 credits of advanced emphasis course work, including three core courses:

Additional Information:

The remaining five courses are selected and approved by the doctoral supervisory committee and the Statistics Department chair and should be numbered 600 or above. For STAT courses, qualified electives must be numbered 655 or above. STAT 700–701 do not count as electives for the PhD program.

Following successfully passing the qualifying exams, students should select a dissertation director and a doctoral studies committee.  The chair of the doctoral studies committee must be a member of the graduate faculty with a regular appointment in the Department of Statistics, and will typically be the dissertation director.  The doctoral studies committee consists of a chair, 2 members of the graduate faculty who hold regular appointments in the Department of Statistics, and an external member.  The doctoral studies committee must be approved by the director of the doctoral program in statistical science.

Admission to candidacy is acquired on completion of an oral comprehensive exam administered by the doctoral supervisory committee, covering the three core courses and five advanced emphasis courses, and a dissertation proposal. The student is evaluated as pass, conditional pass, or fail. A student who fails the comprehensive exam may take it a  second time. If the student fails a second time, the student is terminated from the program.

The dissertation defense serves as the student’s final examination and is conducted by the doctoral supervisory committee. Both the comprehensive exam and final exam are scheduled on approval of a written request to the department chair.

For more information, e-mail specific questions to statistics@gmu.edu.