Graduate Programs in Statistics: Prior to Fall 2011

Graduate Programs in Statistics: Prior to Fall 2011 Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science The University of Iowa December 27, 2010 1 M.S. Program in Statistics The master s program in statistics prepares students for careers as professional statisticians or for entry into the Ph.D. program. It includes a solid foundation in statistical computing, statistical modeling, experimental design, and mathematical statistics, plus electives in statistical methods and/or theory. Students have the opportunity to concentrate on theory, applications, or a combination of the two. M.S. students may choose to write a thesis, which substitutes for two elective courses. It is up to the student to find an adviser to mentor them before beginning the thesis program in the third semester. The Graduate College requires a GPA of at least 2.75. This includes all courses used to meet degree requirements plus additional courses that are relevant to the student s program. A computer programming proficiency test is administered early in the first semester of study. Students who display inadequate programming skills may be required to take an additional programming course. Students must complete at least 34 semester hours of course work to earn the M.S. degree in statistics. The required courses are as follows. 1.1 Thesis Program All of these: 1

STAT:5200 (22S:164) Applied Statistics I (4 s.h.) STAT:5201 (22S:165) Applied Statistics II (3 s.h.) STAT:5400 (22S:166) Computing in Statistics (3 s.h.) STAT:6220 (22S:173) Statistical Consulting (3 s.h.) STAT:X191 (22S:191) DISCONTINUED (6 s.h.) STAT:5100 (22S:193) Statistical Inference I (3 s.h.) STAT:5101 (22S:194) Statistical Inference II (3 s.h.) STAT:6300 (22S:195) Probability and Stochastic Processes I (3 s.h.) At least two of these: STAT:4520 (22S:138) Bayesian Statistics (3 s.h.) STAT:6560 (22S:156) Applied Time Series Analysis (3 s.h.) STAT:6540 (22S:161) Applied Multivariate Analysis (3 s.h.) STAT:6510 (22S:162) Applied Generalized Regression (3 s.h.) STAT:6547 (22S:163) Nonparametric Statistical Methods (3 s.h.) STAT:6530 (22S:167) Environmental and Spatial Statistics (3 s.h.) STAT:6610 (22S:168) Experimental Design II (discontinued) (3 s.h.) STAT:5120 (22S:190) Mathematical Methods for Statistics (3 s.h.) STAT:6301 (22S:196) Probability and Stochastic Processes II (3 s.h.) STATS:7000+ (22S:200+) Any Ph.D.-level course (3 s.h.) 1.1.1 M.S. Thesis Defense For thesis programs, the student selects a primary faculty adviser and committee of three or four members, which is responsible for recommending action on the candidate s degree. The committee s final recommendation is based on an oral defense of the thesis. A typical thesis is a statistical presentation of the results of a meaningful research project in another field, or a study of the characteristics of a new statistical method. Students earn academic credit for thesis work by registering for STAT:X191 (22S:191) DISCONTINUED. The chair of an M.S. committee may be from outside the student s home department, as long as there are at least two inside members on the committee. Please note that this is not the case for doctoral defense committees, where the chair may not be the outside member. There are rigid formatting requirements for writing a proper thesis. Please consult the Graduate College s Thesis Manual. 2

Students are required to submit with the first thesis deposit a check sheet signed by their thesis supervisor. Theses without the signed check sheet will not be accepted for first deposit. Each M.S. (with thesis) student is expected to submit a final bound copy of his or her thesis to the department. Each of these is kept in the departmental office conference room for public reference. To get your bound copies, take as many copies of your complete finished thesis as you want bound to the Main Library s Preservation office, and they will send them to an external binder. These are $15 per copy and will be delivered to you within 4-6 weeks. Pay by check or money order; they do not accept cash. Directions to the library s Preservation office: use the south entrance (facing Burlington St), veer right (don t go upstairs), go through the doorway and down the stairs. 1.1.2 M.S. Final (Comprehensive) Exam Thesis and non-thesis students must also successfully pass the M.S. Final (Comprehensive) Exam covering the material in STAT:5200 (22S:164), STAT:5201 (22S:165), STAT:5100 (22S:193), STAT:5101 (22S:194), and STAT:6300 (22S:195). Study guides are available in the departmental office. The exams are offered in January. Students who are unsuccessful in their first attempt may repeat the exam only one time. A student must graduate with the M.S. degree within one calendar year of passing the M.S. comprehensive exam; failure to meet this deadline will require re-examination of the student. 1.2 Non-thesis Program All of these: STAT:5200 (22S:164) Applied Statistics I (4 s.h.) STAT:5201 (22S:165) Applied Statistics II (3 s.h.) STAT:5400 (22S:166) Computing in Statistics (3 s.h.) STAT:6220 (22S:173) Statistical Consulting (3 s.h.) STAT:5100 (22S:193) Statistical Inference I (3 s.h.) STAT:5101 (22S:194) Statistical Inference II (3 s.h.) STAT:6300 (22S:195) Probability and Stochastic Processes I (3 s.h.) At least four of these: 3

STAT:4520 (22S:138) Bayesian Statistics (3 s.h.) STAT:6560 (22S:156) Applied Time Series Analysis (3 s.h.) STAT:6540 (22S:161) Applied Multivariate Analysis (3 s.h.) STAT:6510 (22S:162) Applied Generalized Regression (3 s.h.) STAT:6547 (22S:163) Nonparametric Statistical Methods (3 s.h.) STAT:6530 (22S:167) Environmental and Spatial Statistics (3 s.h.) STAT:6610 (22S:168) Experimental Design II (discontinued) (3 s.h.) STAT:5120 (22S:190) Mathematical Methods for Statistics (3 s.h.) STAT:6301 (22S:196) Probability and Stochastic Processes II (3 s.h.) STATS:7000+ (22S:200+) Any Ph.D.-level course (3 s.h.) 1.3 M.S. Final (Comprehensive) Exam Thesis and non-thesis students must also successfully pass the M.S. Final (Comprehensive) Exam covering the material in STAT:5200 (22S:164), STAT:5201 (22S:165), STAT:5100 (22S:193), STAT:5101 (22S:194), and STAT:6300 (22S:195). Study guides are available in the departmental office. The exams are offered in January. Students who are unsuccessful in their first attempt may repeat the exam only one time. A student must graduate with the M.S. degree within one calendar year of passing the M.S. comprehensive exam; failure to meet this deadline will require re-examination of the student. 1.4 Plan of Study The applicant for a master s degree (thesis and non-thesis) must file a Plan of Study, approved by the adviser and the DEO, with the Graduate College within the session in which the comprehensive exam is taken, and by a date to be established by the Graduate College dean. The Plan shall meet the requirements for the degree approved by the graduate faculty. If a student makes a change in his or her Plan of Study (i.e., adds a course which is not on the Plan, or deletes a course which is on the Plan), he or she must file an Application for Change in Plan of Study. 4

1.5 Application for Degree The student must file an application for an anticipated degree with the Registrar not later than ten weeks after the start of the semester or one week after the start of the summer session in which the degree will be conferred. The student must have the application signed by his or her adviser. Failure to file the application for Degree by the deadline will result in postponement of graduation to a subsequent session. Students must be registered for the semester in which they graduate. Students who have completed their coursework may register for 000:001 Masters Final Registration for 0 s.h. with their adviser s approval. 1.6 Sample Schedule for M.S. Students Year Fall Semester Spring Semester 1 STAT:5200 (22S:164) Applied Statistics I STAT:5400 (22S:166) Computing in Statistics STAT:5090 (22S:170) ALPHA Seminar STAT:5100 (22S:193) Statistical Inference I 2 STAT:4520 (22S:138) Bayesian Statistics, or STAT:6540 (22S:161) Applied Multivariate Analysis, or STAT:6610 (22S:168) Experimental Design II (discontinued), or an elective STAT:6300 (22S:195) Probability and Stochastic Processes I STAT:5201 (22S:165) Applied Statistics II STAT:5101 (22S:194) Statistical Inference II STAT:6560 (22S:156) Applied Time Series Analysis, or STAT:5120 (22S:190) Mathematical Methods for Statistics, or STAT:6301 (22S:196) Probability and Stochastic Processes II, or an elective STAT:6220 (22S:173) Statistical Consulting STAT:6510 (22S:162) Applied Generalized Regression, or STAT:6530 (22S:167) Environmental and Spatial Statistics, or an elective 5

2 Ph.D. Program in Statistics Typically, students who wish to pursue a Ph.D. in Statistics will be admitted initially to the M.S. program. After taking certain courses and passing the Ph.D. Candidacy Review, the student can be formally admitted to the Ph.D. program. Although the Graduate College requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 to graduate, the department requires a higher GPA of at least 3.4. This includes all courses used to meet degree requirements plus additional courses that are relevant to the student s program. The doctoral program in statistics prepares students for careers in research, applications, and teaching. Students choose one of four areas of concentration for their course work: biostatistics, probability/mathematical statistics, statistical modeling, and actuarial science/financial mathematics. Regardless of the area of concentration, students must complete a minimum of 72 s.h. of course work (including work done in the M.S. program). Students must pass the Ph.D. Final (Comprehensive) Exam, as well as write and defend a thesis. The Ph.D. program takes about three years to complete once the M.S. has been earned. 1. Biostatistics emphasizes an exposure to various biostatistical methods such as survival analysis, categorical data analysis, and longitudinal data analysis. It prepares students for consulting and other positions in industry. 2. Probability/Mathematical Statistics emphasizes a broad and solid foundation in the techniques and underpinnings of mathematical statistics. It emphasizes both breadth and depth of training and is intended to produce well-rounded, knowledgeable scholars. This area of concentration is excellent preparation for both academic positions in mathematical statistics or industrial/government positions that require broadly trained statisticians with a strong understanding of statistical theory. 3. Statistical Modeling emphasizes the theory and application of a broad array of statistical models, such as linear, generalized linear, nonlinear, categorical, spatial, correlated response, and nonparametric regression models. This area of concentration prepares students to specify and choose appropriate models; fit the models using available statistical software; and make sound statistical conclusions and interpretive statements. It is excellent preparation for students interested in academic or industrial/government positions which involve the modeling and analysis of data. 4. Actuarial Science/Financial Mathematics emphasizes the theory of actuarial science, finance, and asset and liability management. It is excellent preparation for academic positions in universities offering actuarial science programs or for positions in the insurance, pension, and financial industries. In case you are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in statistics with emphasis in actuarial science/financial mathematics, we want to caution you that this is a very selective and highly mathemat- 6

ical program. For the vast majority of students, admission into this Ph.D. program comes after earning an M.S. degree in actuarial science at the University of Iowa. A program that does not conform to the prescribed requirements but is of high quality may be approved by the department chair. 2.1 The Ph.D. Candidacy Review Students who wish to pursue a Ph.D. in Statistics must request a Ph.D. candidacy review, which is conducted by the departmental faculty. As part of the review process, the candidate will be classified by the faculty as qualified, conditionally qualified, or not qualified to pursue a Ph.D. A qualified classification means that the faculty believe that the student has a good chance of successfully earning the Ph.D. Conditionally qualified means that the student is invited to request a second review after satisfying certain conditions; failure to meet these conditions will result in a not qualified classification. In order to continue in the program, the candidate must earn a qualified or conditionally qualified classification. Candidates should request a review only after completing the courses STAT:5200 (22S:164), STAT:5201 (22S:165), STAT:5400 (22S:166), STAT:5120 (22S:190), STAT:5100 (22S:193), STAT:5101 (22S:194), and STAT:6300 (22S:195), or equivalent courses at another university; however, at least three courses numbered STAT:5101 (22S:194) and higher must be taken at the University of Iowa. In addition, candidates must have either passed the M.S. comprehensive exam or completed an M.S. thesis in Statistics here. Students transferring with a graduate degree from another university are encouraged to take the M.S. comprehensive exam for qualifying purposes, but may petition to go through the review without taking it. Candidates must request a review within one semester after completing the above requirements. Candidates who fail to meet this deadline will be classified as not qualified to pursue the Ph.D. and will not be allowed to continue in the program. The candidate s review will be based on the following data: performance on the M.S. comprehensive exam, or the quality of the M.S. thesis performance in courses, especially those courses listed above faculty evaluations of the student s potential for doctoral study, made by each faculty member who has firsthand knowledge of the academic ability of the student Core Requirements 7

STAT:5200 (22S:164) Applied Statistics I (4 s.h.) STAT:5201 (22S:165) Applied Statistics II (3 s.h.) STAT:5400 (22S:166) Computing in Statistics (3 s.h.) STAT:6220 (22S:173) Statistical Consulting (3 s.h.) STAT:5120 (22S:190) Mathematical Methods for Statistics (3 s.h.) STAT:5100 (22S:193) Statistical Inference I (3 s.h.) STAT:5101 (22S:194) Statistical Inference II (3 s.h.) STAT:6300 (22S:195) Probability and Stochastic Processes I (3 s.h.) STAT:7300 (22S:203) Foundations of Probability I (3 s.h.) STAT:7301 (22S:204) Foundations of Probability II (3 s.h.) STAT:7100 (22S:253) Advanced Inference I (3 s.h.) STAT:7101 (22S:254) Advanced Inference II (3 s.h.) STAT:7200 (22S:255) Linear Models (4 s.h.) Seminars at least 2 semester hours of STAT:7190 (22S:291) Seminar: Mathematical Statistics, STAT:7390 (22S:293) Seminar: Probability, or STAT:7290 (22S:295) Seminar: Applied Statistics STAT:7990 (22S:299) Reading Research (at least 18 s.h.) In addition, students take at least four courses in one of the following areas of concentration. At least two of these must by Ph.D.-level courses (STATS:7000+ (22S:200+)). Biostatistics STAT:6540 (22S:161) Applied Multivariate Analysis (3 s.h.) STAT:6530 (22S:167) Environmental and Spatial Statistics (3 s.h.) STAT:7510 (22S:220) Analysis of Categorical Data (3 s.h.) STAT:7570 (22S:225) Survival Data Analysis (3 s.h.) epid:x241 (173:241) Statistical Methods in Epidemiology (discontinued) (3 s.h.) bios:x263 (171:263) Theory of Statistical Genetics (discontinued) (3 s.h.) BIOS:7310 (171:264) Longitudinal Data Analysis (3 s.h.) Probability/Mathematical Statistics STAT:6301 (22S:196) Probability and Stochastic Processes II (3 s.h.) STAT:7560 (22S:235) Time Series Analysis (3 s.h.) STAT:7520 (22S:238) Bayesian Analysis (3 s.h.) STAT:X256 (22S:256) Multivariate Analysis (discontinued) (3 s.h.) 8

Statistical Modeling STAT:6560 (22S:156) Applied Time Series Analysis (3 s.h.) STAT:6540 (22S:161) Applied Multivariate Analysis (3 s.h.) STAT:6510 (22S:162) Applied Generalized Regression (3 s.h.) STAT:6530 (22S:167) Environmental and Spatial Statistics (3 s.h.) STAT:6610 (22S:168) Experimental Design II (discontinued) (3 s.h.) STAT:7510 (22S:220) Analysis of Categorical Data (3 s.h.) STAT:7560 (22S:235) Time Series Analysis (3 s.h.) STAT:7520 (22S:238) Bayesian Analysis (3 s.h.) STAT:7400 (22S:248) Computer Intensive Statistics (3 s.h.) Actuarial Science/Financial Mathematics STAT:6301 (22S:196) Probability and Stochastic Processes II (3 s.h.) STAT:7560 (22S:235) Time Series Analysis (3 s.h.) ACTS:7730 (22S:273) Advanced Topics in Actuarial Science (arr.) FIN:7110 (06F:225) Finance Theory I (3 s.h.) FIN:7130 (06F:227) Finance Theory II (3 s.h.) It should also be noted that each semester in which a graduate student registers for at least 6 s.h., he or she must include at least one course of at least 2 s.h. offered by the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, excluding STAT:X191 (22S:191) DISCONTINUED, STAT:6990 (22S:197) Readings in Statistics, and STAT:7990 (22S:299) Reading Research. During the graduate program, students may take course work or seminars in other departments to achieve auxiliary goals of the doctoral program: to relate an area of specialization to other fields of knowledge, to acquire the ability to use electronic digital computing equipment, or to learn the language skills needed to read foreign scientific journals and respond in personal contacts with foreign scholars. 2.2 Ph.D. Final (Comprehensive) Exam Students take the Ph.D. Final (Comprehensive) Examination after completing most of the course work on their approved Plan of Study, typically during the third year of graduate study. The comprehensive examination consists of a written core examination and an oral examination on statistical inference, linear models, and probability. These topics are generally covered in STAT:5100 (22S:193), STAT:5101 (22S:194), STAT:6300 (22S:195), STAT:7300 (22S:203), STAT:7100 (22S:253), and STAT:7200 (22S:255). 9

Ph.D. students in the Actuarial Science track may qualify to take an exam designed by his or her adviser and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. 2.3 Plan of Study The development of a Plan of Study at the doctoral level is the responsibility of the student working together with his or her adviser. A formal Plan of Study must accompany the departmental request to the Graduate College for permission to conduct the comprehensive examination. The Plan of Study will provide a listing of all graduate courses taken that apply toward the degree and a listing of courses in progress or yet to be completed. 2.4 Ph.D. Dissertation Upon passing the Ph.D. Final (Comprehensive) Exam, the Ph.D. candidate will choose a committee of at least five members, which is approved by the adviser. One of the committee members must be from outside the student s home discipline (the outside member ). The outside member may not serve as the chair of the committee. Faculty who have joint appointments with our department may not be considered as outside members. Within 12 months of passing the Ph.D. Final (Comprehensive) Exam, the Ph.D. candidate should present a written and oral Prospectus to his or her committee. This prospectus should describe the problem(s) the student is considering for the thesis, relevant background material, ideas for solving the problem(s), and preliminary results (if any). Prior to the prospectus meeting, contact Margie Ebert for the form which must be signed by the committee upon completion of the presentation. Failure to meet this deadline may result in non-renewal of financial support. There are rigid formatting requirements for writing a proper thesis. Please consult the Graduate College s Thesis Manual. Students are required to submit with the first thesis deposit a check sheet signed by their thesis supervisor. Theses without the signed check sheet will not be accepted for first deposit. The Graduate College requires that a student must make a defense of his or her thesis no later than five years after passing the Ph.D. Final (Comprehensive) Exam. Failure to meet this deadline will result in a re-examination of the student to determine his or her qualifications for defending the thesis. Each Ph.D. student is expected to submit a final bound copy of his or her dissertation to the department. Each of these is kept in the departmental office conference room for 10

public reference. To get your bound copies, take as many copies of your complete finished thesis as you want bound to the Main Library s Preservation office, and they will send them to an external binder. These are $30 per copy and will be delivered to you within 4-6 weeks. Pay by check or money order; they do not accept cash. Directions to the library s Preservation office: use the south entrance (facing Burlington St), veer right (don t go upstairs), go through the doorway and down the stairs. 2.5 Continuous Registration After successful completion of their Ph.D. Final (Comprehensive) Exam, all doctoral students must maintain continuous registration until the completion of their degree. All such students, regardless of location of residence, are considered to be under instruction and are thus considered to be accessing University of Iowa faculty and staff time, and University facilities. Tuition is to be paid for such access. Doctoral students will be required to register for course work required by their program and pay the appropriate tuition OR for a new course Doctoral Continuous Registration (000:002:000) and pay 2 s.h. tuition. This requirement applies to students conducting research, fieldwork or other scholarly activities related to their graduate programs including the writing of their thesis or dissertation, and consultation with faculty, as well as students taking courses at the University. When doctoral students plan to defend their dissertations, students will register for Doctoral Final Registration (000:003:000). During this final registration, all students (master s and doctoral) will be required to pay the 2 s.h. tuition. The final registration may be repeated if the degree requirements are not completed in this session. 2.6 Residency The Ph.D. student is expected to complete at least three years of residence in the Graduate College. At least part of this residency must be spent in full-time involvement in one s discipline, at this University, beyond the first 24 s.h. of graduate work; this requirement can be met either by: (1) enrollment as a full-time student (9 graduate s.h. minimum) in each of two semesters, or (2) enrollment for a minimum of 6 graduate s.h. in each of three semesters during which the student holds at least a one-third-time assistantship certified by the department as contributing to the student s Ph.D. program. 11

2.7 Application for Degree The student must file an application for an anticipated degree with the Registrar not later than ten weeks after the start of the semester or one week after the start of the summer session in which the degree will be conferred. The student must have the application signed by his or her adviser. Failure to file the Application for Degree by the deadline will result in postponement of graduation to a subsequent session. 2.8 Sample Schedule for Ph.D. Students Year Fall Semester Spring Semester 1 STAT:5200 (22S:164) Applied Statistics I 2 STAT:5400 (22S:166) Computing in Statistics STAT:5090 (22S:170) ALPHA Seminar STAT:5100 (22S:193) Statistical Inference I STAT:6300 (22S:195) Probability and Stochastic Processes I STAT:7300 (22S:203) Foundations of Probability I, or STAT:7100 (22S:253) Advanced Inference I one concentration course 3 STAT:7300 (22S:203) Foundations of Probability I, or STAT:7100 (22S:253) Advanced Inference I STAT:7200 (22S:255) Linear Models one concentration course STAT:5201 (22S:165) Applied Statistics II STAT:5120 (22S:190) Mathematical Methods for Statistics STAT:5101 (22S:194) Statistical Inference II STAT:6220 (22S:173) Statistical Consulting STAT:7301 (22S:204) Foundations of Probability II, or STAT:7101 (22S:254) Advanced Inference II one concentration course STAT:7301 (22S:204) Foundations of Probability II, or STAT:7101 (22S:254) Advanced Inference II one concentration course 12