The M.S. degree program in Statistics is designed for students who wish to pursue a career as a practicing statistician in industry, government, or academia. The degree is also valuable for people working in other fields who need mastery of a broad range of statistical methods. The M.S. program consists of courses in both theoretical and applied statistics. An incoming graduate student who has some background in mathematics and statistics can reasonably expect to complete an M.S. program in 4 semesters of study.
Some of our M.S. graduates opt to work toward their Ph.D. degrees. Of those that do not, nearly all are working in statistics-related jobs.
The Graduate School offers the M.S. degree under two plans: Plan A, which involves a thesis; and Plan B, which substitutes additional course work and a special project for the thesis. The School of Statistics offers this degree under Plan B only.
Students considering this program should have familiarity with basic statistical concepts and methods, and, at a minimum, mathematics through multivariable calculus and linear algebra. Additional post-calculus mathematics courses, including advanced calculus or real analysis, are highly desirable. Students who lack familiarity with C, Fortran or some other higher-level computer programming language should plan on making up this deficiency during the first year of graduate study.
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