Apr 05, 2025  
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog 
    
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2018-2019 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Statistical Science, Ph.D.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Ph.D. program in statistical science must hold a bachelor’s degree and must have taken mathematics courses through advanced calculus and linear algebra. Applicants must have taken the GRE graduate school admission test and have excellent English communication skills. International students applying from countries where English is not the native language are required to provide scores on the TOEFL English language proficiency test.

Degree Requirements

To qualify for the Ph.D. degree in statistical science, the student must:

Curricular Requirements

Satisfy all curricular requirements as specified by the University (at least 48 credit hours, no more than 12 of which can be in dissertation research) and by the departmental faculty.

Required Courses (27 Credit Hours)

Complete the following courses:

Elective Courses

Several elective courses are offered each semester. Students will complete the remaining required credit hours from among those courses, or from approved courses offered in other departments at the University. Examples of frequently offered electives include courses under the following topics:

Time Series:

Categorical Data Analysis:

Sampling:

Bayesian Statistics:

Stochastic Processes:

Nonparametric Statistics:

Epidemiology and Clinical Trials:

Comprehensive Exams

Pass the Comprehensive (Basic) Exams, typically at the end of the first year.

Ph.D. Qualifying Exam

Pass the Ph.D. qualifying exam, which assesses the student’s readiness for research. The format of the exam is a research paper.

Graduate Academic Work

Complete a minimum of three years of graduate academic work, at least one of which is in full-time residence on the campus of SMU or at a research facility approved by the departmental faculty and the dean of research and graduate studies.

Dissertation

Write and make a successful defense of the dissertation.