DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICAL SCIENCE
         GRADUATE PROGRAM
 

  1. Master of Science
  2. Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

General Admission Requirements

To meet minimum requirements for admission to the Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy program in statistics, an applicant must have a Bachelor's degree in mathematics, statistics, engineering, a natural or social science, or business administration.

Applicants also must have taken at least 12 hours of advanced mathematics courses or related fields, including advanced calculus and linear algebra.

Although submitting Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended that all applicants do so, particularly if they want to be considered for fellowship, research assistant, and teaching assistant awards.

There is no foreign language requirement. However, some areas of research may require some knowledge of a foreign language, and doctoral candidates, in particular, are encouraged to gain this knowledge as an undergraduate.

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  Graduate Degree Requirements
   Master of Science
Students who choose the nonthesis option must successfully complete the following:

  1. at least 36 hours acceptable to the departmental faculty, including courses in Mathematical Statistics, Statistical Analysis,  Statistical Consulting, and Statistical Computing.
  2. a basic written examination and a comprehensive oral examination.

Students who choose the thesis option must successfully complete:

  1. a minimum of 30 hours of course work acceptable to the departmental faculty, including the above courses, a thesis, and an oral defense of the thesis before a faculty committee; and
  2. the basic written examination and the comprehensive oral examination required for the nonthesis option.

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  Doctor of Philosophy

Ph.D. candidates in statistics must:

       #  satisfy all the curricular requirements as specified by the University and by the departmental faculty;

  1. pass comprehensive written and oral examinations;
  2. complete a minimum of six semesters of graduate work, with at least two semesters in full-time residence at Southern Methodist University or at a research facility approved by the departmental faculty and the University; and
  3. write and defend a dissertation.

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For more information, contact
Department of Statistical Science
Southern Methodist University
P.O. Box 750332
Dallas, TX 75275-0332
(214) 768-2441
Fax: (214) 768-4035
e-mail stat@mail.smu.edu 

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