Degree Requirements
Candidates must complete an approved 45-credit program, which includes at least 30 core credits in courses with the Stat prefix. In addition, students must satisfy Other Requirements (see below).
A student must have a minimum 3.00 GPA on the courses applied to the program of study, as well as a minimum 3.00 GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at PSU. Although grades of C+, C, and C- are below the graduate standard, they may be counted as credit toward a master’s degree with the specific written approval of the department if taken at PSU after the term of formal admission to the graduate program.
The Course Projection Guide lists the projected future 600-level course offerings. These projections enable students to plan programs that include any necessary 500-level prerequisites. Students also need to plan a program that will prepare them to pass one or two MS examinations, depending on which option you choose. Students entering the program with core courses STAT 561, 562, 563 and STAT 564, 565, 566 successfully completed and considering future pursuit of the PhD are encouraged to take MTH 511, 512 and in addition to the required 600 level sequence, at least one additional sequence from among STAT 661, 662, 663, Stat 664, 665, 666, and MTH 667, 668, 669. All students are urged to meet with the graduate program advisor regarding degree requirements and for help with program planning.
Core Requirements (30 credits)
Two 9-credit sequences:
- Stat 561, 562, 563 Mathematical Statistics I, II, III and
- Stat 564, 565, 566 Applied Regression Analysis and Experimental Design
One 9-credit sequence chosen from:
- Stat 661, 662, 663 Advanced Mathematical Statistics I, II, III or
- Stat 664, 665, 666 Theory of Linear Models I, II, III or
- Mth 667, 668, 669 Stochastic Processes and Probability Theory I, II, III or
- Stat 671, 672, 673 Statistical Learning I, II, III
Topics in Statistical Consulting (3 credits)
Stat 570 Statistical Consulting
Electives (15 credits)
A total of 15 elective credit hours must be completed. The following list of courses is pre-approved for elective credit.
- Stat 501 Statistical Literature and Problems
- Stat 571 Applied Multivariate Statistical Analysis
- Stat 572 Bayesian Statistics
- Stat 573 Computer Intensive Methods in Statistics
- Stat 576 Sampling Theory and Methods
- Stat 577 Categorical Data Analysis
- Stat 578 Survival Analysis
- Stat 580 Nonparametric Methods
- Stat 661 Advanced Mathematical Statistics I
- Stat 662 Advanced Mathematical Statistics II
- Stat 663 Advanced Mathematical Statistics III
- Stat 664 Theory of Linear Models I
- Stat 665 Theory of Linear Models II
- Stat 666 Theory of Linear Models III
- Stat 567 Applied Probability I
- Stat 568 Applied Probability II
- Mth 667 Stochastic Processes and Probability Theory I
- Mth 668 Stochastic Processes and Probability Theory II
- Mth 669 Stochastic Processes and Probability Theory III
- Stat 671 Statistical Learning I
- Stat 672 Statistical Learning II
- Stat 673 Statistical Learning III
- CS 545 Machine Learning
- Ec 572 Time Series Analysis and Forecasts
- USP 655 Advanced Data Analysis: Structural Equation Modeling
Other statistically oriented courses outside the Department and other mathematics courses may be substituted, but must be approved as electives by the statistics graduate program adviser. "Approved as elective" means that it is approved inside the 15 elective credit hours but not inside the 30 statistical credit hour core requirements. A course or sequence cannot be counted both within the 30-hour core and as an elective course or sequence.
Other Requirements
The student must satisfy one of the following options:
- Option A: Pass both Master’s examinations
- Option B: Pass the Mathematical Statistics exam and successfully complete Stat 501
- Option C: Pass the Applied Statistics exam and successfully complete Stat 501