Difference between revisions of "Master of Statistics"

Latest revision as of 13:59, 6 February 2009

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Program Pre-requisites

Knowledge of calculus I, II, III, linear algebra, advanced calculus and introductory statistics, equivalent to ST 511, is assumed in all other statistics courses and will be tested on the Basic Exam.

• Students who enroll in a Master of Statistics program without having advanced calculus are required to take MA 511 during their first semester as their supporting elective. It is a co-requisite for ST 521.
• Students planning to continue for a Ph.D. in statistics should take MA 425 and MA 426, instead of MA 511.
• Students with inadequate backgrounds in mathematics and statistics may be required to take ST 421 and ST 422 in their first year (thereby delaying taking ST 521, ST 522 , and ST 552 until their second year, and extending their program by at least a semester).
• Students without adequate applied statistics in their background should take ST 511 before taking ST 512.

Degree Programs

Master of Statistics students can choose from several concentrations. In addition to the basic Master of Statistics degree, concentrations are available in Biomedical Statistics, Environmental Statistics, Mathematical Statistics and Statistical Genetics. The basic difference between concentrations is required coursework. Students can also choose the Master of Science degree, though currently most students do not. The Master of Science degree requires a Thesis.

The concentration in Biomedical Statistics will provide training in statistical methods useful in the design and analysis of studies conducted in medical research, the pharmaceutical industry, and the area of public health. Students will learn fundamentals of clinical trials and epidemiological studies and will be exposed to recent advances in statistical methods for the analysis of time-to-event, categorical, and longitudinal data. Specialized training in these areas will be complemented by courses in advanced linear models, classical design of experiments, and supporting electives in areas such as quantitative genetics, biomathematics, and pharmacology. Depending on availability, students may have the opportunity to gain practical experience through formal internships, co-ops, or traineeships at local biomedical institutions (e.g. GlaxoSmithKline, Duke Medical Center, NIEHS). In this event, they are strongly urged to share and discuss their experiences with their fellow students in ST 641.

It is recommended that students in the Environmental Statistics Concentration be involved with research and consulting in the environmental area and interact with environmental scientists. This may be accomplished through projects of the department or University, or through formal internships with EPA and the National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS) at RTP.

The Mathematical Statistics concentration will provide training in theoretical statistics. It provides the necessary foundation for a doctoral degree in statistics. One of the main purposes of this concentration is to provide the students a faster track to obtaining their doctoral degree, and hence is recommended mainly for those students that are considering a doctoral degree. Passing the Basic Exam at the PhD level at the beginning of the second year of study may serve as an indication whether one should consider this concentration.

The Statistical Genetics concentration is appropriate for those who are interested in the relevance of genetic data to areas that include genomic science, medicine, and agriculture. This is a different program than the Master of Bioinformatics program.

For students who began the program Spring 2006 or before, an Industrial Statistics Concentration is also available.

Required Course Work

All Master of Statistics degrees require a minimum of 34 semester hours. This includes 13 hours of common course work:

• Statistical methods: ST 512 and lab (sections restricted to ST majors)
• Statistical theory: ST 521-ST 522 and labs (sections restricted to ST majors)
• Linear models: ST 552 and lab
• Statistical consulting: ST 641

The syllabi for the core courses (ST 512, ST 521, ST 522 and ST 552) , can be found in the Appendix. All students who enroll with the intention of receiving a Master’s degree are required to take ST 521, ST 522, and ST 552 even though they may have had similar courses elsewhere. Co-majors have different course requirements.

Electives

Additional course work for each concentration is described on those respective pages. Electives are defined as follows.

• Statistics electives are any course listed or cross-listed as an ST course at the 500- level or higher, excluding required courses and ST 507, 508, 511, 514, 515, 516.
• Supporting electives include Statistics electives and courses in other departments at the 400-level or above.
• Students often choose supporting electives from ST courses which are not required, Biomathematics, Botany and Ecology, Business and Economics, Epidemiology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Industrial Engineering, Mathematics, or Zoology.
• Ideas for Non-statistics Electives
• Note that MA 425-426 and MA 511-512 can be counted as supporting electives.

Graduate Advisory Committee

Every Master of Statistics student is required to have an advisory committee consisting of at least two Statistics faculty members, one of whom serves as chair. The committee is initially appointed by the Director of Graduate Programs. The chair of the committee also serves as the student’s academic advisor. Changes to the committee, if needed, can be requested through the Director of Graduate Programs. All committee appointments and any changes to the committee must be approved by the Graduate School.

Students with minors

Students with formal minors are required to include a minor representative (a faculty member from the minor area) as a third member.

Master of Science students

The student is not obligated to complete the Master’s thesis under the direction of the faculty member who is initially assigned to serve as a student’s academic advisor. Neither is the advisor obligated to direct the student. If a student wishes to complete the Master of Science degree, it is the student’s responsibility to find a faculty member to work with. Once a student and faculty member have agreed to work together, the student should notify the DGP to request a change in the graduate advisory committee.

Examinations

In addition to the course work, students are required to pass the Master’s Written (Basic) Examination and the Master’s Final Oral examination.

Master’s Written (Basic) Exam

To get a Master of Statistics or Master of Science, students must pass the Master’s Written (Basic exam). This is a comprehensive exam that will cover the topics from ST 511-512, ST 521-ST 522, and ST 552. For a more detailed syllabus of topics covered on the exam, see the Basic Exam Syllabus. Students are responsible for material described in the syllabus, whether or not it is covered in classes. Copies of the old exams are available from the graduate secretary.

The exam is currently offered in August and January. Students should take the Master’s exam as soon as they have completed the core courses. For most students this will be in the summer before beginning the third semester. If a student does not pass the Basic Exam on the first try, s/he should retake it as soon as possible. Students are allowed to take this exam at most two times.

Master’s Final Oral Exam

The final oral exam is required for all Master’s students. The student may request to schedule his/her final oral exam during the semester s/he expects to complete all course work requirements. For Fall graduation, the final oral exam should be held before November 6, and for Spring graduation, before March 30. The student should return the signed forms from the final oral exam to the graduate secretary immediately after the exam.

Prior to scheduling the final oral exam, the student must have passed the Basic exam and have a GPA above 3.0. The student should find a final oral exam date that is suitable for his/her advisory committee and should inform the graduate secretary at least 20 working days prior to the exam date. The student will be required to answer questions based on courses listed in his or her plan of graduate work and the core of the master’s program. Areas in which the student demonstrated weakness on the Basic exam may be emphasized.

Required Documents

The student is required to submit several documents before s/he can graduate from NCSU. The following information is taken from the Schedule of Required Documents prepared by the Graduate School. Please see Adrian Blue for any necessary forms. In addition to submitting the following documents, a Master’s student must be in residence (see Graduate Catalog) for at least one academic year, and all requirements must be completed in 6 calendar years beginning from the date of enrollment in the program.

1. Outstanding Transcripts: Official transcripts from all universities and colleges a student has attended must be submitted to the Graduate School before the end of the first semester of registration. Transcripts submitted with the application may not be adequate since typically they do not include either the final semester’s grade or graduation date.
2. Patent Agreement Form: Students need to sign the Patent Agreement Form during the first semester of registration. Typically the agreement is signed at the departmental orientation.
3. Plan of Graduate Work: The Plan of Work (POW) must be approved before a student can schedule the Master's final oral exam. Students must submit the courses that they have taken or plan to take before graduation. If the POW is submitted early in the degree program, changes can be made prior to scheduling the final oral exam.
4. Request to Schedule Final Oral Exam: Request for scheduling the final oral exam must be submitted to the Graduate Program Assistant at least 3 weeks prior to the proposed exam date. The student should contact all committee members prior to selecting a date for the final oral exam. Contact the Graduate Program assistant to reserve a room. The request to schedule will be denied if the POW has not already been approved.
5. Diploma Order Request Card: The student is required to fill out the diploma card before the end of the third week of classes of the semester in which s/he plans to graduate. A new card is required if the student does not graduate during the intended semester.
6. Final Oral Examination: The committee chair should return the signed forms from the final oral exam to the Graduate Program assistant or DGP immediately after the exam.

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