PhD Statistics Curriculum
This degree is composed of 5 core courses beyond the MS in Statistics. A total of 60 or 72 credit hours beyond an MS degree or 90 hours beyond the BS degree are required.
Some required courses may have been taken at OSU or another university while pursuing another graduate degree. With approval, they need not be retaken during the program. However, students are encouraged to take courses covered on the PhD preliminary exam at OSU. These courses appear in bold italics
Required Courses
(May have been taken during an MS degree)
| Course | Semester Offered | |
|---|---|---|
| STAT 5123 Probability | Fall | |
| STAT 5223 Inference | Spring | |
| STAT 5323 Theory of Linear Models I | Fall | |
| STAT 5333 Theory of Linear Models II | Spring | |
| STAT 5023 Statistics for Experimenters II | Fall, Spring | |
| STAT 5303 Experimental Design | Fall | |
| MATH 5043 Advanced Calculus I | Fall | |
| MATH 5053 Advanced Calculus II | Spring | |
| MATH 5143 Real Analysis I | Fall |
Required PhD Statistics Courses
| Course | Prerequisite | Semester Offered | |
|---|---|---|---|
| STAT 6113 Advanced Probability Theory | MATH 5143 | Fall even years | |
| STAT 6203 Large Sample Inference | STAT 6113 | Spring odd years | |
| STAT 5093 Statistical Computing | STAT 5223 | Fall odd years | |
| STAT 6223 Advanced Statistical Inference | STAT 5223 | Fall even years | |
| STAT 5513 Multivariate Analysis | STAT 5323 | Spring even years |
Other Credit Requirements
| Course | Required Credit Hours | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| STAT 6910 Special Problems | 3 | Not more than 3 can be counted towards the degree. | |
| STAT 6000 Dissertation Research | 15 | Not more than 30 can be counted towards the degree. | |
| STAT 6010 Statistics Literature Review | 2 | One credit hour must be taken in 2 different semesters. Not more than 2 can be counted towards the degree. | |
| Outside Course (not a STAT or MATH prefix) | 3 | Outside courses taken for an MS degree can satisify this requirement. |
Statistics Electives
Any STAT 5000 level or higher course, except for STAT 5013 Statistics for Experimenters I, STAT 5253 Mathematical Statistics I, and STAT 5263 Mathematical Statistics II, may be used as an elective to satisfy the 60, 72 or 90 credit hour requirement. STAT 5193 SAS and R Programming and STAT 5063 Statistical Machine Learning with R are strongly encouraged. These and other commonly offered electives and their offerings are listed in the table below.
| Courses | Semester Offered | |
|---|---|---|
| STAT 5033 Nonparametric Statistics | Fall | |
| STAT 5043 Sample Survey Design | Summer | |
| STAT 5053 Time Series Analysis | Fall | |
| STAT 5063 Statistical Machine Learning with R (recommended) | Spring | |
| STAT 5073 Categorical Data Analysis | Spring | |
| STAT 5193 SAS and R Programming (recommended) | Fall, Spring | |
| STAT 5213 Bayesian Analysis | Spring | |
| STAT 5543 Applied Regression Analysis | Fall, Spring | |
| STAT 601 3 Genetic Statistics | Fall even years |
Plan of Study: By the end of the second semester of study, all students must find an advisor, committee members and submit a plan of study at http://planofstudy.okstate.edu.
Program Milestones
Students are required to pass the following exams/defenses in the following order.
| Milestone | Timing | Details |
|---|---|---|
Pass PhD preliminary exam covering material in STAT 5223 Probability, STAT 5323 Inference, STAT 5333 Linear Model Theory I, STAT 5303 Experimental Design | As soon as possible but not later than the second year of study. | Two attempts are allowed. Exam is offered annually in January prior to the Spring semester and over Spring break. |
| Admission to Doctoral Candidacy Proposal Defense | One year after passing PhD preliminary exam | Proposal should contain literature review, overview of problem, and route to solution. |
| Qualifying Exam | Semester prior to graduation | Written portion covers progress on dissertation and may cover courses taken |
| Dissertation Defense | Final Semester | Defense includes public colloquium presentation and closed oral exam. |
Admissions: It is necessary to have an undergraduate degree, not necessarily in mathematics or statistics, to begin a program of study towards the degree. It is expected that some students will be admitted to the program who have a bachelor's degree or master’s degree in some other field. Admitted students should have coursework that, at a minimum, is equivalent to the following courses at Oklahoma State University (see http://catalog.okstate.edu/courses/math/ and http://catalog.okstate.edu/courses/stat/ for descriptions):
MATH 2144 Calculus I
MATH 2153 Calculus II
MATH 2163 Calculus III
MATH 3013 Linear Algebra
MATH 4023 Introduction to Analysis OR MATH 5073 Introduction to Analysis
STAT 4013 Statistical Methods I OR STAT 5013 Statistics for Experimenters I
It is possible to be admitted with some background deficiencies, but they must be remedied in the first year of the program.
Transcripts, GRE scores, 2 letters of reference and CV are required. English Proficiency scores, such as TOEFL scores, are required for international applicants.
Assistantships: Teaching assistantships are available and awarded on a competitive basis. International applicants with a degree from the US may not be required to submit English Proficiency scores for admission but are required to submit evidence of English Proficiency to be eligible for a teaching assistantship.
Through the generosity of the Gaute Vik Family, the Department is also able to offer outstanding applicants additional fellowships. Financial awards to outstanding current students are also available.
Application Due Dates by Entry Semester
| Due date | Fall Entry | Spring Entry | Summer Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Applicant | July 1 | November 1 | April 1 |
| International Applicant | May 1 | October 1 | February 1 |
| For Full Assistantship Consideration | February 15 | October 1 |