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Home > Resources > Students > Statistics > M.S. Degree |
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The master's program in statistics prepares students for careers as professional statisticians or for entry into the Ph.D. program. It includes a solid foundation in statistical computing, statistical modeling, experimental design, and mathematical statistics, plus electives in statistical methods and/or theory. Students have the opportunity to concentrate on theory, applications, or a combination of the two. M.S. students may choose to write a thesis, which substitutes for two elective courses. It is up to the student to find an advisor to mentor them before beginning the thesis program in the third semester. The Graduate College requires a GPA of at least 2.75. This includes all courses used to meet degree requirements plus additional courses that are relevant to the student's program. A computer programming proficieny test is administered early in the first semester of study. Students who display inadequate programming skills may be required to take an additional programming course. Students must complete at least 34 s.h. of course work to earn the M.S. degree in statistics. The required courses are as follows.
Thesis Program
M.S. Thesis Defense
For thesis programs, the student selects a primary faculty advisor and committee of three or four members, which is responsible for recommending action on the candidate's degree. The committee's final recommendation is based on an oral defense of the thesis. A typical thesis is a statistical presentation of the results of a meaningful research project in another field, or a study of the characteristics of a new statistical method. Students earn academic credit for thesis work by registering for 22S:191 Individual Study. The chair of an M.S. committee may be from outside the student's home department, as long as there are at least two "inside" members on the committee. Please note that this is not the case for doctoral defense committees, where the chair may not be the "outside" member. There are rigid formatting requirements for writing a proper thesis. Please consult the Graduate College's Thesis Manual. Students are required to submit with the first thesis deposit a checksheet signed by their thesis supervisor. Theses without the signed checksheet will not be accepted for first deposit. Each M.S. (with thesis) student is expected to submit a final bound copy of his or her thesis to the department. Each of these is kept in the departmental office conference room for public reference. To get your bound copies, take as many copies of your complete finished thesis as you want bound to the Main Library's Preservation office, and they will send them to an external binder. These are $15 per copy and will be delivered to you within 4-6 weeks. Pay by check or money order; they do not accept cash. Directions to the library's Preservation office: use the south entrance (facing Burlington St), veer right (don't go upstairs), go through the doorway and down the stairs.
Non-thesis Program
M.S. Final (Comprehensive) Exam
Thesis and non-thesis students must also successfully pass the M.S. Final (Comprehensive) Exam covering the material in 22S:164-165 and 193-194-195. Study guides are available in the departmental office. The exams are offered in January. Students who are unsuccessful in their first attempt may repeat the exam only one time. A student must graduate with the M.S. degree within one calendar year of passing the M.S comprehensive exam; failure to meet this deadline will require re-examination of the student.
Plan of Study The applicant for a master's degree (thesis and non-thesis) must file a Plan of Study, approved by the advisor and the DEO, with the Graduate College within the session in which the comprehensive exam is taken, and by a date to be established by the Graduate College dean. The Plan shall meet the requirements for the degree approved by the graduate faculty. If a student makes a change in his or her Plan of Study (i.e., adds a course which is not on the Plan, or deletes a course which is on the Plan), he or she must file an Application for Change in Plan of Study.
Application for Degree The student must file an application for an anticipated degree with the Registrar not later than ten weeks after the start of the semester or one week after the start of the summer session in which the degree will be conferred. The student must have the application signed by his or her advisor. Failure to file the application for Degree by the deadline will result in postponement of graduation to a subsequent session. Students must be registered for the semester in which they graduate. Students who have completed their coursework may register for 000:001 Masters Final Registration for 0 s.h. with their advisor's approval.
Here is a sample schedule for completing the M.S. degree requirements for Statistics.
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Copyright c. 2007 The University of Iowa. All Rights Reserved. Photography c. UI Photo Service and University Relations, University of Iowa This page was last modified on Wednesday, 14-Nov-2007 12:46:42 CST. /ts |