Doctorate Degrees

Course Requirements

In addition to the core course requirements (Stat 511-515), the following courses are required in order to graduate with a Ph.D. (see also options section )

• 3 credits in Mathematical Analysis (Math 403) -- students who demonstrate completion of an equivalent course may have this requirement waived.
• 3 credits in Probability Theory (Stat 517)
• 6 credits in Statistical Inference and Asymptotic Theory (Stat 561 and 562)
• 3 credits in Linear Models (Stat 551)
• 3 credits in Asymptotic Tools (Stat 553)
• 2 credits of Colloquium (Stat 590)
• 15 credits of electives taken from Stat 544, 545, 552, 564, 565, and 572, or other courses suggested by your committee.
• 3 credits of Statistical Consulting (Stat 580)

Note that it is possible for incoming students with a master's degree from another university to petition to have first-year courses waived. This is handled on a case by case basis in consultation with your advisor and the Graduate Studies Chair. See the checklist of doctoral degree coursework and examination requirements at the end of this section.

Qualifying Examination

The PhD qualifying exam based on material contained in Stat 551 and Stat 553 is given after the completion of your Fall semester of the second year. There are three grades (outcomes) from the exam which you could receive: (1) Fail. (2) Conditional Ph.D. Pass. (3) Ph.D. Pass. In order to be admitted to the Ph.D. program, you must achieve a Ph.D. level pass. Students have the opportunity to retake the qualifying exam once in the following May. The conditional Ph.D. Pass becomes a Ph.D Pass if a student satifies an additional requirement such as completing a master's thesis.

Students entering the program without a master's degree who want to pursue a Ph.D must take the first year required courses and first year exam before taking Stat 551 and 553.

Options

The Ph.D. in Statistics offers options in Biometrics, Biostatistics, Environmental Statistics, and Management Science and Information Systems. The course and examination requirements remain the same under these options. The different elective courses suggested for each option are described in detail in the Department of Statistics Graduate Program booklet. Section of this guide provides sample programs.

It is also possible for students to pursue a dual degree in Statistics and Operations Research. If you are interested in this degree, visit with the chair of the Operations Research Committee and the Department of Statistics representative (currently Dr. Arnold) early in your program of study for more details.

Some additional required courses for the dual degree in Statistics and Operations Research are:

-- a minimum of 12 credits from linear programming I and II, mathematical programming, and dynamic programming.

-- a minimum of 9 credits from inventory models, scheduling models, and waiting-line models.

-- a minimum of 6 credits from computer science, including numerical methods and digital simulation techniques.

-- a minimum of 15 credits in applications and/or specialization. These credits may all be in statistics.

Graduate Colloquium

As a Ph.D. student, you are required to register for 2 credits (1 credit per semester) of Stat 590, colloquium, during your program. This course is usually taken in the third year. The specific guidelines will be set up by the faculty instructor of the course. In the past, students have been required to attend all of the department colloquiums and to present one colloquium each semester.

Ph.D. Committee

During your third year, you should begin to form your Ph.D. committee in consultation with your advisor, who will be the chair of your committee. Your committee must have at least four members; at least three of these members (including your chair) must have faculty appointments in the Department of Statistics, and at least one member must be from outside the Department of Statistics and represent an area related to your research.

Foreign Language Requirement

There is no foreign language requirement for a Ph.D. in Statistics.

Residency Requirement

There is no required minimum number of credits or semesters of study to meet residency requirements. However, during some twelve month period between admissions to candidacy and completion of the Ph.D. degree, the candidate must spend at least two semesters (including the semester in which the candidacy examination is taken) as a registered, full-time student engaged in academic work at University Park.

Graduate School Comprehensive Examination (and Proposal)

After forming your Ph.D. committee, you will need to schedule the Graduate School Comprehensive Exam. The comprehensive exam, as described in the Graduate Degree Programs Bulletin, will have both a written and an oral component. The content of the written component will be determined by your committee. The oral component of the exam consists of presenting your thesis research proposal to your committee. You will need to inform the Graduate Secretary of the date of your comprehensive exam at least two weeks in advance so the necessary paperwork can be filed. Note also that the Graduate School Comprehensive Examination should be taken at least three months before the final oral examination.

Thesis Guidelines

As a degree candidate, you must demonstrate ability to do independent research and competence in scholarly exposition through the preparation of a thesis topic related to your major subject. Your thesis should represent a significant contribution to knowledge, be presented in a scholarly manner, reveal an ability to do independent research of high quality, and indicate considerable experience in using a variety of research techniques. The thesis is to be developed under supervision of your advisor. You will be required to provide at least 3 bound copies of your thesis to the department (one for the Graduate School, one for the Department, and one for your advisor). Further information about preparing a thesis is available in Thesis Guide: Requirements for the Preparation of Master's and Doctoral Theses, which can be purchased in the Thesis Office in Kern Building.

There is a collection of computer files to help with conforming to the style guidelines from the Thesis Office. Contact a SAC representative for more details. Recently, the Graduate School has implemented a plan which will eventually require all dissertations to be submitted electronically. For more information about this requirement, please see the report posted at http://cac.psu.edu/etd, see also http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/etd.

Final Oral Examination (Thesis Defense)

Once you have satisfied all other requirements for your degree, you will need to arrange with your committee a suitable date for your final oral examination. You will need to inform the Graduate Secretary of the date of your final oral examination at least two weeks in advance so the necessary paperwork can be filed. The examination is related largely to your thesis, but it may cover your entire field of study. A passing vote from at least two-thirds of your committee is required to pass the final oral examination. If you fail, your committee will determine what changes you will need to make and when another examination, if any, may be taken.

Exceptions

For an exception to any of these requirements, you will need to submit a request in writing to the Graduate Studies Chair for consideration by the faculty. If you are granted an exception, you will receive a written statement of the exception terms.

Program Examples

First YearThis is similar to the first year of the master's program (see Section ). Most students take Math 403 during the Fall semester of the first year. If you enter with a master's degree in statistics, you may want to petition to have first-year courses waived. This is handled on a ``case by case'' basis in consultation with your advisor and the Graduate Studies Chair.

Second Year

Fall Semester:

Provided that you have been successful in obtaining a pass on the first year qualifying examination (or believe that you will when you next take it), you should begin taking the required courses of the Ph.D. program. In the fall of your second year, the courses you should take are Stat 551 (Linear Models), 553 (Asymptotic Tools) and two credits of Stat 580 (Consulting Practicum).

Spring Semester:

In the Spring semester, You will need to take one more credit of Stat 580. Your remaining credits can be selected from electives or independent study. Remember that the Ph.D requires 15 credits of electives. Also, keep in mind that several courses, such as Stat 545, are offered every other year. Finally, you may want to consider writing a master's paper or thesis during this semester and/or the summer.

Remaining Years In the third year, you will finish your required courses and begin to formulate a thesis topic. In the fall, you will need to take Stat 517 (Probability Theory), Stat 561 (Statistical Inference) and Stat 590 (Colloquim), which is a great way to hear about current research in statistics. In the spring, you will need to take Stat 562 (Asymptotic Theory) and Stat 590 (Colloquim). You should fill out your schedule with independent study or elective courses as needed. During this year, you should also form a graduate committee and consider a time to schedule your Graduate School Comprehensive Examination. After the required coursework is complete, most students focus on their research and may sit in on courses in which they are interested (rather than registering for these for credit). Depending upon what point you are at in the program, the ``independent study'' courses for which you need to register differ. See Section for a detailed description of these courses.

Doctoral Degree Checklist

	Required Courses
width .5in height .3pt	Math 4031(3 credits)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 517 (3 credits)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 561 (3 credits)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 562 (3 credits)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 551 (3 credits)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 553 (3 credits)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 590 (2 credits - Fall & Spring)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 580 (2 credits - Fall)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 580 (1 credit - Spring/Summer)
	OR Stat 585 (1 credit - Spring/Summer)
	Electives
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 544 (3 credits)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 545 (3 credits)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 552 (3 credits)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 564 (3 credits)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 565 (3 credits)
width .5in height .3pt	Stat 572 (3 credits)
width .5in height .3pt	width 2.5in height .3pt	(other course(s) suggested by committee)
width .5in height .3pt	width 2.5in height .3pt
width .5in height .3pt	Total elective credits
	(must be at least 15)
	Examination Requirements
width .5in height .3pt	Ph.D. pass on 2nd year exam
width .5in height .3pt	pass comprehensive exam
width .5in height .3pt	pass final oral exam