Academic Policies

Normal Academic Progress

You are expected to complete the minimum credit requirement each semester as specified in Section and to maintain a grade point average of 3.00. If your GPA should fall and remain below this standard for two consecutive semesters, you are placed on academic probation. You should be aware that this situation may be grounds for removal from the program.

Independent Study and Thesis Research Credits

The following courses have been designed for doing independent study or working toward the completion of a thesis. These are useful as summer courses, as courses for meeting the continuous registration requirements, and after completion of coursework.

1. Stat 596 - Independent Studies. This course is suitable for studying a particular subject under the direction of a faculty member. It can be taken for 1-9 credits. This course is also suitable for meeting the registration requirements of Pre-Doctoral lecturers - those Ph.D. students who are TA's or RA's and have completed all course work, but have not yet passed the Graduate School Comprehensive Examination. See Section for important information about the Pre-Doctoral lecturer status.
2. Stat 600 - Thesis Research. This course has been designed for Master's students working on their thesis who do not need to maintain full-time status. One credit is usually recommended for students not on assistantships. The Graduate Council has established limits on the total number of research credits that can be assigned letter grades in a student's program: 6 graded credits for master's candidates and 12 for doctoral candidates. You are required to write a brief memo describing the objectives for the course and identifying the faculty member who will be responsible for evaluating your progress. Note: M.S. candidates must register for 6 graded credits of Stat 600 to complete the degree requirements.
3. Stat 601 - Ph.D. Dissertation Full Time. This course is only for Ph.D. students who have completed their course work and have passed the Graduate School Comprehensive Examination. It can only be taken for 0 credits and is used to keep your student record active. Students should only register for 601 if all of their time is being devoted to thesis research/writing.
4. Stat 610 - Thesis Research Off Campus. This course is suitable for Ph.D. students who decide to finish their dissertation off-campus.

These are summarized in the following table:

Independent Study Courses
Stat 596	MA or MS topics
	Pre-Doctoral Lecturer
	Summer credits
Stat 600	MA or MS thesis research
Stat 601	Ph.D. students who have
	passed the comprehensive exam
	and reside at University Park
Stat 610	Ph.D. students who have
	passed the comprehensive exam
	and reside outside University Park

Summer Registration

If you are on a teaching or research assistantship for both the Fall and Spring semesters, you are eligible for a summer tuition grant-in-aid which allows you to take courses the following summer. The department encourages you to utilize this by registering for elective courses and completing your schedule with Stat 596 to reflect the efforts on your paper or thesis research. This also maintains your full-time student status if you register for at least 6 credits.

Travel Funds

The department encourages you to attend professional meetings and become acquainted with the statistical societies: ASA, IMS and ENAR. Funds are allocated when possible to provide travel grants to cover part of the cost of travel, housing, and registration at those meetings. An announcement is made during the Fall semester. Priority is given to students who will present a paper or poster, Ph.D. students nearing the end of their studies, and students who receive matching funds from other organizations and sources. To apply for travel funds, you will need to submit a memo stating your purpose and a proposed budget to the Department Head. A supporting statement from your advisor is also helpful. The decision on awarding funding is made by the Graduate Studies Chair and the Department Head usually by December for meetings during the next calendar year.