Admission Requirements for All Graduate Programs in Statistics
Information on applying to the Graduate Program at the University of Illinois can be found at
http://www.grad.uiuc.edu/admissions/apply/
An applicant must meet the following requirements before being considered
for admission to a graduate program in Statistics.
Minimum Grade Point Average
The minimum grade point average for admission is 3.0 (A = 4.0). The grade
point average for purposes of admission to a graduate program in Statistics
is based only on the applicant's last sixty semester hours of undergraduate
course work, and on any graduate course work completed.
Undergraduate Course Work Background
In order to be admitted without deficiencies, an applicant
should have earned, at a minimum, credit for the following course
work. Courses in parentheses are the University of Illinois courses that
fulfill these minimum requirements.
-
Calculus (through MATH 242 or 245)
-
Linear Algebra (MATH 415 or 418)
-
Advanced Calculus (MATH 347 or 380) OR
Real Analysis (MATH 444 or 447)
-
Statistics and Probability I & II (STAT 400 & 410)
-
Knowledge of a computer programming language
If the applicant does not meet the undergraduate course work requirements,
he or she may complete courses to remove the deficiencies (e.g., Statistics
410, Mathematics 444) after entering the graduate program. Credit for such
courses does not help to fulfill the Department of Statistics' requirements
for graduation.
Special Information for International Applicants
An international applicant must submit official records
of all secondary and post-secondary school course work completed or attempted.
The University of Illinois requires an applicant for admission whose
native language is not English to submit results of the Test of English
as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Department of Statistics requires a
minimum TOEFL score of 590 for the paper test and 243 for the computer
test. If a foreign applicant has attended a U.S. institution of higher
education for two years or more, (consecutive fulltime), the TOEFL requirement
is waived. Results of the Test of Spoken English (TSE) are also helpful, especially
if applying for financial aid, but are not required.
In order to arrange to take the TOEFL or TSE, the applicant should write
directly to the nearest office of the United States Information Service
or the nearest United States Consulate; or to Educational Testing Services,
Box 889, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, U.S.A.
It should also be noted that foreign students who have been accepted
are required to take an English Placement Test (EPT) immediately after
arriving at the University. This exam is taken in addition to the TOEFL
exam.
Limited Status
A student may be admitted on limited status if his or her preadmission
grade-point average (GPA), which is based on the last 60 semester hours
of undergraduate work, is below the Graduate College minimum of 3.0 (A=4.0),
or if the academic record shows other deficiencies or nontraditional academic
qualifications. After the student has satisfied the conditions imposed,
his or her major department should request that the Graduate College change
the student from limited status to full graduate standing. No advanced
degree will be awarded to a student who has not qualified for, and been
granted, full graduate standing.
Deadlines for Graduate Admission Applications
The application deadline for fall semester admission to the PhD
program and for financial support is February 15. The application
deadline for fall semester admission to the MS program without
financial assistance is April 1. The
Department of Statistics does not admit students for the spring
semester, barring certain exceptions.
The University of Illinois uses the "Apply Yourself" online application system. To use this
system, follow the directions at
http://www.grad.uiuc.edu/admissions/apply/
The instructions
ask that certain documents (which may include declarations of finances, transcripts, test results,
personal statement,
letters of recommendation, among others) be sent to your Proposed Program of Study Office.
For Statistics, the address is
University of Illinois
101 Illini
Hall
725 South
Wright Street
Champaign, Illinois 61820
There is an
application fee of $60 for International applicants and $50 for Domestic
applicants.
The Department of Statistics requires applicants to supply Graduate Record
Examination (GRE) scores for the GRE General Test in order to be considered.
The GRE Subject Test in Mathematics is not required but is very helpful, especially for
Ph. D. applicants. Scores should be mailed so
as to reach the Department of Statistics before the February 15 deadline.
Information about the Graduate Record Examination can be found at
their website, www.gre.org.
Students can arrange to have
letters of reference submitted through the online application system.
Alternatively, letters can be mailed to the
Department of Statistics at the above address, using either
downloadable "Letter of Reference" forms obtainable from the online system
or the letter writer's own letterhead stationery.
Please note that three letters are required. If for any reason you
cannot obtain three letters, write to the Graduate Admissions Chairman
of the Department of Statistics detailing your situation, and (s)he will
advise you what to do.
You should ask at least one of your reference writers to comment upon
your potential as a classroom teacher acting in an independent (i.e., only
slightly supervised) teaching position. Poise, language ability, etc. are
important here and we would like to have some idea of your potential in
these areas.
Additional General Requirements
+ Annual Review
The Graduate Committee of the Department of Statistics conducts an annual
review of each candidate's progress toward completion of the Ph.D. degree.
Any candidate whose progress is not satisfactory is subject to dismissal
from the program. The following guidelines, in addition to the course requirements,
will be used in measuring a candidate's satisfactory progress. The student
must:
-
take the Qualifying exam in the
Fall semester after the first full year. A student receiving a passing score on
the exam becomes a Ph.D. candidate and maintains regular progress towards the Ph.D. degree.
A students who does not achieve a passing score will have one of two possible outcomes:
(1) near passing, allowed to make a second attempt the following year, or (2) terminal non-passing score.
-
pass the preliminary exam by the end of January of the fourth year of study
+
Departmental Seminars
The Department of Statistics sponsors seminars where researchers from
academia or industry discuss their recent research. Each student enrolled
in the Ph.D. program is expected to attend the seminars. Participation
in the seminar series is one aspect given consideration by the Graduate
Committee in its annual review of the student's performance.
+ Grade Point Requirements
In order to earn a Ph.D. degree in Statistics, the candidate must maintain
an overall minimum grade point average of 3.0 (A=4.0) in the course work
completed.
+ Changing from Master's to Ph.D. Program
Students in the Master's degree program who wish to enter the Ph.D.
program must apply through petition to the department. Such applications
will be considered at the same time as those of other students applying
to the Ph.D. program.
Financial
Aid and Assistantships
Departmental half-time assistantships are available on a competitive basis.
In 2005-06 these carry stipends of at least $1,697 per month ($15,277 for
9 months) with additional summer support possible. Tuition and fees
are waived for students with at least quarter-time assistantship support,
except for $1,132 of annual fees.
The Department of Statistics offers teaching, research, and graduate
assistantships.
Teaching Assistant:
The student will grade homework and
exams, work in the computer lab tutoring introductory statistics students
and/or more advanced undergraduates taking statistics courses. After
the student has attended the All-Campus Teaching Assistants Orientation,
he/she may teach a stand-alone section of Statistics 100 or 200, or discussion
sections of Statistics 400.
Research Assistant:
Advanced students often receive research
assistantships working with one of the professors, typically closely
related to their thesis topics. The duties of this assistantship
include analyzing data, performing literature reviews, statistical computing
and research methodology.
Graduate Assistant:
After having successfully completed
Statistics 427, Statistical Consulting, students may be offered graduate
assistantships in the Illinois Statistics Office. This gives
students the opportunity to provide statistical consulting services including,
but not limited to, designing experiments, constructing survey plans, analyzing
data, developing theoretical and empirical models, using computers for
statistical computations, and preparing statistical sections of research
proposals to members of the University community, government, and industry.
Teaching and research assistantships from other academic units
are often available for students with statistical and/or computer expertise.
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