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MA Program In StatisticsAdmission Requirements To be admitted for graduate study in the Statistics program, students should have at least 3.50 GPA average in courses taken during the last two years of their undergraduate or graduate studies. To enter the MA in Statistics program, one must have a BA or BS in one of the following areas: Statistics, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Engineering, or Business. Students who expect to specialize in graduate work in statistics are advised to study as much mathematics as possible during their undergraduate years. Some interdisciplinary experience in natural sciences, engineering, economics, or psychology is also highly desirable. Students who do not have at least three semesters of successful course work in calculus will be required to complete additional courses in mathematics before being admitted. Prior course work in advanced calculus and in statistics is preferable, but not mandatory. A total score of 1000 (verbal plus quantitative) on the GRE exam and a quantitative score of at least 650 are required for admission. Students whose native language is not English must score at least 550 (paper based) or at least 213 (computer based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam. However, for students who have a BA or higher degree from an accredited U.S. institution for one year or longer, that requirement is waived. International students whose native language is not English must submit satisfactory scores on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or the SPEAK test to be eligible for teaching assignments. Students who score 50 or above are allowed to teach in the classroom. Those who score 45 to 50 are allowed to teach on the condition that they enroll concurrently in ENS 4502. (See the Graduate Catalog for more details.) The University of South Florida and the Department of Mathematics encourage applications from qualified individuals from all cultural, racial, religious, ethnic groups, gender, sex orientation, disabilities in accordance with all university regulations. Course Work Requirements for the Master’s Program A candidate must complete at least 30 credit hours for a MA. At least twenty hours must be in formal regularly scheduled course work, ten of which must be at the 6000 level. Up to 6 credit hours at the 4000 level or graduate courses from other departments at USF can be counted upon approval. A student who elects the thesis option must register for a minimum of 6 credit hours in MAT 6971, only 6 hours of which may be applied toward the 30-hour degree requirement. The student must maintain a 3.0 average to remain a candidate for a degree. Failure to do this will result in being placed on probation. A letter from the major professor is required to remove a student from probation after he/she regains a 3.0 average. The required, elective, and interdisciplinary courses for each of the programs are listed below. Department may waive some of the course requirements for those students have taken equivalent course work at another institution. Student’s Graduate Committee Students working toward a thesis degree will have the benefit of a committee of members of the graduate faculty, appointed by the program director/departmental chairperson and approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies. The committee will approve the course of study for the student and plan for research, supervise the research and any comprehensive qualifying exams, and read and approve the thesis for content and format. Comprehensive Examination Graduation from the masters program also requires the completion of both written and oral examinations. For the non-thesis option, there is no language or thesis requirement for the M.A. degree. Written Comprehensive Examination The written exam is designed to cover material presented during the first year of graduate work. The purpose of the exam is to make sure the students have reviewed their first year's work before starting the second year and to point out weaknesses which should be overcome during their second year in order to graduate. Students are expected to pass this exam in at most two attempts. More specifically, the material for the above examination will be taken primarily from the following sequences of courses Semester 1: STA 5166 Statistical Methods I and STA 5326 Mathematical Statistics I; Semester 2: STA 6167 Statistical Methods II and MAT 6932 Mathematical Statistics II, and STA 6208 Linear Statistical Models. A. Non-thesis Option
(A) The Statistics and Mathematics graduate courses of 5000 level or higher, offered regularly for statistics and mathematics majors from our department are counted towards the 30 hours requirement. (B) Up to 6 hours of 4000 level or higher courses, taken from our department or other departments at USF, may be counted towards the 30 hours requirement with approval by the Statistics Faculty.
Under this degree option, the student is required to present a paper representing the creative component of the degree program. This may be, but is not restricted to, a literature review, a report of independent research, the design and (or) analysis of a sample survey or experiment, a report on consulting with research workers outside the department, or a report on the construction of a computer program requiring statistical numerical analysis. B. Thesis Option
Under this degree option 6 research credits may be applied to the total of 30 required on the student's program of study. These reductions are made to allow the student sufficient time to complete a formal master's thesis. A master's thesis is a scholarly composition that demonstrates the ability of the author to do independent and creative work. It explores in some depth a problem or issue related to the major field of study. Although considerable variations in format and style are acceptable, precise expression, logical construction, and meticulous attention to detail are essential. A thesis in statistics should deal with some aspect of statistical methodology or theory, or the development of statistical models for a class of problems related to a scientific question. While most theses will include a case study or example that involves scientific data, the analysis of a particular data set does not, alone, constitute the level of scholarly accomplishment required for a thesis. Required Courses (24 credits)
*Elective Courses (6 credits)
*The selection process will be based upon the students professional interests and in consultation with their advisors. |