M.S. Candidates:
M.S. candidates must complete at least 33 semester credit hours of courses worth 3 or more credits. In addition to the first year sequence, M.S., candidates must take either BIOS 625, BIOS 631 or BIOS 647; a 600 level BIOS course; and one BIOS or STAT course.
Ph.D. Candidates:
Ph.D. Candidates must complete at least 56 semester hours of courses worth 3 or more credits. In addition to the first year sequence, Ph.D. candidates must take BIOS 615, 616, 625, 631 and 647; two other 600 level BIOS or STAT courses; STAT 503 or another 600 level BIOS or STAT course; one other BIOS or STAT course or a MATH course subject to the approval of the advisor; and one graduate course, related to the student's dissertation and/or professional interests, worth 3 or more credits outside BIOS or STAT.
A new student is assigned to a member of the department who serves as a temporary advisor. A permanent graduate committee is usually appointed during the third semester for M.S. candidates and during the fifth semester for Ph.D. candidates. The committee works closely with students in preparing their course programs and in the direction of their research. The graduate committee conducts students' oral comprehensive exams and final exams and acts as moderator of the thesis or dissertation.
Graduate students are assigned study space adjacent to faculty offices. The relatively small size of the department and classes allows each student an excellent opportunity to interact closely with faculty and other students.
Students engaged in statistical research are encouraged to present their work at statistical meetings. For the Biometrics Society Regional Meeting, which is held every March, three awards are presented for the best student papers. In addition to the national recognition that is attained, each award carries a monetary prize. Any student interested in applying for this should work closely with his/her advisor.
Financial support to attend statistical meetings may be available. The amount of support that the department can provide varies from year to year and depends on available funds and the number of students who wish to attend. Students who are scheduled to present papers at meetings receive top priority in terms of financial aid from the department. Support for other students will be based primarily on seniority. Students should indicate to the Director of the Graduate Training Program their interest in attending meetings at least 60 days in advance of the meeting.
For the M.S. degree, students must write a thesis that reports the results of data analysis, or a review or survey. An original research topic is not required. A comprehensive dissertation reporting the results of original research is required for the Ph.D. degree.
All M.S. and Ph.D. candidates must defend their theses and dissertations at a final oral examination. A public presentation will precede a defense closed to all but the student's committee. While questions are restricted to the topic of the dissertation for the Ph.D. candidate, no such restriction applies for the thesis defense for M.S. candidates.