Navigating the UCLA Statistics PhD Program: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements
The UCLA Department of Statistics offers rigorous graduate programs designed to equip students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for successful careers in academia, industry, and government. This article provides a detailed overview of the requirements for the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Statistics at UCLA, drawing upon the information available in the UCLA General Catalog.
Important Note: While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, all courses, course descriptions, instructor designations, curricular degree requirements, and fees are subject to change or deletion without notice. Students should always consult the UCLA General Catalog for the most current, officially approved information.
Academic Advising and Progress Evaluation
The vice chair for graduate studies serves as the chief graduate adviser, leading a committee of faculty advisers with broad research interests across major areas of statistics. This committee plays a vital role in guiding students through their academic journey.
M.S. Program:
- During their first quarter, M.S. students are required to meet with an academic adviser to create a suitable course of study.
- The adviser monitors degree progress and approves the study list each quarter.
- Continuing students should meet with the vice chair for graduate studies or their academic adviser at least once per quarter; a record of these meetings is kept in the student's file.
- Each fall, a committee of departmental faculty evaluates the progress of all M.S. students, offering recommendations for improvement if needed. For students working on a thesis, progress evaluation is typically delegated to the academic adviser.
Ph.D. Program:
- Similar to the M.S. program, Ph.D. students are encouraged to consider their research interests early and seek out potential doctoral committee members.
- Continuing students should meet with either the vice chair for graduate studies or their academic adviser at least once each quarter, and a record of this interview is placed in the student’s academic file.
- Each fall, a committee of regular departmental faculty assesses the progress of all enrolled doctoral students, providing specific recommendations if progress is unsatisfactory.
- For students who have begun dissertation work, the determination of satisfactory progress is typically delegated to the academic adviser.
- Students performing consistently unsatisfactorily may face academic disqualification.
- Doctoral students are normally considered to be making satisfactory progress if they take the written qualifying examination in the summer following their first year of study and the University Oral Qualifying Examination by the end of their second year.
Master of Science (M.S.) Degree Requirements
The M.S. degree in Statistics at UCLA requires a combination of coursework and a thesis (optional).
Coursework:
- A total of 44 units (11 courses) is required.
- At least 32 units (8 courses) must be graduate-level courses (200 series).
- The remaining 12 units may be approved upper-division (100 series) courses.
- With the consent of the vice chair for graduate studies or the academic adviser, up to 12 units may be taken in other departments if the courses are closely related to research in statistics.
- All courses must be passed with a grade of B- or better, and students must maintain an overall grade-point average of 3.0 or better.
- Students may enroll in Statistics 596 any number of times and may apply up to eight units of 596 courses toward the 44-unit requirement and the 32-unit graduate course requirement for the M.S. degree, provided a B- or better (not the grade of S) is received in these courses.
Thesis (Optional):
- A thesis is not required for the M.S. degree, but students have the option to complete one.
- Students must find a thesis adviser who approves the thesis topic and form.
- A thesis committee consisting of the adviser and at least two other faculty members must be nominated by the student and appointed by the Graduate Division.
- Students are expected to complete the requirements for the M.S.
Undergraduate Courses:
- Students with gaps in their previous training may take undergraduate courses offered by the department with the approval of their academic adviser.
- However, Statistics 100A-100B-100C, 101A-101B-101C may not be applied toward course requirements for a graduate degree in the department.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree Requirements
The Ph.D. degree in Statistics at UCLA is a research-oriented program that culminates in a dissertation.
Read also: UCLA Stats Overview
Coursework:
- Students are required to pass, with a grade of B- or better, 54 units (14 courses) of approved graduate course work (200 series) and to maintain an overall grade-point average of 3.0 or better.
- At least 40 of these units (10 courses) must be in courses from the Department of Statistics. The remaining units may be from courses in related departments.
- Students are strongly encouraged to take Statistics 200A-200B-200C, 201A-201B-201C, and 202A-202B-202C.
- All doctoral students are required to take Statistics 290 for at least six quarters, and strongly encouraged to take Stats 290 during each quarter of enrollment.
- In addition, all doctoral students can take Statistics 296 and/or 596, or 599 as needed.
- Up to two units of Statistics 285 and eight units of Statistics 596 can be counted toward the 40 units from the department.
Teaching Experience:
- Students are required to complete at least one quarter of service as a teaching assistant (TA) for a minimum of 25% time appointment.
- Students who serve as TAs in the department must have taken or be currently enrolled in Statistics 495A-495B-495C.
- Unless exempt, graduate students whose first language is not English must pass a campus-administered Test of Oral Proficiency (TOP) in order to be eligible for a teaching assistantship.
Qualifying Examinations:
- Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy.
- The University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee.
- The written qualifying examination consists of a high-quality paper, solely authorized by the student. This paper can be a research paper containing an original contribution, or a focused critical survey paper.
- The paper should demonstrate that the student understands and can integrate and communicate ideas clearly and concisely.
- The paper should be approximately 10 pages, single-spaced, and the style should be suitable for submission to a first-rate journal or technical conference.
Advancement to Candidacy:
- Students are expected to advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree within six quarters of full-time work.
Undergraduate Courses:
- Students with gaps in their previous training may take undergraduate courses offered by the department with the approval of their academic adviser.
- However, Statistics 100A-100B-100C, 101A-101B-101C and 102A-102B-102C may not be applied toward course requirements for a graduate degree in the department.
Academic Disqualification
A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses.
Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department.
A student who does not complete all the requirements for the M.S. degree within nine quarters of full-time study is subject to a recommendation for academic disqualification. The graduate vice chair decides in each case whether a recommendation for academic disqualification is warranted.
A student who does not advance to doctoral candidacy within six quarters of full-time study is subject to a recommendation for academic disqualification. The graduate vice chair informs a student of such a recommendation and the student is asked to submit a written appeal and to solicit letters of support from members of the faculty.
Read also: Gridiron Showdown: UCLA vs. Rutgers
Read also: UCLA Admissions Statistics
tags: #UCLA #statistics #PhD #program #requirements
