Qualifying Exams

The qualifying exam process consists of:

  • Exams in probability (December) and theoretical statistics (May).  Students who do not pass an exam in their first year of study have the option of a retake the following year.
  • Oral exam: scheduled individually for each student, exploring research in an area of interest that might lead to an eventual dissertation topic.  Students should approach faculty (with advice from the DGS) about scheduling an exam at a convenient time before the end of their second year.
  • Practical Exam: a written report on an analysis of a data set, held during a five day period in December, following the end of classes, or as a capstone project for S&DS 625 at the discretion of the instructor and DGS.  Students are expected to be comfortable with R, and have had experience at working with real data. Most students gain that experience from a combination of Stat 661, 625 and participation in the statistical consulting clinic (Stat 627-628).