Below are some answers to frequently asked questions regarding our program, the Department, and beyond.
Applications for the 2016-2017 school year are now closed. Please check back in June for information regarding the upcoming 2017-2018 cohort.
The more Statistics, Mathematics, and Computer Science preparation you have, the better. However, we do admit students who have not majored in these subjects as long as they have a solid record, an honest desire to learn statistics and are willing to learn the necessary material.
Computers are indispensable in Statistics. Thus, computing plays a major role in our department. However, we recognize that many students do not necessarily have access to training in computing. For this reason, we make an effort to train all our students in computing, from basic to advanced skills.
It varies from year to year, but a typical incoming class has approximately ten students.
No! While students are expected to enter with a strong interest in Statistics, most of our students are unsure which area of research they will pursue. In fact, we encourage students to enter with an open mind, as once they are here they will encounter research topics and application areas they had not previously considered.
The more Statistics, Mathematics, and Computer Science preparation you have, the better. However, we do admit students who have not majored in these subjects as long as they have a solid record, an honest desire to learn statistics and are willing to learn the necessary material.
We do not have separate M.S. and Ph.D. programs. Students enter the program as “Ph.D. students” although many will earn an M.S. degree along the way towards their Ph.D.
The average number of years a student takes to complete the program is 5 years.
Yes, Ph.D. students are able to teach courses during the summer.
The first year of the program is course based. Students will start working on their Advanced Data Analysis project in their second year and are expected to complete it at the end of that year.
Although numbers fluctuate from year to year, we typically have approximately 25 faculty and 50 Ph.D. students. We are a medium-sized department with an excellent faculty to student ratio. There are also approximately 25 students pursuing a one-year professional Masters degree, in addition to our large undergraduate program.
About one half of our students are American. The rest are from around the world. For example, we have had students from Italy, Chile, Argentina, Turkey, Canada, China, Nepal, Japan, Taiwan and India, among others. About one third to one half of our students are women. Many of our students have won nationally competitive awards from such places as the National Science Foundation, AT&T Labs, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Gertrude Cox Fellowship Fund and the Howard Hughes foundation.
Both. We believe that theory and applications go hand in hand. This philosophy guides our entire curriculum as well as the research interests of the faculty and students. From the outset you will learn the theory of statistics, but you will also collaborate with researchers in psychology, engineering, business, etc. Part of the Ph.D. coursework involves a year-long collaboration with an outside researcher on a publishable applied research project; your Ph.D. dissertation may emphasize theory or application.
Both.
Statistics Department
Baker Hall 132
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: (412) 268-2717
Fax: (412) 268-7828