Statistics GIDP Admissions Policies

The following material summarizes Policies for Admission to the Graduate Interdisciplinary Program (GIDP) in Statistics at the University of Arizona (UA). Complementary details are available at the UA Graduate College webpage for the Statistics Graduate Program. To contact the GIDP, see below.

Introduction
Requirements
Deadlines
Financial Assistance
Applications
Contact us

Introduction:

The GIDP in Statistics offers interdisciplinary courses of study leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Statistics. A Ph.D. minor in Statistics is also available for students already registered into a Ph.D. program other than Statistics here at the UA.

The GIDP supports and encourages the central role of statistical and quantitative thinking in the biological, physical, engineering, financial, and social sciences. Necessary training is provided for students to develop core expertise in statistical theory and methodology, and also for students who will apply their statistical knowledge in practical, transdisciplinary research; targeted subject-matter specialties include, but are not limited to biometry, bioinformatics, biostatistics, econometrics & financial statistics, educational statistics, operations research & applied probability, psychometrics, spatial/spatio-temporal analysis, statistical genetics/genomics, stochastic modeling, and quantitative risk assessment.

The listed Faculty of the GIDP are actively involved in the supervision and/or instruction of Statistics graduate students. The departmental affiliations of the faculty on this list give an indication of the breadth of their interdisciplinary research expertise. In addition, the Program has a substantial number of Affiliate Faculty who are involved in research with a strong statistical component and who can be called upon to be potential research advisors. The combined network of Regular Statistics Faculty and Affiliate Faculty creates a unique foundation of interdisciplinary research opportunities in statistics.

Requirements:

For admission to the M.S. Program in Statistics, applicants must have or be in the process of completing a Baccalaureate Degree, either in a mathematical field or a field that makes significant use of quantitative methods. A previous degree in Statistics or Biostatistics is useful, but not required.

For admission to the Ph.D. Program in Statistics, applicants must have or be in the process of completing an M.S. in Statistics, Biostatistics, Mathematics, or Applied Mathematics, or an advanced degree in a field that makes significant use of quantitative methods. A student who wishes to apply to the Ph.D. program without an M.S. and with only a Baccalaureate degree may do so, but is required to meet all other M.S. and Ph.D. entrance requirements as stipulated herein. If her/his application is successful, the student must earn the M.S. in the GIDP "en route" to her/his Ph.D.

All students entering the Program are expected to have a substantive background in mathematics, including at least three semesters of Calculus through multivariable/vector calculus (at the level of MATH 125, MATH 129, MATH 223), and one semester of Linear Algebra (at the level of MATH 215), at least one introductory course in statistical methods (at the level of MATH 263), and experience with computer technologies. At least one semester of upper-division probability (e.g., MATH 464) is strongly recommended. They must also show scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE—general test only) that exceed 75th percentile Quantitative and 50th percentile Verbal.

Applicants from non-English-speaking countries must exhibit proficiency in English. Along with the Graduate College's basic requirements for this proficiency, Statistics applicants must show the following minimum scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL):  pBT score above 600 and a pBT Section 1 score above 60, or iBT score above 100 and an iBT Section 2 score above 27.
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination can be submitted in lieu of the TOEFL. The minimum IELTS score requirement for admissions consideration is a score of 7, with a score of no less than 6 on any individual module.

Note that the Graduate College's basic admissions requirements stipulate that scores on the TOEFL or the IELTS must be dated within 24 months of the term of intended enrollment. Score older than this are considered out-of-date and cannot be used to support a student's application.

Along with these materials, a minimum of two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with an applicant's academic and scholarly abilities are also required. Complete application procedures are given in the Applications section of this website.

Deadlines:

Submission deadlines for all  materials for both the M.S. and Ph.D. Programs are as follows:

Domestic Applicants:
Fall:  January 21
Spring:  March 21 (of year prior to matriculation)

International Applicants:
Fall:  January 01
Spring:  March 01 (of year prior to matriculation)

No Summer admissions are considered.

Financial Assistance:

Financial assistance is available for qualified applicants, in the form of Graduate Research or Teaching Assistantships. In order to receive financial aid, it is necessary to have status as a full-time graduate student, which requires registration for a minimum of 9 units each semester. Additional information on financial support in the GIDP is available in the pertinent section of the Statistics Graduate Student Handbook.

Note that the GIDP in Statistics is a small program, and as such only limited assistance is available. Graduate student support is not guaranteed for any student in the program, and as such competition for this assistance is very high. Consideration is generally unaffected by an applicant's program status (M.S. or Ph.D.), although when a large number of competitive applications is received, Ph.D. support may be slightly more prevalent than M.S. support.

Students are encouraged to seek out funding from a variety of sources; the Graduate College has online resources which can facilitate this effort. Students are also strongly encouraged to apply for Research Assistantship support through faculty and fellowship awards from local and national agencies.

Applications:

As described in the Requirements above, the following materials are necessary to submit a complete application to the GIDP in Statistics:

• Official transcripts from all previously attended institutions of higher learning.

• Official scores from the GRE (general test only). Photocopies of the official scores are acceptable for transmission to the GIDP office, although the Graduate College will require original documents for the formal application.

• If required (see above), official scores from the TOEFL or the IELTS. Photocopies of the official scores are acceptable for transmission to the GIDP office, although the Graduate College will require original documents for the formal application.

• Two (2) letters of recommendation.

• A CV is optional.

Statistics GIDP
Admissions Coordinator
The University of Arizona
P.O. Box 210066
Admin. Bldg., Rm 303
1401 E University Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85721-0066

A student's application will not be reviewed for admission by the Statistics GIDP until all materials listed above are received by the GIDP Office and an online application has been completed with the Graduate College. All minimum GIDP and Graduate College requirements must be met for a student to be awarded admission to the Program.

Contact Information

For questions or additional information not available on this website, contact us at:

Statistics GIDP
The University of Arizona
P.O. Box 210066
Admin. Bldg., Rm 303
1401 E University Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85721-0066

Tel:  520.621.8368
Fax: 520.621.8367

email: stat@email.arizona.edu