The Ph.D. program in Applied Statistics is a research intensive program designed for students who demand the depth in the understanding of statistical methods to solve applied problems with innovation. The techniques and skills that students learn prepare them to become professionals in a broad range of statistics-driven fields, from academia to research-based industrial settings.
The Applied Statistics professors support students interested in a diverse range of statistical topics including linear models, data mining and analytics, statistical process control, spatial statistics, longitudinal analysis, statistical computing, nonparametric and robust methods, change and anomaly detection, Bayesian inference, and statistical network analysis.
Admissions
In addition to the minimum Graduate School admission requirements, to be considered for regular admission an application must include:
- Resume
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3 Letters of Recommendation.
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GRE score of at least 310 (verbal + quantitative, with a quantitative score of at least 160), a GMAT (old version) score of at least 650 and the new GMAT (new version) of at least 595.
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Students who graduated from or are currently enrolled in the Applied Statistics, MS program at the University of Alabama are eligible for a GRE test score requirement waiver, subject to completing at least 12 credit hours in the program with a minimum of 3.8 overall GPA, including at least a grade of B in ST 554 and ST 555.
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TOEFL score of of at least 90, an IELTS score of at least 7.0, or a PTE score of at least 59 for non-native English speakers who are required to submit an English Language test score (see admissions criteria link below).
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Please note this program does not accept a Duolingo test score.
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See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.
Curricular Requirements
| Required Courses | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| ST 552 | Applied Regression Analy | 3 |
| ST 553 | Appld Multivariate Analy | 3 |
| ST 554 | Math Statistics I | 3 |
| ST 555 | Math Statistics II | 3 |
| ST 560 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
| ST 603 | Advanced Inference | 3 |
| ST 610 | Linear Models | 3 |
| ST 640 | Statistical Computing | 3 |
| ST 645 | Advanced Statistical Learning | 3 |
| ST 695 | Applied Statistics Seminar | 1 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 28 | |
| Elective Course Hours | 21 | |
| Dissertation Research Hours (ST 699 - with advisor approval, distributed appropriately throughout the program) | 24 | |
| Total Hours | 73 | |
Approved Electives List
| Approved MS & PhD Level Electives | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| MS Level Electives: | ||
| Statistical Data Management | ||
| Adv Statistical Data Mgt | ||
| Data Mining I | ||
| Advanced Data Mining | ||
| Stat Prog & Comp with R | ||
| Intro Stat Learn & Data Mining | ||
| Applied Design Expermnts | ||
| PhD Level Electives: choose two courses from list below. | ||
| Theory Of Regression | ||
| Nonparametric Statistics | ||
| Special Topics (Bayesian Inference) | ||
| Special Topics (Advanced Design of Experiments) | ||
| Special Topics (Advanced Multivariate Analysis) | ||
| Special Topics (Current Research Topics) | ||
| Or any other graduate level course with faculty approval | ||
| Elective Course Hours | 21 | |
Transfer Credit
Subject to evaluation by the PhD program committee, some coursework (but no more than 24 credit hours) may be transferred from previous graduate programs.
Graduate School Information on Transfer Credit.
Doctoral Plan of Study Requirement
Graduate School information on the Doctoral Plan of Study can be found here.
Comprehensive Exams
Entrance and Qualifying Exam:
At the end of the first academic year, PhD students are required to take a written qualifying examination. The exam is usually administered in the end of the spring semester and is based on the required MS level courses including ST 552 Applied Regression Analy, ST 553 Appld Multivariate Analy, ST 554 Math Statistics I, ST 555 Math Statistics II and ST 560 Statistical Methods. The qualifying exam requirement may be waived for students holding an MS degree in statistics. Students interest in waiving the exam must take an entrance exam in August before the start of the fall semester. The entrance exam represents a light version of the entrance and qualifying exam that is based on major and fundamental concepts covered in the required MS level courses. Students failing the entrance exam are expected to register for MS level courses in which knowledge and skill deficiencies have been identified.
Comprehensive Exam:
At the end of the second year or upon the completion of at least four (12 credit hours) PhD level statistics classes, student must take a comprehensive exam. The goal of the exam is to assess the potential of a student to conduct independent research. Individual research projects are assigned to students for independent work over a two-week period in April. By the end of the two-week term, student must submit a written report and present their findings at an Applied Statistics PhD seminar.
The graduate faculty assess the quality of completed projects based on the following rubrics:
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comprehensive literature review
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soundness of the proposed research approach and adequacy of future research plans
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strength of experimental support
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quality of oral presentation and ability to address questions and concerns
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quality of written report
By the end of the comprehensive exam at the latest, students are expected to find a dissertation advisor.
Admission to Candidacy Requirements
Students must pass the qualifying and comprehensive examinations to advance to candidacy.
Continuous Enrollment Policy
Graduate School Policy on Continuous Enrollment.
Dissertation Requirements
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Proposal Defense - within a year after passing the comprehensive exam, student must form a dissertation committee and present and defend their dissertation proposal. The proposal usually focuses on the already obtained findings and plans regarding research yet to be accomplished.
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Dissertation Defense - Dissertation defense is the final test that usually occurs at the end of the fourth year. A dissertation must present some original contribution to the statistics literature. A PhD candidate must present a written document acceptable to the dissertation committee and Graduate School and pass the oral dissertation defense.
Time Limit for Degree Completion Requirements
Graduate School information on Time Limits.
Academic Misconduct Information
Graduate School information on Academic Misconduct.
Withdrawals and Leave of Absence Information
Graduate School information on Withdrawals and Leave of Absence.
Academic Grievance Information
Graduate School information on Academic Grievances.
Grades and Academic Standing
Graduate School information on Grades and Academic Standing.
Graduate School Deadlines
Information on Graduate School Deadlines.
Application for Graduation
Information on the Application for Graduation.
Acquisition of Financial Support:
All students in good standing in the Applied Statistics PhD program may be supported by a graduate research assistantship (GRA) funded through their advisor, a graduate teaching assistantship (GTA) funded by the Department, or a fellowship. Both types of assistantships provide an equivalent stipend and benefits along with paid tuition and fees. Application materials for consideration for fall enrollment with financial support must be received by January 15. Application materials for consideration for spring enrollment with financial support must be received by October 1. Financial support is typically available through the first four years in the program for PhD students who meet performance expectations and who do not meet any Conditions for Termination of Financial Support (see below). There is no guarantee of support after the fourth year in the program. Students will be informed of impending financial support termination at least one semester prior to the support termination date except in the special cases noted under Conditions for Termination of Financial Support. Students in good standing may petition the Director of Graduate Studies for continuing GTA support beyond the fourth year on a semesterly basis. Petitions for continuing support must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies at least three months prior to the start of the final semester of support. Students in good standing with GRA support beyond the fourth year may continue at their advisor’s discretion until GRA support is either exhausted or terminated by their advisor.
Fellowship Nominations:
Eligible students who excel in the program may be nominated by the Department for UA fellowships. Nominees are selected by departmental faculty vote based upon prospective nominee research productivity, academic performance, and contributions to the Department. Fellowship recipients are guaranteed paid tuition and fees, a stipend, and benefits at least commensurate with those provided through GRA or GTA support.
Performance Expectations for Continuing Financial Support:
To maintain funded support, students must remain in good academic standing in the Applied Statistics PhD program and be conscientious in performing their assignments. Remaining in good standing means that students must take the required courses and graduate examinations in accordance with the department’s prescribed curriculum and be registered for the minimum number of graduate hours required by the Graduate School. Students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 after the first 12 graduate semester hours. It also means that if students are non-native English speakers they must take and successfully complete our English Language Institute’s International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP) within the first academic year. In addition, students must remain clear of all infractions outlined under Conditions for Termination of Financial Support.
Specific expectations for continuing financial support include the following:
- The student must complete all mandatory annual training and abide by all rules and policies held by The University of Alabama, The UA Culverhouse College of Business, UA Environmental Health and Safety, and The UA Department of Information Systems, Statistics, and Management Science.
- Graduate teaching assistants must adequately perform all duties assigned to them in a timely manner as defined by the instructor of record or their designee for all courses to which the student is assigned teaching, grading, and/or laboratory preparative responsibilities.
- Continuance in the program and continuance of financial support are dependent upon our regular evaluation of overall student progress in the doctoral program course work, research activities, performance as a teaching/research assistant and fulfillment of other requirements. Components of this evaluation include, but are not limited to: (1) performance at a satisfactory level (at the doctoral level, with a grade of at least a B in all coursework); (2) passing at a grade of B or higher a written qualifying exam as conducted by the program at the end of Year 1; (3) passing at a grade of B or higher a comprehensive exam as conducted by the program at the end of Year 2; (4) proposing and successfully defending a dissertation proposal by the end of Year 3; and (5) defending a doctoral dissertation before the end of Year 4.
Conditions for Termination of Financial Support:
Students who meet one or more of the following conditions will be subject to termination of financial support pending Department of Information Systems, Statistics, and Management Science administrative review. Depending upon the severity of the infraction or the extent of non-compliance, the Department Chair and Graduate Director—with input from the Graduate Committee—will recommend immediate termination of financial support, termination of financial support at the end of the current semester, or termination of financial support (partial or full) at the end of the following semester. Changing majors, taking courses unrelated to specified degree programs, failing to receive a trial full pass on the ITAP exam within the first academic year, failing to satisfactorily perform assistantship duties, not following U.S. immigration rules, or otherwise delaying degree completion will result in termination of funding. Failure to make regular, successful and satisfactory progress, not meeting the requirements and/or the expectations in the program, will result in a dismissal from the program.
- Dereliction of duty. Dereliction of duty includes but is not limited to: failure to comply with all UA safety and interpersonal conduct policies; absence from scheduled obligations without prior notification to the instructor of record or designee (for teaching assistants) or the research advisor (for research assistants); or failure to satisfactorily complete all activities associated with the funded position as defined by the instructor of record or designee (for teaching assistants) or by the research advisor (for research assistants) and the student’s departmental memorandum of appointment.
- Resolved finding of Academic Misconduct. Penalties, including potential loss of financial support, will be determined with guidance from the UA Graduate School and/or the UA Culverhouse College of Business.
- Failure to have a department-approved research advisor for more than one semester. Students without an approved research advisor cannot proceed toward degree completion. By the time of the comprehensive exam at the latest, students are expected to find a dissertation advisor. Students without an advisor may be relegated to a master’s Program with one additional semester of financial support, at the discretion of the Graduate Director and Department Chair.
- Loss of good academic standing. Students not in good academic standing have one probationary academic semester after notification of their change in academic status to return to good academic standing. Financial support will be terminated if good academic standing is not restored by the end of the probationary academic semester.
- Delinquent Annual Review. Students who neglect to complete the required annual review meetings with Applied Statistics faculty are no longer in good academic standing. Students who are delinquent in completing any annual review have one probationary semester (i.e., academic semester or full summer term, as applicable) to satisfy the corresponding review requirement without penalty. Students must petition the Graduate Director with the written consent of their committee chair for a probationary academic semester to complete an Annual Research Review. Failure to satisfy any corresponding annual committee meeting requirement prior to or within the probationary academic semester will prompt Department Chair and Graduate Director review for immediate termination of financial support and Graduate Committee review for possible relegation to the master’s Program or dismissal from the Applied Statistics graduate program.
- Insufficient continuous research progress. The dissertation committee determines by majority vote if a student is making adequate research progress commensurate with their time in the program during required annual reviews. If the committee determines the student is not making adequate research progress, the student will be granted one probationary semester (i.e., academic semester or full summer term) with financial support to remedy productivity deficiencies, as assessed by the dissertation committee. Failure to meet minimum research expectations by the end of the probationary semester will result in immediate termination of financial support and may prompt relegation to the master’s Program, at the discretion of the Graduate Director and Department Chair.
- Failure to meet program requirements. Students who fail to meet the program requirements such as passing the qualifying exam, comprehensive exam, proposal, and dissertation defenses, or forming a dissertation committee will be required to resolve all academic issues during the next semester. The failure to do so over the next semester leads to the immediate dismissal from the PhD program.