Applied Statistics

This program is designed to increase the number of professionals with the broad training in statistical methodology that is suitable for applications in industry, medicine, business and government. A typical student in this program will be exposed to a broad base of practical techniques and applications from a wide variety of fields. At the same time the student's background in theory is developed so that the learning process will continue in any professional environment pursued after graduation. The primary goal of the master’s degree program is to provide a basis for the skilled and competent application of modern statistical methods. In addition to the basic theoretical foundations, areas of methodology include regression analysis, design of experiments, multivariate analysis, quality control, survival analysis, time series, sample surveys, categorical and nonparametric methodology. All applied courses use and emphasize the importance of modern statistical computing software. Most courses are offered in the late afternoon or evening to accommodate students who are engaged in professional development while maintaining full-time careers.

The M.S. degree requires two years of graduate study by full-time students and up to four years by part-time students. A minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework (that is, at least 10 courses) is required for the degree.

Students not seeking a degree, but desiring to take graduate courses in statistics for personal/professional development, may receive approval to take courses in this program under graduate non-degree student classification.

Admission Requirements

Any applicant who has a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an accredited institution and shows promise of successfully completing the degree requirements will be considered for admission. The minimal mathematics background is an undergraduate course sequence in univariate and multivariate calculus (equivalent to MATH 16500, 16600, 17100, and 26100 at IUPUI), plus a linear algebra course (equivalent to MATH 35100 or 51100 at IUPUI). Applicants who lack only the algebra course may be admitted conditionally and then must complete such a course as soon as practicable.

Applied Statistics Course Requirements

The plan of study must include the following five core courses:

The remaining five courses are electives and should be chosen with the approval of the student's advisor, subject to one of the two options below:

Option I- No Thesis.

At least 9 credit hours must be taken in statistics beyond the core curriculum. The remaining courses may be taken in mathematics or in areas related to statistics, subject to the approval of the academic advisor.

Option II- Thesis.

A 6-credit written thesis must be submitted for an oral defense. The thesis topic must be approved by the student's advisor. Also at least 6 credit hours must be taken in statistics beyond the core curriculum. The remaining courses may be taken in mathematics or in areas related to statistics, subject to the approval of the academic advisor.

Comprehensive Examination

In addition to the above coursework, each student must pass a written and oral comprehensive examination over the material in the core courses. All students are strongly encouraged to complete the comprehensive exam as soon as possible after completing the core courses and not at the very end of the program.

General Requirements and Policies

Consult the Purdue Graduate Student Handbook for additional requirements, policies, and resources.

Additional Information

For further information, contact Prof. Jyoti Sarkar at 317-274-8112 or jsarkar @ math.iupui.edu.