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To earn a Ph.D. through the co-major program, students must meet the criteria set by both participating departments. Historically, doctoral co-major degrees have been offered in collaboration with Biomathematics, Crop Science, Economics, and Operations Research. The doctoral thesis must present novel research findings worthy of publication in academic journals from either or both disciplines. For Statistics PhD Co-Major committees, a minimum of two Statistics Faculty members (those with at least 25% appointment in Statistics) is required, with one serving as chair or co-chair. The Department fosters an energetic academic setting for instruction, fundamental research, and interdisciplinary collaboration, featuring structured initiatives in genetic, environmental, and industrial statistics, alongside biostatistics, bioinformatics, and biomathematics. Additionally, it maintains robust programs in statistics education, mathematical statistics, and diverse applied research areas.
To be considered for admission in full graduate standing, an applicant must have a four-year bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited college or university as determined by a regional or general accrediting agency and must have at least a “B” (3.000/4.000) average in the undergraduate major or in the latest graduate degree program.
Provide Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a total score of at least 80 on the Internet-based Test (iBT). Minimum test scores for each section:
Listening: 18 points
Reading: 18 points
Writing: 18 points Speaking: 18 points for admission, 23 points for TA appointment where TA has direct verbal interactions with students, 26 points for TA appointment where TA presents lectures in the class or laboratory
The maximum total score for the iBT is 120 with each section worth 30 points.
Provide International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores with an overall band score of at least 6.5. Minimum test scores for each section are listed below:
Listening: 6.5
Reading: 6.5
Writing: 6.5
Speaking: 6.5 for admission, 7.0 for TA appointment
Computer-based TOEFL scores must be 213 or higher (with at least 17 on three sections and no section score below 13). The paper-based test requires a score of 550 or higher (with scores of 50 on at least two of the three sections and no section score below 45).