About WPE (Written Proficiency Exam)
Do I need to take a written proficiency exam (WPE)?
No, if you have an essay score of 4 or higher in the GRE or GMAT.
No, if you have a WPE (or similar) pass at another CSU school.
If you took a WPE equivalent at another CSU school you need proof from that school
If you still need to take the WPE, when are the dates for the WPE?
Note, you need to sign up for the exam the first semester you are here!
If you take and don't pass the WPE and don't want to take it again, you can sign up for courses:
Course Equivalent to GWAR Info
Take the GWAR. The GWAR (formerly called the WPE) consists of a 75 minute writing test. Please obtain a WPE/GWAR Information Bulletin from Testing and Evaluation Services, Brotman Hall, Room 216. If you do not pass this exam, contact your graduate advisor for guidance. If you have previously passed the writing proficiency exam at CSULB or at another CSU, you have satisfied this requirement. However, you need documentation from the CSU school if it is not CSULB.
The U.C. Subject A requirement does not fulfill the GWAR
About the SAS Base Certification Exam
Installing SAS on Vista Installing SAS on Vista Home
After A) passing the WPE (or equivalent) and B) advancing to candidacy, then
In order to finish the MS degree, one has to complete one of the following:
1) Comprehensive exams (30 credits plus taking the 2 comp exams)
2) Thesis (30 credits--24 credits of coursework plus 6 credits of STAT 698 Thesis along with thesis)
3) Industry Project (30 credits--27 credits of coursework plus 3 credits of STAT 698 Project along with the finished project)
See further on below for further information about each of these options
Note: If you sign up for the comprehensive exams and take it once, you cannot switch to the thesis or industry project
About Advancement to Candidacy
What is Advancement to Candidacy?
Advancement to Candidacy is the adoption of a program which, if taken to completion, will fulfill all the course requirements for the M.S. The student meets with the Graduate Advisor, and together they plan a program for the student, which is then formally approved and, at potential graduation, checked for fulfillment.
You file to advancement to candidacy when:
1) have taken the necessary steps to remove deficiencies in your preparation for graduate work (if you
were admitted conditionally),
2) have attained an overall GPA of at least 3.0
3) have completed at least 6 units at CSULB
4) have passed the WPE
5) have selected the comprehensive exam or thesis option or project option.
Once the Graduate Advisor and I have agreed upon a program, can it be changed?
Certainly. Changing a program merely requires consultation with the Graduate Advisor to make sure that the revised program satisfies the requirements for the M.S. The Graduate Advisor then prepares a Change of Program form to formalize the agreed-upon changes.
Students must file the paperwork to Advance to Candidacy before signing up to take the comprehensive exams. The exams are offered during the second and third weekend of each semester. The sign-up period roughly begins three weeks before the end of the previous semester and ends roughly a week before classes begin. Fliers announcing the exams will be posted in the department during these periods.
- The catalog description of the graduate program that is in place the semester during which you Advance to Candidacy describes the program under which you will graduate. Any changes made to the program before you Advance apply to you; changes made to the program after you Advance do not. Before you begin the paperwork to Advance to Candidacy, you must
The requirements for each program can be obtained from the catalog entry for the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. From the link below, click on the most recent catalog, and then on M, and then on Mathematics and Statistics.
University CatalogsAbout Filing to Graduate
When are you able to file to graduate? When you have:
1) passed the WPE (or GWAR)
2) advanced to candidacy
3) paid your diploma and commencement fees
What is the deadline to file to graduate?
Deadline to file to graduate for spring or summer is October 1
Deadline to file to graduate for fall is March 1
File for graduation. The following university web site has information about how and when to file for graduation. University site about graduating with a Master's Degree from CSULB
About Financial Support
What kinds of financial Support are available?The University offers financial support to qualified students through the Office of Financial Aid (phone: (562) 985-2500).
The Mathematics Department offers Teaching Associateships, which allow students to gain experience in teaching by assuming full responsibility for the courses they teach. Applications for Teaching Associateships may be obtained by specifically requesting the forms from the Department. They are also included as part of the application package.
What are the requirements for a Teaching Associateship? A: An applicant must have a 3.00 GPA and 3 letters of reference.
Teaching Associateships (TA's):
a. What are my chances of obtaining a Teaching Associateship, b. What does it pay, and c. How long does it last?A: a. The chances of obtaining a Teaching Associateship depend on several factors, including the budget allotted to the Department for Teaching Associateships and the number of applicants.
The next year looks good budgetwise so many of the people who apply should be offered an assistantship. This situation may not continue indefinitely, however.
b. A Teaching Associateship pays approximately $11,000 a year.
c. If departmental instructional needs are favorable, and the student is making satisfactory progress towards the degree, the Teaching Associate may be reappointed up to a maximum total of 4 semesters.
It should be noted that a Teaching Associateship is a responsible position, and the recipient is expected to conduct himself or herself in a professional manner. Failure to do so will be regarded as grounds for cancellation of the Teaching Associateship.
About doing an Industry Project
For this, the student will work with an industrial company under the guidance of a faculty advisor in statistics. You will write a final report and give an oral presentation of the project and its outcomes to the department.
The industrial company can be one that you currently work at (or worked at in the past and have the data) or are currently doing an internship at (or did an internship at in the past).
For the project, you would take 27 total credits and then 3 credits as STAT 698 for your project.
If you are working in a company that has good data that can be statistically analyzed for a project, this may be a good option for you.
Here are the Statistical Project Guidlines
Library information on formatting the project (same as thesis formatting)
You need to give the math/stat dept a paper copy and electronic copy of your final version of your project writeup.
About Comprehensive Exams
Which comprehensive statistics examinations are available.
There are two exams in Applied Statistics (Statistical Inference and Experimental Design and Analysis).
When are they offered?
They are offered around the 2nd and 3rd (or 4th) week (usually Saturday) of every semester.
Who can sign up?
Those who have advanced to candidacy. Note, this also means you have passed the WPE.
When is the deadline to sign up for the Comps?
The signup period is usually starts a couple weeks before the previous semester ends and goes until the first day of classes in the semester you plan to take the exam.
Sign up for Comprehensive Exam by mail in case you can't come to school before 5
Fliers announcing the exams will be posted in the department during these period.
The Flyer for Fall 2008 sign up is here.
How many tries do you get?
You get 2 tries to pass.
Comp Exam Areas with Sample Exams:
Passing the exams:
| Exam A | Exam B | Result |
| C or better |
C or better |
Pass the comprehensive exam requirement. |
| C or better |
D or F |
Pass Exam A; fail Exam B. If this is your first attempt, you must retake Exam B; Exam A need not be repeated. |
| D or F |
D or F |
Fail both exams. If this is your first attempt, you must retake both exams. |
About Writing a Thesis
Q: What percentage of students write theses?
About 5%.
Q: How do I find a thesis advisor?A: You have to approach appropriate faculty members and ask them. Most theses at CSULB are the result of previous positive experiences between the student and an instructor. An instructor is not obligated to be a thesis advisor, and, in order for the process to be a fruitful one for both parties, each should feel comfortable working with the other. If an instructor does not have a reasonable topic in mind for a thesis, or does not feel comfortable working with a particular student, the instructor will decline the invitation to direct a thesis.
Thesis
The thesis option is a much more significant undertaking than the comprehensive exams. A thesis is a collaborative activity between a faculty advisor and the student. Both the topic and the content of the thesis should be generated in collaboration; students should not attempt to generate a thesis topic or research without faculty guidance. Students considering the thesis option should speak with faculty members about the possibility of working together on a thesis. With the faculty advisor, the student and advisor should together:
- Solicit two other faculty members to be readers and committee members who will evaluate the thesis once it is complete.
- Write an abstract of the thesis work to be completed to be submitted with the paperwork required to Advance to Candidacy.
Students completing the thesis option must enroll in at least 2 units of Math 698 after Advancing to Candidacy.
- Remove deficiencies. If you were admitted to the program conditionally, contact your advisor to determine what you must do to have the conditional status removed. Generally this involves taking missing prerequisite courses, or repeating undergraduate courses in which you received low grades.
- Maintain a GPA of at least 3.0. Graduate students whose GPA is below 3.0 for more than one semester will be automatically dropped from the program.
- Transfer Credit. The paperwork to transfer the courses to CSULB takes place when the student advances to candidacy. Courses used in obtaining other degrees (bachelors, master's or otherwise) are not transferable to CSULB. At most six semester units of credit can be transferred into a graduate program, subject to the approval of the graduate advisor. Courses taken through "Open University" at CSULB come under the same transfer limitations as courses taken at another university. One quarter unit counts as 2/3 of a semester unit; thus an approved course worth 4 quarter units would transfer as 2.667 semester units. Thus at most three courses worth 4 quarter units may be transferred into the program, earning 6 semester units of credit toward the degree at CSULB. Contact your advisor for more information.
- Pass comprehensive exams, or defend your thesis and submit it to the library.
Thesis. The thesis must be submitted to the Thesis Office by the deadline. The following web site shows the deadlines as well as other information for students preparing theses. TeX and Word templates are available for the CSULB thesis format; contact your advisor for more information.
Academic Calendars Schedule of Classes
Open University Rules Open University Registration Form
Thesis Office Thesis Rules and Information from Thesis Office
Sign up for Comprehensive Exam by mail in case you can't come to school before 5
Useful program to snap portions of screens to be able to paste into stat projects
Application for Educational Leave
Travel funds for students Articles
Change major form Directed Studies form Thesis or Project STAT 698 form
Petition to Earn undergrad credit for taking a grad class
Petition to Earn Graduate Credit as an Undergraduate
Sign up for classes in summer before the Fall when you are admitted (for in-state students)