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Master of Science in Mathematics:

Option in Applied Statistics (major code: MATHMS03)

PREREQUISITES for the MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED STATISTICS

(1) A bachelor's degree in math, physics, engineering, computer science, or statistics, OR a bachelor's

     degree with at least 24 upper division units in math from an accredited college or university.

(2) A grade of C or above in the following courses or their equivalents (see Note below):


Deficiencies will be determined by the graduate statistics advisor, Dr. Alan Safer .

(Note: One can be conditionally admitted into the program without all the prerequisites.

           GRE not required, but can be used in borderline cases.)

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS for the MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED STATISTICS

(1a) A minimum of 30 graduate and upper division units approved by the graduate advisor, and including:

(1b) Four additional courses selected from:

Note: Outside of (1a) and (1b),

         We highly recommended you take STAT 475 Data Analysis with SAS

Catalog Description of STAT courses

(1c) At least 18 units of graduate courses (numbered 500 or above) including at least 15 units of Graduate courses in statistics other than STAT 697 or 698.

(2) Complete one of the following:

  1. Pass a comprehensive written examination in two areas of statistics;
  2. Subject to the approval of the proposal by the Statistics Graduate Committee of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, write a thesis in statistics and defend it orally.

 C.  Subject to the approval of the proposal by the Statistics Graduate Committee of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, write a project in statistics and defend it orally.

      When ready for a project, please pick 3 faculty as committee members (with 1 faculty as a chair of the committee).  Then submit an abstract that states the project's objectives,  

      data, planned statistical methods, and expected outcomes.

Specific requirements for passing of the comprehensive examinations can be found in the Graduate Study Booklet which is available from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Contact Graduate Advisor

ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY

Advancement to candidacy is a step every graduate student at CSULB must take on the way to a Master's degree. It signifies the approval by the Department and the College of a plan of study. Students should consult with the graduate advisor during their first semester regarding the requirements for advancement. Normally, these requirements are:

  1. Classified status (satisfactory removal of deficiencies).
  2. Satisfactory completion of the Writing Proficiency Examination (WPE). [Consult the Testing Office, room SSA-216, phone (562) 985-4006 for information regarding this examination.]
  3. A minimum 3.0 overall GPA and a GPA of at least 3.0 in all units - at least 6 - undertaken for that student's program.
  4. Enrollment in a regular (fall or spring) session.

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics requires students to file for advancement to candidacy after they have satisfactorily completed 6 units of the program. The graduate advisor will assist students in this filing. Students cannot take the Masters comprehensive exams and cannot file the Request to Graduate unless they have been or are being advanced to candidacy.

When filing for advancement to candidacy, each student, in consultation with the graduate advisor, must prepare an Approved Program of Study consisting of a minimum of 30 units of courses which satisfy the degree requirements. Students must satisfactorily complete these courses as part of their degree requirements. If a student cannot complete a course listed on his or her approved program, and wishes to take a different course, then he or she must file a Change of Approved Program form. Again, the student must consult with and have the approval of the graduate advisor regarding this change.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS

A student who elects to take two comprehensive examinations (rather than write a thesis) must observe the following rules:

  1. The student must sign up for and take both comprehensive examinations in the same semester. The examinations are administered during the last two weeks of each semester.
  2. The areas of examination for the Masters in Applied Statistics are Statistical Inference and Experimental Design and Analysis.
  3. A student who fails one or both of the examinations on the first attempt may take the examinations a second time. In order to pass both examinations, a student must receive a grade of C or higher on each. However, a grade of C or higher in one of the two examinations will suffice to pass that examination, although a failed examination must still be repeated.

THESIS:

If a student wishes to write a thesis, it is that student's responsibility to seek out a thesis advisor. A thesis is then written in consultation with the faculty advisor who will guide the student in choosing a thesis topic and supervise the process of writing the thesis. After a thesis topic is chosen, it must be approved by the Graduate Committee. A thesis committee of three faculty members, including the thesis advisor, is then chosen to approve the final work. During the writing of the thesis, the student enrolls in STAT 698 for a maximum of three units.