Degree Requirements
Ph.D. in Statistics

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have completed the course requirements (or their equivalents) for the master's degree in statistics and at least one semester or two quarters of advanced calculus at a level equivalent to Mathematics 125AB and a quarter of linear algebra at a level equivalent to Mathematics 167. While students may be admitted to the program with a less complete background, they would be expected to achieve this level during the first year of graduate work. For more information, please see our Admissions Section.

Program of Study

This is a Plan A program with defense exam. A Ph.D. student will select an area of specialization and will choose a major professor and dissertation advisor in that area, usually in the second or third year of study. The student's program of study will be developed by the student jointly with the Graduate Adviser.

Required Core Courses:

• Statistical Computing: Statistics 141 (4 units)
• Mathematical Statistics: Statistics 231A-231B-231C (4/4/4 units)
• Applied Statistics: Statistics 232A-232B-232C (4/4/4 units)
• Seminar in Statistics: Statistics 290 (for three quarters, graded S/U)
• Methods in Teaching Statistics: Statistics 390 (2 units, once, at the first offering of the course during residence, graded S/U)
• Methods in Statistical Consulting: Statistics 401 (3 units, twice during program, graded S/U)
• An additional 8 units of elective graduate level courses in Statistics or Mathematics at the graduate level.

In addition, five elective graduate courses, out of which at least four must be from Statistics. All coursework and the program of study must be approved by the Graduate Adviser.

These courses and the program of study must be approved by the Graduate Adviser.

Breadth Courses:

Six (6) units of breadth courses, at the upper-division or graduate level, are to be selected primarily from the following list of courses outside of Statistics. Selection of similar courses is possible, subject to approval by the Graduate Adviser. Please see the Graduate Program Guidelines for course possibilities.

Ph.D. Written Pre-qualifying Examination

The Ph.D. Pre-qualifying Written Examination will be given at the beginning of each Spring Quarter and also at the beginning of each Fall Quarter. Students in the Ph.D. program must attempt the exam in the Spring Quarter immediately after they complete both the STA 231AB and STA 232AB core course series. If a student does not attempt the examination at this time, it will be recorded as a failure. Every Ph.D. student needs to pass the examination in a maximum of two attempts. In case of failure at the first attempt, the second attempt must take place at the next time the examination is offered, and if a student does not attempt the exam at that time, it will be counted as a second failure. Two failures to pass the examination will result in a recommendation to the Dean of Graduate Studies for discontinuation of the student in the Ph.D. program.

The Ph.D. Pre-qualifying Written Examination is a written exam with two parts: a theoretical part and an applied part. The duration of each part is about 3-4 hours. The applied part may be administered in a computer lab and may include the use of statistical software. Although the examination consists of two parts, it is considered one exam which is either passed or failed in its entirety.

The Chair of the Graduate Program in Statistics (GPS) will appoint an examination committee that will be responsible for preparing, administering and grading the examination. This committee will forward its recommendation to the GPS, which will make the final decision on each student.

Ph.D. Qualifying Examination

The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination is an oral exam. The exam will be attempted as soon as the Ph.D. Written Examination has been passed and all required coursework for the Ph.D. degree in Statistics has been completed. In accordance with university rules, students are requested to take their qualifying examination before the end of the third year to remain eligible for academic appointments such as Teaching Assistantship. The preparation for the exam will be done by working closely with a faculty mentor (independent study). The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination covers a special research topic assigned by an examining committee consisting of five faculty members. The examining committee will be appointed by Graduate Council at the recommendation of the graduate adviser who consults with the student prior to making the recommendation. The major professor is not eligible to serve as chair of the examining committee. Graduate Studies guidelines for Ph.D. Qualifying Examinations apply. These can be obtained from the Graduate Studies Website.

A student who passes the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam is promoted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Title and abstract of the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam presentation will be distributed to all faculty and students of the Graduate Program in Statistics, who are invited to attend the presentation.

Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is the main part of this program. A topic will be selected by the student, under the advice and guidance of a major professor (thesis adviser) and a dissertation committee chaired by the major professor. Students are encouraged to begin some research activity as early as possible during the second year of their graduate studies. The dissertation must contain an original contribution of publishable quality to the knowledge of statistics that may expand the theory or methodology of statistics, or expand or modify statistical methods to solve a critical problem in applied disciplines. Acceptance of the dissertation by three designated members of the dissertation committee follows Graduate Studies guidelines (Plan A with defense). The dissertation must be completed and filed prior to taking the final examination. The final examination must be passed within four years after promotion to candidacy, unless a special exception is granted.

Final Examination

Defense of the dissertation before the dissertation committee will constitute the final examination for the Ph.D. degree. This examination is public. Pass or no pass is determined by a vote of the dissertation committee. Title and abstract of the Ph.D. Defense presentation will be distributed to all faculty and students of the Graduate Program in Statistics, who are invited to attend the presentation.

Sample Programs

Every full-time student at UC Davis is required to take 12 units of coursework per quarter. Financial support, if granted, is contingent on normal progress towards the degree goal. In addition to the coursework as outlined below, students will take Statistics 290 and generally will take additional electives later on, in consultation with their major professor. Appropriate modifications to these schedules will be made for part time students.

Sample A

The following would be a typical program for a well-prepared student seeking a Ph.D. degree who opts for the fast track.

Sample B

The following would be a typical program for a student seeking a Ph.D. degree who is coming in without a solid year-long sequence in probability and mathematical statistics at the upper-division level (with a text such as Hogg and Craig, Introduction to Mathematical Statistics, for example) or without theoretical background at the level of Mathematics 127AB or Mathematics 167.

You can download a pdf of the complete Graduate Program in Statistics Guidelines here.