Graduate Student Information

Whether you need qualifying exam information, advising, or you're applying for a graduate assistantship, everything you need to ensure your academic success can be found here.
Program advisors

When you were admitted to one of the graduate programs, the Department of Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences has assigned every graduate student an Academic Advisor to assist with course work planning and academic related activities. You are highly encouraged to consult with your Academic Advisor for academic related questions.

Department forms for graduate students

Major milestones for Ph.D. and Masters programs

Major Milestones for the Master's Degree Programs:

Maintain average cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
Complete the required coursework
Complete the required internship/practicum or Plan B component

Major Milestones for Ph.D. Degree Program:

Maintain average cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
Pass two qualifying exams within the allowed time period
Complete three hours of internship
Complete the required hours of coursework
Complete the dissertation

Qualifying exams

In the Ph.D. qualifying examinations, students are expected to demonstrate a broad knowledge of the topics and be able to integrate concepts and explain them at an appropriate level. Prior to conducting dissertation research work, a Ph.D. student must pass two qualifying exams in the areas of (1) Theoretical Statistics and (2) Applied Statistics.

Each academic year, two qualifying exam periods will be scheduled. One is during the preparation week of the fall semester, usually in the middle or the end of August. The other is during the preparation week of the spring semester, usually in the early or middle of January.

Students will be informed to sign up for the August qualifying exams around March/April in spring semester; and to sign up for the January qualifying exams around September/October in fall semester.

The Graduate Coordinator (also the Associate Chair) will form the exam committees and determine the exam schedule. The exam schedule, committee members and samples of past exams are posted to the following link:

Qualifying exams and information

Tips for preparing for qualifying exams

Begin studying early

If you are planning to take the exam in August, you should begin studying in June. It is by no means overdoing it to be studying for the exam at least 4-6 days a week, full-time.
If you are planning to take the exam in January, you should begin studying by the beginning of September. During the academic year, plan exam studying into your weekly schedule and treat it like an important job.

Solve old qualifying exam questions

Review the old qualifying exams. View old qualifying exams.
Do not just read through the old exams or try to find copies of the solutions. You must work on solving the problems yourself.
Old qualifying exams will give you an idea of the types of problems asked and the level of problems asked on these exams

Study with your peers

This will help provide motivation to study. It will also give you the opportunity to discuss the problems.

If you have not taken one of the exam courses in a while, ask the instructor of the course if you could sit in on the course

Sitting in on the course will be useful only if you take it seriously. This means do not only attend the lectures, but also study with the people who are enrolled in the course, and do the homework problems and exam problems.
Please keep in mind that the instructor of the course likely will not have time to grade your work since you are not enrolled in the course, however, it will still be to your benefit to do the problems.

Make an appointment with the committee members to find out the topics to be covered for the exam you plan to take

Be aware that the instructor from whom you took the course may not be the faculty who will prepare the exam that you plan to take. It is important to find out the topics to be covered for the exam from the committee members.
Working on old exam problems and building a notebook of solutions that you worked out is productive.

Internships

All Ph.D. students in the Department of Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences are required to take either three credit hours of teaching internship, or three credit hours of non-teaching internship. All M.S. in Applied Statistics and Analytics students are required to take a three credit hours of non-teaching internship or a Plan B project.

Criterion for taking the internships

For students in the Ph.D. program: After passing all required qualifying exams.
For students in the M.S. program: After one year of course work..

Timeline for internships

Teaching Internships for Ph.D. students: It is suggested students sign up for the teaching internship the semester immediately following the passing of required qualifying exams. Students can sign up for only one teaching internship course per semester. Detailed policy and procedure are given in the Internship Handbook.
Non-Teaching Industrial Internships: It is suggested that industrial internships are taken during summer time between the end of the spring semester and the beginning of the fall semester for approximately 12 weeks (or equivalent to 480 hours). It is possible that a student may take the industrial internship during the regular semester, especially for those students who are holding a full-time or a part-time job. Detailed policy and procedure are given in the Internship Handbook.
For Ph.D. students: If a Ph.D. student is interested in a three-hour industrial internship, s/he is advised to make the plan immediately after passing the required qualifying exams.
For M.S. students: s/he is advised to begin looking for an internship before the end of the first semester of the program (which will be most likely the end of the first fall semester), in order to secure an industrial internship for the coming summer. It is possible that a student take the industrial internship during the second summer after enrolling in to the program.
For international students who are interested in an industrial internship: In addition to the required forms for domestic students, international students are required to apply for Curricular Practical Training(CPT) through the Office of International Affairs.
For M.S. in Applied Statistics and Analytics, if a student chooses to take a three credit hours of Plan B project, in place of an internship, it is suggested the student signs up for Plan B project during the last semester of the program. The student may discuss with any CMU’s graduate faculty to seek for a quantitative research project (theoretical or applied).

Application process

The application for admission to our graduate program and the application for financial support are two separate processes.

Application deadline for applying for admission only is six weeks before the semester begins (approximately July 1 for Fall and October 1 for Spring).
Application for admission WITH financial support: The department will not be able to offer any new Graduate Assistantship (GA) in Fall 2024 admission due to budgetary reasons.

Financial support

The Department of Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences offers several types of graduate assistantships for the department and for the University Statistical Consulting Center. In addition to various graduate assistantships, the Office of Graduate Studies offers tuition awards for out-of-state students (including international students). Any admitted graduate student from outside the state of Michigan may receive resident tuition rates if the student qualifies for a Graduate Tuition Award.

Graduate assistantships

Graduate teaching assistantships

We offer graduate teaching assistantships to our students in the Ph.D. and Master's programs.

Graduate teaching assistantships are appointments that require teaching. Through an assistantship, you'll receive a stipend, tuition scholarship classification, travel accident insurance and special library privileges.

Compensation package for teaching assistant

Academic year stipends vary.
Tuition waiver for up to 20 credit hours as a master's student and for up to 24 credit hours as a doctoral student at on-campus rates for the academic year of hire and up to four credit hours for the subsequent summer session..
In-state tuition rates for additional credit hours.
Some graduate assistantships are represented by the Graduate Student Union. More information is available at www.cmugsu.org.

Teaching responsibilities

GTAs normally teach two sections of basic statistics or mathematics courses, or teach one course plus tutoring and grading that are equivalent to load of teaching a three credit hours of course per semester. Experienced GTAs may ask to, or may be asked to, teach other courses.

Graduate assistantship of statistical consulting

There is one graduate assistant working at the University Statistical Consulting Center under the supervision of the Center Director. The compensation is the same as the Teaching Assistantship.

Graduate assistantship application process

The Department of Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences will not be able to offer any new Graduate Assistantship (GA) in Fall 2024 admission due to budgetary reasons.

Re-appointment policy

Graduate assistantships are renewable for students making satisfactory progress. Assistantships awarded to students in a master’s degree program are renewable for one additional year.

A doctoral student who entered the program with master’s degree and is supported with assistantship by the Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences department is eligible for such support for a maximum of five (5) years. A doctoral student who entered the program with a bachelor’s degree is supported with assistantship by the department is eligible for such support for a maximum of six (6) years. If students were admitted and supported in our master’s program, the years they were supported as master’s students counts in their six (6) years of funding.