Master's in Applied Statistics

News: We are excited to announce that our MA in Applied Statistics/Statistics programs are included in the Pitt2Pitt funding opportunity. Graduating seniors and recent alumni from all Pitt campuses can receive Pitt2Pitt scholarships if admitted to our master's programs. Please check out the Pitt2Pitt program website for more details.   

The Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Science (MS) degrees in Applied Statistics provide students with the necessary background to seek employment in statistics, data sciences or a related field. The degree programs provide training in applied statistics and consulting, as well as in the theory of statistics pertinent to applications. 

While both MA and MS are valid options, we do not directly admit students into the MS program. Students who are admitted into the MA program (non-thesis option) may request to switch to the MS (thesis option) program during their course of study if they find faculty members to direct their master's thesis. Detailed requirements are given below.

Typical Course of Study for MA in Applied Statistics

Semester  Course Selection Examples

Fall

STAT 2630 (Probability), STAT 2131 (Applied Stats I), STAT ELECTIVE, STAT ELECTIVE

Spring

STAT 2640 (Math Stats), STAT 2132 (Applied Stats II), STAT ELECTIVE, OUTSIDE ELECTIVE

Fall

STAT 2381 (Statistical Consulting), OUTSIDE ELECTIVE

Popular statistics elective courses include Nonparametric Statistics, Categorical Data Analysis, Multivariate Data Analysis, Statistical Learning and Data Science, Data Mining, Statistics Packages, Statistical Computing and Data Science, Time Series Data Analysis, Stochastic Processes, Survival Analysis, Bayesian Statistics, Applied Sampling and Statistical Quality Control. 

Students can adjust the schedule to whatever fits their needs.  Part-time students pay per credit, and full-time students pay per semester. The tuition rates can be found here.  We are not able to offer financial support for master students. When the budget for part-time work permits and there is a need, master’s-level graduate students may be hired as part-time TAs to lead a recitation or assist as a Grader. More information can be found in our FAQ

Prerequisites

  • Three semesters of calculus
  • One course in linear algebra
  • Strongly recommended: Year of Mathematical statistics (equivalent to STAT 1151-1152)

Students lacking some of these prerequisites may be admitted at the discretion of the Graduate Committee. They should include a paragraph in the personal statement describing their experience/coursework regarding these prerequisites.  

Master of Arts (Nonthesis) Option Requirements

Department requirements for the Master of Arts in Applied Statistics are the completion of 30 credits

  1. STAT 2630-2640, Intermediate Probability and Intermediate Mathematical Statistics
  2. STAT 2131-2132, Applied Statistical Methods 1 and 2
  3. At least three credits in STAT 2381, Supervised Statistical Consulting
  4. Three courses (9 credits) in statistical methods or theory other than those in those listed above.
  5. Two graduate-level courses (six credits) in a discipline outside of statistics approved by the student's graduate advisor.
  6. Passing the Preliminary Evaluation, equivalent to receiving grades B or higher in STAT 2630-2640 and STAT 2131-2132.

Master of Science (Thesis) Option Requirements

Requirements #1-6 as above except that requirement #4 is reduced to one graduate course. In addition, the student should enroll in two courses (6 credits) in STAT 2001, Research and Thesis for the Master of Science degree. To qualify for this degree option, the student must find a faculty member in the department to direct the student's thesis. For full-time students, this should be done no later than the beginning of the student's second year in graduate school. The student must write and successfully defend a master's thesis.