Combined Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Statistics

Admission to the program requires the approval of both the undergraduate and graduate directors. Interested students should discuss this five-year program with the Director of Undergraduate Studies and submit their letter of interest to DUGS by March of their junior year. Students must have at least a B grade in STAT 1221 and 1151 to be considered for the five-year program.  

Those who are selected and do well must apply for MA or MS in Statistics officially through GATS by January 15 of their senior year. Upon application, students must earn at least a B grade in STAT 1631 and 2131 and maintain a 3.0 QPA to be formally admitted to MA or MS in Statistics.

Scholarship Opportunity

The five-year students are eligible for the Pitt2Pitt scholarship for their last year (graduate part) of the study. Please check out the Pitt2Pitt program website for more details.   

Requirements for a Combined BS and MA in Statistics

  1. Introductory Mathematics Courses: MATH 0220, 0230, 0240, and 0280 or 1180

  2. Introduction to Applied Statistics and Applied Regression: STAT 1000, STAT 1221, and STAT 1223 where STAT 1223 is a W (writing) course

  3. Two Introductory Applied Statistics Courses from the following list: STAT 1201, 1211, 1231, 1241, 1251, 1261, 1291-1294

  4. One Intermediate Applied Statistics course from the following list: STAT 1301, 1311, 1321, 1361

  5. One advanced elective (usually STAT 1731)

  6.  One open elective from the following list: any STAT 12xx, 13xx, 16xx, 17xx)

  7. Introduction to Probability and Mathematical Statistics: STAT 1151 and 1152

  8. Intermediate Probability and Mathematical Statistics: STAT 1631 and 1632

  9. Applied Statistical Methods 1 and 2: STAT 2131 and 2132

  10. Supervised Statistical Consulting: STAT 2381 (minimum three credits)

  11. Electives in Statistics: three graduate-level courses and must be approved by the student's advisor.

  12. Two open graduate-level electives: could be courses from outside of the department, chosen in consultation with the graduate advisor.

  13. Passing the Preliminary Evaluation, equivalent to receiving grades B or higher in STAT 1631-1632 (STAT 2630 – 2640 if taken in the graduate status) and STAT 2131-2132.  A student failing to meet the grade requirement needs to re-take the necessary course(s). They will be terminated from the master’s program if they fail to achieve a grade of B or higher on their second attempt.

Requirements for a Combined BS and MS in Statistics

Requirements #1-13 as above except that requirement #11 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. The student must write and successfully defend a master's thesis. It is the student's responsibility to find a faculty member to direct his/her master thesis upon the entrance of the master program.  

Sample Schedule

First Year: MATH 0220, STAT 1000, MATH 0230, STAT 1221, STAT 1223
Second Year: MATH 0240, STAT 12xx, MATH 0280, STAT 12xx
Third Year: STAT 1151, STAT 12xx, STAT 1152, STAT 13xx
Fourth Year: STAT 1631, STAT 2131, STAT 1632, STAT 2132, 17XX (usually 1731 Stochastic Processes). 

Fifth Year: Must register for two terms, 9 credits each. Take STAT 2381; at least three STAT graduate-level electives; two additional graduate-level courses.

Comparison of Programs

Separately, the Bachelor of Science in Statistics requires 50 credits and the Master's of Statistics requires 30 credits. The combined program requires 74 credits total. At least 18 credits must be completed as a graduate student. In addition, the MA/MS degree cannot be awarded until 12 months after receiving the bachelor's degree.