Dec 08, 2024  
University of Alberta Calendar 2023-2024 
    
University of Alberta Calendar 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Doctor of Philosophy with a specialization in Statistics (Mathematical and Statistical Sciences)


Program Requirements


Students entering the program with no MSc or with an MSc from this Department must complete a minimum of 32 units in coursework, including a 2-unit colloquium requirement, and a thesis. Courses taken during the MSc in this department may be included in this total.

Students entering the program with an MSc from outside the Department must complete a minimum of 20 units in coursework, including a 2-unit colloquium requirement, and a thesis.

Core Courses (18 units)


At least 12 units of the core courses must be completed in the Entrance Year of the doctoral program

Optional courses


  • All coursework must be chosen in consultation with the supervisor
  • All coursework to be counted towards the program requirements must be approved by the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies).
  • Additional coursework may be required.

Advisory Exams


All doctoral students in Statistics must take Advisory Exams at the beginning of the first term of their program. Students who obtained an MSc degree in Statistics from this University are exempt. Students who changed program category from the MSc in Statistics to the PhD in Statistics are exempt provided they meet their Entrance year requirement.

Graduate Colloquium (2 units)


  • Students must complete two terms of MATH 601  and give a presentation in the Graduate Colloquium, unless this requirement was fulfilled as an MSc student in the Department.

Thesis


  • Registration in 900-level THES. The principal requirement for the PhD is a substantial contribution to knowledge, embodied in a thesis.

Training and Consulting Centre


As part of the educational experience, PhD students in the Statistics program can participate as consultants in the Training and Consulting Centre (TCC), after having completed 39 hours as TCC observers. They are academically evaluated by the Director of the TCC. Graduate Research Assistantship Fellowships may be provided to the thesis-based graduate students involved in the TCC as consultants.

Candidacy Exam


It is strongly recommended that students take their candidacy exam before the end of their second year in the PhD program. All course requirements should have been met prior to the candidacy exam.

Entrance Year Academic Standing Requirement


By the end of the second term in the program, PhD students must have passed four core courses with a minimum GPA of 3.6. Core courses taken as an undergraduate or MSc student are included in this calculation.

Failure to meet the required GPA may result in a recommendation by the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) to FGSR that the student be placed on academic probation  or required to withdraw.

Residence Requirement


To satisfy the residence requirement for the PhD, students must spend at least two years in full-time study.

For part-time students, residence requirements are determined on a case-by-case basis.

Length of Program


The program is designed to be completed within four years.

The maximum time to complete the PhD program as set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is six years.