Master of Science in Statistics

Overview

The Master of Science in Statistics at The University of Rhode Island is designed as a modern 2-year graduate program in statistical methods. In the last few years our program has grown, and it has attracted students from different countries, backgrounds, and with diverse research interests. Compared to other Masters programs, we have a very favorable student to faculty ratio (2 to 1) and this allows our students to receive more personalized attention and guidance from their professors. Students can personalize their program of study by choosing between a “thesis option” and a “non-thesis option” at the time of application. This choice can be reversed at a later time.

The M.S. program offers excellent preparation for a professional career in a range of fields, such as banking, pharmacy, environment, education, consulting. Students are also well prepared if they choose to continue their studies in a Ph.D. program.

A Foreword to Prospective Applicants

Who should apply

We strongly believe that a diverse student body leads to a better and more productive learning environment and we encourage anyone with an interest in statistics to apply. Other aspects that will be considered include: out-of-the box thinking, GPA, performance on previous quantitative courses, involvement on research projects, industry experience, leadership ability, vision, collaborative skills, computational background, motivation to learn statistics. Strength in one or more of these areas greatly increases the chance of being admitted to our program and being considered for financial support. Our young faculty supports students through the challenges that a graduate program can present, encourages free-thinking and offers mentoring to prepare students for a great professional career. We encourage applicants to check our faculty webpage and indicate in the application statement which areas of research sound more appealing. This will highlight your motivation to apply to our program.

Prerequisites

The following courses or their equivalents (will need approval of the graduate program chair) may be required to be admitted to our program if a student lacks a strong quantitative background. However, these requirements may be waived based on prior experience in industry or research.

  • MTH 141 – Introductory Calculus with Analytic Geometry
  • MTH 142 – Intermediate Calculus with Analytic Geometry
  • MTH 215 – Introduction to Linear Algebra
  • MTH 243 – Calculus for Functions of Several Variables
  • STA 409 – Statistical Methods in Research I
  • STA 412 – Statistical Methods in Research II

Financial support

We offer financial support for limited number of candidates on a competitive basis. Our graduate teaching assistantships covers full tuition and medical insurance, and include a generous stipend. We provide research assistantships and summer fellowships, upon availability of grant funding.