Ad Hoc MS in Applied Statistics Program Requirements
This 9 course + culminating project Ad Hoc combined degree MS program is only available to Northwestern graduate students enrolled in a PhD program and is intended to be pursued as the PhD student completes the requirements of their PhD program.
Students must apply for the program using the department’s application process and be approved to pursue the degree by their advisor, home department, the Department of Statistics and Data Science, and TGS. Students will be expected to submit an explanation for why they wish to pursue the degree and a plan of study outlining the courses they anticipate taking to complete the Ad Hoc MS.
Students who receive approval to pursue the Ad Hoc in Applied Statistics degree will be expected to take the courses in their approved plan of study list and submit a culminating project proposal once their coursework is complete. The completed and approved culminating project must be received for the degree requirements to be complete. The Ad Hoc MS degree will be conferred at the same time as the PhD.
Students must be in a PhD program funded through The Graduate School (TGS) to apply to pursue an Ad Hoc MS degree. Once approved, PhD students may pursue an Ad Hoc MS degree in conjunction with their PhD without additional tuition fees as long as the course requirements for both degrees are completed before their funding is depleted. Any coursework taken after funding is depleted will be paid by the student.
Coursework
Students accepted into the Ad Hoc MS in Applied Statistics degree program will be expected to take a total of 9 courses. These 9 courses must be letter graded (ABC, not P/NP) course units authorized by TGS for graduate credit and may not be double counted with the 9 courses that TGS will count toward the student’s PhD. See TGS Ad Hoc combined degree requirements and the Ad Hoc MS in Applied Statistics Degree Program Application page for more information about this TGS policy.
Students will create a plan of study for the MS that will be approved by their advisor, DGS, and the Ad Hoc MS program director.
Two courses, STAT 320-1 and STAT 320-2, will ordinarily be required of all students to provide a foundation in statistical theory. Students with advanced mathematics may replace STAT 302-1 and STAT 320-2 with STAT 420-1 and STAT 420-2 with department approval.
The balance of the program will include 7 other courses selected with the advice and approval of the Ad Hoc MS program director, at least four of which must be statistics courses taught in the Department of Statistics and Data Science. The program may include up to 3 courses from departments other than Statistics and Data Science OR the 3 course Data Science sequence from within the Department of Statistics and Data Science (with the approval of the program director).
Students will select one of the options below to guide their course selection for their plan of study.
Plan of Study Options:
Data Science Option – 9 courses
STAT 320-1 (or 420-1)
STAT 320-2 (or 420-2)
STAT 301-1,2,3 (Data Science sequence with R) or STAT 303-1,2,3 (Data Science sequence with Python)*
+ 4 additional approved statistics courses (within the Department of Statistics and Data Science)
*Note: Python experience at the level of STAT 201 or COMP_SCI 110 is expected for STAT 303-1,2,3 (Data Science sequence with Python)
Outside Course Option – 9 courses
STAT 320-1 (or 420-1)
STAT 320-2 (or 420-2)
+ 4 or more approved Statistics and Data Science department statistics courses (does not include Data Science sequence courses)
+ up to 3 statistics courses (approved by director) from outside Statistics and Data Science department
All Statistics Option – 9 courses
STAT 320-1 (or 420-1)
STAT 320-2 (or 420-2)
+ 7 approved statistics courses (within the Department of Statistics and Data Science)
Full List of Approved Courses:
A full list of courses approved for the Ad Hoc MS in Applied Statistics can be found here
Approved Plan of Study Courses
All courses on a student’s plan of study for the Ad Hoc MS in Applied Statistics must be approved by the Ad Hoc MS program director. Students may take any of the courses included in the Approved Plan of Study Course list or the Approved Alternative Course Options list in their approved application.
If a student wishes to take a course that is not included on their Approved Plan of Study Course list or the Alternative Course Options list, they will need to obtain approval from the MS in Applied Statistics Program Director to have it added to their approved plan of study prior to taking the course.
Any changes to the courses on a student’s approved plan of study after acceptance into the program must be approved by the Ad Hoc MS Program Director.
Culminating Project
All Ad Hoc MS candidates are required to complete a culminating experience project using statistics as part of their degree completion. The statistics included should be above and beyond what is typical in their field and should build off what has been learned in the MS coursework. This project is typically work that will be included in the student’s PhD thesis but can also be a stand-alone project. The project is formally proposed for approval once coursework for the degree has been completed or is close to complete. See Culminating Project for more information.
Applying for the MS in Applied Statistics Degree Program
Students are expected to submit their application for the MS in Applied Statistics program prior to or shortly after starting courses in the Statistics and Data Science department. No more than two STAT classes should be taken prior to submitting the application. See Ad Hoc MS Program Application to review the steps for applying and for the application.
As a reminder, this Ad Hoc combined degree MS program is only available to Northwestern graduate students enrolled in a PhD program.
Completing the MS in Applied Statistics Degree
All MS candidates are required to have completed 9 courses on their approved plan of study list, have submitted a Culminating Project that received committee approval, and meet the TGS degree requirements to have completed the requirements for the Ad Hoc MS in Applied Statistics degree.
The MS is awarded simultaneously with the PhD. Students may apply for the MS degree in Applied Statistics when all their PhD degree requirements have been completed. See Completing the Ad Hoc MS Degree for more information.
Please keep in mind that the TGS policy for Ad Hoc Degrees is: “The master’s degree outside of the approved PhD program may not be conferred before the PhD is conferred. A student who departs (withdraws, is dismissed, or otherwise discontinued from) the PhD program to which the student was originally admitted becomes ineligible for the secondary master's degree.”
Withdrawing from the MS program
Students accepted into the Ad Hoc MS in Applied Statistics program must formally withdraw from the program if they decide not to complete the MS. The form and instructions for withdrawing from the program are found here.
Questions?
General questions about the program can be directed to the Statistics and Data Science department's Business Coordinator, Kisa Kowal, at k-kowal@northwestern.edu
Please contact the Department of Statistics Ad Hoc Master of Science in Applied Statistics Program Director, Professor Noelle Samia at n-samia@northwestern.edu with advising questions or to schedule an appointment.