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Dec 17, 2024
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2018-2019 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Statistics, M.S.
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The programs offer various tracks leading to the master’s degrees in statistics.
The traditional track is designed for students wishing to continue toward a Ph.D. in Statistics, either at UMBC or elsewhere.
The applications-oriented tracks are designed for students interested in master’s degrees that will prepare them for employment in industry.
The student should declare the intention to pursue a specific track soon after entering the master’s program. Approval of a plan of study must be obtained from the department before the student starts taking courses toward satisfying the track requirements. Each entering student will have a program advisor who will help design a program meeting the degree requirements set forth below.
Within each track, the student can either choose the coursework option or the master’s thesis option.
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Traditional Track
There are two major options within the traditional track. The choice of option must be established by the time the student has completed 18 credit hours of coursework toward the master’s degree. The curriculum must include the following core courses:
Coursework Option
The coursework option requires the completion of at least 30 credit hours of approved graduate-level course work, including the four core courses above, with an average grade of “B” or better. Advanced students may fulfill core course requirements by substituting STAT651/653 with STAT611/612 (Mathematical Statistics I and II).
Thesis Option
The thesis option requires the completion of 24 credit hours of approved courses with an average grade of “B” or better, including the four core courses above. In addition, six credit hours of STAT 799: Master’s Research must be completed, as follows. After establishing an area of concentration, the student should seek a thesis advisor from the graduate faculty. The student should submit a thesis proposal to the graduate program director with an endorsement from the prospective thesis advisor. It is expected that the completed thesis will be a significant exposition of the approved topic or will concentrate on developing better methods for solving practical problems. The final acceptance and earning of credit for the master’s thesis require passing an oral defense of master’s thesis examination. This examination is conducted in accordance with the general Graduate School regulations.
Applications-Orientated Tracks
Applications-oriented tracks are offered under the master’s program in statistics to meet the educational needs of students who intend to obtain employment in industry and government.
The program offers a track in environmental statistics and a track in biostatistics.
Students in this track are strongly encouraged to take coursework to broaden their portfolio by taking more than the minimum required 30 credits. They are discouraged from using independent study credits to satisfy the basic 30 credit requirement.
Environmental Statistics Track
This track is recommended for students with an interest in environmental applications. An undergraduate major in a field related to environmental sciences with sufficient background in mathematics or statistics will be adequate to pursue this track. Students completing the track will gain working knowledge of statistical methodology and software packages used in environmental applications. This track also will be attractive to part-time students from the government and local industries, who are involved with environmental applications.
The core course requirements are:
Coursework Option
In the coursework option, the student is required to complete three credits of capstone project (STAT 699). The total number of course credits including 3 credits for STAT 699 should be at least 30.
STAT 699 in environmental statistics constitutes a project under the direction of a faculty member in the department or under the joint direction of a faculty member in the department and an expert in this area from outside the department. The work should include sophisticated data analysis, a simulation study, a review of literature, statistical software development or other activities related to environmental statistics. The project report should be submitted and approved prior to graduation. Approval may be sought for combinations of courses consisting of STAT 614: Environmental Statistics and two courses outside the department focusing on environmental applications.
Thesis Option
The thesis option requirements are same as those in the traditional track (see the description in the section for traditional track) except the coursework must include the list of core courses given in the environmental track section.
Biostatistics Track
This track is recommended for students interested in designing and analyzing biomedical studies, including pharmaceutical clinical trials. The program is a joint undertaking of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at UMBC and the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Applicants to the program are expected to have had courses in multi-variable calculus, linear algebra and introductory courses in statistics.
The course requirements are:
Coursework Option
In the coursework option the students must complete at least 30 credits of coursework including the list of courses given in this section and 3 credits of capstone project (STAT 699 or PREV 789: Project)
STAT 699 in biostatistics constitutes a project under the direction of a faculty member in the department or under the joint direction of a faculty member in the department and an expert in this area from outside the department. The work should include sophisticated data analysis, a simulation study, a review of literature, statistical software development or other activities related to biostatistics. The project must result in a report of 10-15 pages. The student will register for the project as STAT 699 or as PREV 789, depending on whether the faculty advisor is at UMBC or at UMB.
There are a number of course offerings at both schools that would be relevant to the degree and recommended through advising. This would include up to two 400-level statistics courses at the consultation and approval of the student’s advisor.
Thesis Option
The thesis option requirements are same as those in the traditional except the coursework must include the list of core courses given in the environmental track section.
The master’s biostat track is recommended both for students seeking terminal master’s degree and students who wish to continue in the newly instated ‘Biostatistics Track’ within the statistics Ph.D. program. For more details about the Ph.D. biostatistics track see the section for Ph.D. program in statistics.
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