Permission
As described in Section 2.4, the Graduate Program Committee’s decision to admit MS students into the PhD program is part of the First Year Evaluation.
Minimum Course Requirements
The following four courses are required for all Ph.D. students.
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| STA 7233 | Advanced Regression | 3 |
| STA 7249 | Generalized Linear Models | 3 |
| STA 7346 | Statistical Inference I | 3 |
| STA 7466 | Probability Theory I | 3 |
| STA 7467 | Probability Theory II | 3 |
In order to be successful in Probability Theory I & II (STA 7466-7), students must have a solid understanding of Real Analysis, which also goes by the names “Mathematical Analysis” and “Advanced Calculus.” The classical textbook on this material is Walter Rudin’s “Principles of Mathematical Analysis.” Students will not be allowed to register for STA 7466 until they have either completed Modern Analysis I (MAA 5228) (or an equivalent course) with a grade of “B” or better, or done a formal independent study in mathematical analysis. For the independent study option, it is recommended that students do the independent study during their first summer in the program.
Doctoral students are also required to complete at least four additional courses, three of which must be Ph.D. level courses offered by the Department of Statistics.
A minimum of 90 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree is required for the doctoral degree. The PhD degree required courses and electives should be equal to around 50 credit hours. The remaining hours will be earned by taking STA 7979 or 7980.
Students are admitted to Ph.D. candidacy (9LS registration) after passing the qualifying exams. The format of the qualifying exams is described in Section 3 of this document. Students who have not been admitted to Ph.D. candidacy can register for STA 7979. While preparing for Part II of the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam, students may register for STA 7979 in the semester they expect to take and pass the Part II exam and thereafter register for STA 7980 until expected graduation.
Supervisory Committee
Students should define, in consultation with members of the faculty, the area in which they wish to perform research. At least four members of the Graduate Faculty will be required for all new or changed supervisory committees of doctoral candidates. At least three members (including the Chair) must be from the Statistics Department. At least one member must be from a different educational discipline. The committee must be formally filed with the Graduate School after completing the Part I qualifying exam. The responsibilities of the members of the supervisory committee are outlined in the Graduate Catalog.
Transfer of Credits
Doctoral students may receive 30 semester credits for a master’s degree earned in statistics from an accredited American institution of higher education. Acceptance of transfer credits requires approval of the Graduate Coordinator and the Graduate School. The Graduate Coordinator should state his/her recommendation for the transfer of credits in a petition to the Graduate School. The Graduate Coordinator may, of course, recommend that no credit or only partial credit be allowed.
Credit for foreign master’s degrees will be considered on a case-by-case basis, with each student’s academic records receiving a careful evaluation. An official transcript must accompany the supervisory committee’s petition requesting acceptance of the degree.
Final Exam
Students are required to take an oral examination at the end of their Ph.D. programs. In this exam, students will be expected to defend their dissertations and demonstrate substantial knowledge in the area of their research. At least four members of the faculty, including all members of the supervisory committee, must be present during this examination.
Period of Concentrated Study
Doctoral students must satisfy the minimum requirements for a period of concentrated study, beyond the first 30 hours counted toward the doctoral program, by registering for (a) 30 semester credits in one calendar year, or (b) 32 semester credits in four semesters within a period of two calendar years on the Gainesville campus of the University of Florida. In addition, students must be registered for at least 3 credit hours in the semester in which they take the final oral exam.