statistics phd qualifying exam

Department of Statistics and Data Science

Qualifying exams.

The qualifying exam process consists of:

• Exams in probability (December) and theoretical statistics (May).  Students who do not pass an exam in their first year of study have the option of a retake the following year.
• Oral exam: scheduled individually for each student, exploring research in an area of interest that might lead to an eventual dissertation topic.  Students should approach faculty (with advice from the DGS) about scheduling an exam at a convenient time before the end of their second year.
• Practical Exam: a written report on an analysis of a data set, held during a five day period in December, following the end of classes, or as a capstone project for S&DS 625 at the discretion of the instructor and DGS.  Students are expected to be comfortable with R, and have had experience at working with real data. Most students gain that experience from a combination of Stat 661, 625 and participation in the statistical consulting clinic (Stat 627-628).

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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of Statistics

Qualifying exams.

The Department of Statistics offers qualifying exams for MS and Ph.D. students.

The MS exam is designed for students in both the MS in Statistics and the MS in Biostatistics . It is focused on testing basic understanding of course materials.

The Ph.D. qualifying exam is designed for students pursuing a Ph.D. in Statistics . It is focused on testing the depth of understanding and mastery of both theories and methods in the required courses.

Exam Schedule

Effective January 2023, the exams will be administered twice a year as follows:

• January: The Wednesday immediately before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
• May: The Wednesday immediately following the last day of spring final examinations.

In case of school closing or due to inclement weather, the January exam will be held the Friday immediately before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the May exam will be held on the Saturday immediately following the originally scheduled Wednesday.

Each exam has two parts, scheduled as follows:

• Morning part: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
• Afternoon part: 1-4 p.m.

Please refer to the UConn academic calendar to check dates for the beginning of classes and the end of final examinations.

General Rules

• For exams in January: the 2nd Monday in November of the preceding year.
• For exams in May: the 2nd Monday in April of the same year.
• Only students currently enrolled in the graduate programs of the Department are allowed to sign up and take the exams.
• No sign-up is allowed during the first semester of graduate study.
• Each student must clear the MS or Ph.D. qualifying exam within three consecutive attempts. For example, if a student takes an exam for the first time in May but fails to fully pass it, the student has two chances remaining in January and May of the next year. For each remaining chance, failure to sign up or failure to show up will be counted as a failed attempt.
• Students must pass both the morning part and the afternoon part of the exam. If a student fails to pass a part, in the remaining attempts, the student should only sign up and take that part in order to clear the exam.

Any student who has not yet passed the exam but is not taking classes must enroll in GRAD 5998 every semester until they pass.

Additional Rules for MS Students

MS students are allowed to take either the MS exam or the Ph.D. qualifying exam. MS students who are interested in applying to the UConn statistics Ph.D. program are encouraged to take the Ph.D. qualifying exam.

• Students must take the following four (4) courses before signing up for the first attempt of the MS exam: STAT 5585, STAT 5685, STAT 5505, and STAT 5605.
• Students must take the following six (6) courses before signing up for the first attempt of the Ph.D. qualifying exam: STAT 5585, STAT 5685, STAT 5505, STAT 5605, STAT 5725 and STAT 5515.
• Only students in the MS programs are allowed to take the MS exam.
• The MS exam will have eight questions, two for each course. The morning part covers STAT 5585 and 5685, and the afternoon part covers STAT 5505 and 5605.
• MS students must submit their plan of study before they sign up for their first exam attempt.
• Students must specify which exam they wish to take when they sign up. You will not be permitted to switch from one exam to another after sign-up.
• Each sign-up will be counted as an attempt, even if a student later decides to not show up, withdraw, or take only one part of the exam.

Please note that in order to switch to the Ph.D. program, an MS student must first clear the Ph.D. qualifying exam at the Ph.D. level. Reapplication to the Ph.D. program is subject to strict review by the Graduate Admissions Committee following the same standard on all applications.

Additional Rules for Ph.D. Students

Ph.D. students are only allowed to take the Ph.D. qualifying exam.

• Each Ph.D. student is allowed a total of three attempts to clear the Ph.D. qualifying exam.
• The following six (6) courses must be taken before signing up for the first attempt: STAT 5585, STAT 5685, STAT 5505, STAT 5605, STAT 5725 and STAT 5515.

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Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy program in statistics prepares students for careers in university teaching and research or in government or industrial research. Students entering the program spend four semesters acquiring a basic background in probability, mathematical statistics, and applied statistics and take general examinations on these subjects. More specialized study follows with the thesis research, which usually begins in the third year. This research may be concentrated in any area of statistics or probability in which a faculty member is interested. Students also have the opportunity to gain experience in applied statistics through participation in statistical consulting . Completion of the Ph.D. program normally requires three to five years.

Requirements

Students who enter this program should have knowledge of probability equivalent to the content of STAT 51600 or STAT 51900 . A course in mathematical statistics is desirable, as is a course in regression.

Besides satisfying the general regulations of the Graduate School for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, the student must complete the following requirements:

Plan of Study

A tentative plan of study should be submitted electronically to the Graduate School by the end of the third session for doctoral students. An individual plan of study is crafted by the student and major professor with the approval of the student's doctoral advisory committee and the department.

Qualifying Examination

There are four Ph.D. qualifying examinations that cover material in methodology, probability, mathematical statistics, and computational statistics and are based on the core courses of the first year of graduate study in statistics.

Preliminary Examination

A student who has submitted an approved plan of study and passed the qualifying exams is required to take a preliminary exam. The purpose of the preliminary exam is to test the preparedness of the student for research. The preliminary exam is an oral exam that is administered by the student’s Ph.D. advisory committee. The student will then be recommended to the Graduate School for admissions to candidacy for the Ph.D degree.

Dissertation

A thesis must be submitted in final form, presenting new results of sufficient importance to merit publication. These results may be theoretical advances in probability or statistics, or methodological advances in the application of probability or statistics. The thesis must be accepted by the advisory committee. The student must present the contents of the thesis in an open examination.

Once a student is admitted to candidacy, the final examination marking completion of the doctoral program must be passed within five calendar years. Extensions of the limit may be granted by the graduate committee on petition by the student and his or her major professor. This may require reapproval of the plan of study and/or retaking of all or part of the Ph.D. degree qualifying examination.

Teaching Experience

Every doctoral candidate is required to teach at least quarter-time for one semester unless decided otherwise by the department.

Upon successful fulfillment of these requirements, the candidate will be recommended to the faculty to receive the Ph.D. degree.

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If you are interested in applying to the Ph.D. Program, please visit How to Apply .

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The department encourages research in both theoretical and applied statistics. Faculty members of the department have been leaders in research on a multitude of topics that include statistical inference, statistical computing and Monte-Carlo methods, analysis of missing data, causal inference, stochastic processes, multilevel models, experimental design, network models and the interface of statistics and the social, physical, and biological sciences. A unique feature of the department lies in the fact that apart from methodological research, all the faculty members are also heavily involved in applied research, developing novel methodology that can be applied to a wide array of fields like astrophysics, biology, chemistry, economics, engineering, public policy, sociology, education and many others.

Two carefully designed special courses offered to Ph.D. students form a unique feature of our program. Among these, Stat 303 equips students with the  basic skills necessary to teach statistics , as well as to be better overall statistics communicators. Stat 399 equips them with generic skills necessary for problem solving abilities.

Our Ph.D. students often receive substantial guidance from several faculty members, not just from their primary advisors, and in several settings. For example, every Ph.D. candidate who passes the qualifying exam gives a 30 minute presentation each semester (in Stat 300 ), in which the faculty ask questions and make comments. The Department recently introduced an award for Best Post-Qualifying Talk (up to two per semester), to further encourage and reward inspired research and presentations.

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Ph.D. Examinations

Ph.d. qualifying exam.

Besides taking required course work, Ph.D. students must pass the qualifying exam, written and oral preliminary exams, write a dissertation and pass a final oral exam. For students entering with a previous Master’s degree in Statistics, the qualifying exam should be taken within one year of entering the program.

Ph.D. Preliminary Exams

Deadline: Each PhD student is required to:

• Successfully pass the PhD Written Prelim Exam within 18 months from the date of successfully passing the PhD Qualifying Exam.
• Achieve at least a conditional pass on the PhD Oral Prelim Exam after passing the Written Prelim. This must be no more than 26 months from the date of successfully passing the PhD Qualifying Exam. If the student receives a conditional pass, then the committee will abide by the graduate school policies on conditional passes and reexaminations given by https://grad.ncsu.edu/students/rules-and-regulations/handbook/3-5-comprehensive-examinations/

Procedure: Once a student has formed an advisory committee and the committee has approved the PhD Plan of Work, the student can work with the committee to arrange the schedule for the PhD Written Prelim Exam. The committee should inform the Graduate Secretary of the starting date for the exam. Upon successful completion of the Written Prelim Exam, the Oral Prelim Exam can be scheduled with a minimum of 14 business day notice to the Graduate Secretary.

Any potential deviations from the above timeframe should be discussed with the committee and the Director of Graduate Programs.

Format for Written Prelim: The written prelim document will consist of an extended review paper on a topic that is proposed by the student’s committee. At an agreed upon time between the student and their committee, the student will meet with the committee to discuss the topic and set up guidelines and expectations in order to give the student a start on the document. The student will then have 30 days to complete the written document.

The exam is to be completed by the student with no external assistance. Students may not discuss their exam with faculty, other students, or any other person not approved by the committee. Any clarifications or questions should be addressed to the committee. Cheating of any type (e.g., plagiarism, soliciting help from others) will result in a failing grade. Failure of this exam is grounds for dismissal from the graduate program. Students are advised to familiarize themselves with the many guises of plagiarism. It is your responsibility to know what constitutes plagiarism, and to ensure against it.

The committee will decide on the problem formulation, which may be based on the student’s current work, or other potential areas for investigation. The document should introduce the topic area at a level that would be understandable by anyone with a PhD in statistics but not necessarily familiar with the topic area. Thus the student will need to identify, obtain, read, and assimilate the main developments in the area both from the existing literature, and from the student’s own work. The student should define terms that are not generally known by people outside the topic area. Key statistical issues and problems should be described. Discussion of main existing results and their evolution should be presented. Open questions for future research should be identified. There should be some technical details and displayed equations in the paper. One should strike a balance between the extremes of no equations (very nontechnical) and too many equations. The written prelim exam should also include a small simulation study to compare some of the methods that have been reviewed. Please refer to the guidelines for Monte Carlo studies given in the Statistics Graduate Program Handbook to conduct and report simulations. 

The report should be typewritten and contain no spelling errors. A consistent style and notation should be used throughout. Choice of a common notation should be made by the student. It might be helpful to consult the style guidelines on the web for a journal such as Biometrics, JASA, or Genetics for suggestions on format of text, tables, and figures, conventions for references and citations, and general style of presentation. There is no specific page-length requirement; it is up to the committee members to judge the completeness of the paper, but a suggested length is that the main paper should not exceed 20 pages and with simulations the total length should not exceed 25 pages.

The committee will review the paper, and decide whether or not it is satisfactory to continue in the program. In most cases, comments will be given by the committee and the student will have 30 days to revise the paper addressing the specific comments. The final decision would then be made after reviewing the revised paper. This may differ from one committee to the next.

Format for Oral Prelim: he preliminary oral examination may be scheduled only after the student has passed the Preliminary Written Exam and has the advisory committee and POW approved by the Graduate School. Though the format of the oral preliminary examination may vary according to the committee, as a general guideline it will include three elements.

• Presentation by the candidate. The candidate makes a presentation of the current state of the research, including a proposal for the future research work to be conducted. This presentation is open only to the committee and any other NCSU graduate faculty member that wishes to attend. It is not open to other students, friends, or family members.
• Questioning of the candidate. Anyone attending the presentation will be allowed to ask questions of the candidate during, and at the conclusion of the presentation. Once the general questioning is completed, the committee chair will reconvene the questioning phase in closed session in which only the advisory committee questions the candidate.
• Deliberation and decision. Only the advisory committee and the Graduate School representative, if one has been appointed, will be allowed to participate in the deliberation and decision.

Throughout the process, the chair of the candidate’s advisory committee has the obligation to maintain a scholarly atmosphere and to keep academic integrity and the student’s best interest foremost.

The Exam result will be either (1) an unconditional pass, (2) a conditional pass (with explicitly stated conditions for the student to address), or (3) a failure. In case (2) or (3), the committee will abide by the graduate school policies on conditional passes and reexaminations given by https://grad.ncsu.edu/students/rules-and-regulations/handbook/3-5-comprehensive-examinations/

Ph.D. Final Oral Examination

The Ph.D. final oral examination consists of a defense by the candidate of the methodology used and conclusions reached in the dissertation. The dissertation must embody results of original research of a standard that would warrant publication in a statistics research journal. Publication of research in established journals is highly encouraged, regardless of whether you plan to work at a university or at a company. At least FOUR months are required to elapse between the date of an unconditional pass on the preliminary oral exam and the scheduling of the final oral exam. The four-month interval begins with the date when ALL conditions are satisfied and this date may not necessarily be the original date of the preliminary oral exam. As with the preliminary oral exam, it is the student’s responsibility to find a date and time that is acceptable to all members of his/her advisory committee (including the Graduate School Representative) and to notify the graduate secretary at least 15 working days prior to the proposed exam date. The graduate secretary will then reserve a room and make the necessary arrangements with the Graduate School. Unless carefully planned in advance, summer oral exams are difficult to schedule and committee substitutions cannot be guaranteed, especially since a dissertation is involved. It is also the responsibility of the student to provide a typed copy of the dissertation to each committee member at least two weeks prior to the exam. As a courtesy, the student should also offer to provide the Graduate School Representative with a copy. Final oral exams open to university community. Ph.D. Final Oral exams consist of an open seminar followed by questions from the committee in a closed session.

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Qualifying examination.

You must pass the Qualifying Examination, covering probability theory and statistics at the level of the core courses. The Qualifying Examination is typically taken at the end of the first year, and must be passed before the start of the third year. The exam consists of two parts:

• a 4-hour closed book in-class portion, and
• a take-home applied statistics component.

The in-class portion is scheduled early in the week of Spring Semester after final exams. The take-home problem is distributed at the end of the in-class exam, with a due-time 72 hours later. 

Exams from previous years are available to view in our Duke Box Folder. Since the first year curriculum has been revised over time, exams from earlier years may cover material that is less relevant. You are encouraged to form study groups to review for the exam.

Access Exams in Duke Box

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Graduate Student Handbook (Coming Soon: New Graduate Student Handbook)

Phd program overview.

The PhD program prepares students for research careers in probability and statistics in academia and industry. Students admitted to the PhD program earn the MA and MPhil along the way. The first year of the program is spent on foundational courses in theoretical statistics, applied statistics, and probability. In the following years, students take advanced topics courses. Research toward the dissertation typically begins in the second year. Students also have opportunities to take part in a wide variety of projects involving applied probability or applications of statistics.

Students are expected to register continuously until they distribute and successfully defend their dissertation. Our core required and elective curricula in Statistics, Probability, and Machine Learning aim to provide our doctoral students with advanced learning that is both broad and focused. We expect our students to make Satisfactory Academic Progress in their advanced learning and research training by meeting the following program milestones through courseworks, independent research, and dissertation research:

By the end of year 1: passing the qualifying exams;

By the end of year 2: fulfilling all course requirements for the MA degree and finding a dissertation advisor;

By the end of year 3: passing the oral exam (dissertation prospectus) and fulfilling all requirements for the MPhil degree

By the end of year 5: distributing and defending the dissertation.

We believe in the Professional Development value of active participation in intellectual exchange and pedagogical practices for future statistical faculty and researchers. Students are required to serve as teaching assistants and present research during their training. In addition, each student is expected to attend seminars regularly and participate in Statistical Practicum activities before graduation.

We provide in the following sections a comprehensive collection of the PhD program requirements and milestones. Also included are policies that outline how these requirements will be enforced with ample flexibility. Questions on these requirements should be directed to ADAA Cindy Meekins at [email protected] and the DGS, Professor John Cunningham at [email protected] .

Applications for Admission

• Our students receive very solid training in all aspects of modern statistics. See Graduate Student Handbook for more information.
• Our students receive Fellowship and full financial support for the entire duration of their PhD. See more details here .
• Our students receive job offers from top academic and non-academic institutions .
• Our students can work with world-class faculty members from Statistics Department or the Data Science Institute .
• Our students have access to high-speed computer clusters for their ambitious, computationally demanding research.
• Our students benefit from a wide range of seminars, workshops, and Boot Camps organized by our department and the data science institute .
• Suggested Prerequisites: A student admitted to the PhD program normally has a background in linear algebra and real analysis, and has taken a few courses in statistics, probability, and programming. Students who are quantitatively trained or have substantial background/experience in other scientific disciplines are also encouraged to apply for admission.
• GRE requirement: Waived for Fall 2024.
• Language requirement: The English Proficiency Test requirement (TOEFL) is a Provost's requirement that cannot be waived.
• The Columbia GSAS minimum requirements for TOEFL and IELTS are: 100 (IBT), 600 (PBT) TOEFL, or 7.5 IELTS. To see if this requirement can be waived for you, please check the frequently asked questions below.
• Deadline: Jan 8, 2024 .
• Application process: Please apply by completing the Application for Admission to the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences .
• Timeline: P.hD students begin the program in September only.  Admissions decisions are made in mid-March of each year for the Fall semester.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the application deadline? What is the deadline for financial aid? Our application deadline is January 5, 2024 .
• Can I meet with you in person or talk to you on the phone? Unfortunately given the high number of applications we receive, we are unable to meet or speak with our applicants.
• What are the required application materials? Specific admission requirements for our programs can be found here .
• Due to financial hardship, I cannot pay the application fee, can I still apply to your program? Yes. Many of our prospective students are eligible for fee waivers. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a variety of application fee waivers . If you have further questions regarding the waiver please contact  gsas-admissions@ columbia.edu .
• How many students do you admit each year? It varies year to year. We finalize our numbers between December - early February.
• What is the distribution of students currently enrolled in your program? (their background, GPA, standard tests, etc)? Unfortunately, we are unable to share this information.
• How many accepted students receive financial aid? All students in the PhD program receive, for up to five years, a funding package consisting of tuition, fees, and a stipend. These fellowships are awarded in recognition of academic achievement and in expectation of scholarly success; they are contingent upon the student remaining in good academic standing. Summer support, while not guaranteed, is generally provided. Teaching and research experience are considered important aspects of the training of graduate students. Thus, graduate fellowships include some teaching and research apprenticeship. PhD students are given funds to purchase a laptop PC, and additional computing resources are supplied for research projects as necessary. The Department also subsidizes travel expenses for up to two scientific meetings and/or conferences per year for those students selected to present. Additional matching funds from the Graduate School Arts and Sciences are available to students who have passed the oral qualifying exam.
• Can I contact the department with specific scores and get feedback on my competitiveness for the program? We receive more than 450 applications a year and there are many students in our applicant pool who are qualified for our program. However, we can only admit a few top students. Before seeing the entire applicant pool, we cannot comment on admission probabilities.
• What is the minimum GPA for admissions? While we don’t have a GPA threshold, we will carefully review applicants’ transcripts and grades obtained in individual courses.
• Is there a minimum GRE requirement? No. The general GRE exam is waived for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. 
• Can I upload a copy of my GRE score to the application? Yes, but make sure you arrange for ETS to send the official score to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
• Is the GRE math subject exam required? No, we do not require the GRE math subject exam.
• What is the minimum TOEFL or IELTS  requirement? The Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences minimum requirements for TOEFL and IELTS are: 100 (IBT), 600 (PBT) TOEFL, or 7.5 IELTS
•  I took the TOEFL and IELTS more than two years ago; is my score valid? Scores more than two years old are not accepted. Applicants are strongly urged to make arrangements to take these examinations early in the fall and before completing their application.
• I am an international student and earned a master’s degree from a US university. Can I obtain a TOEFL or IELTS waiver? You may only request a waiver of the English proficiency requirement from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by submitting the English Proficiency Waiver Request form and if you meet any of the criteria described here . If you have further questions regarding the waiver please contact  gsas-admissions@ columbia.edu .
• My transcript is not in English. What should I do? You have to submit a notarized translated copy along with the original transcript.

Can I apply to more than one PhD program? You may not submit more than one PhD application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. However, you may elect to have your application reviewed by a second program or department within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences if you are not offered admission by your first-choice program. Please see the application instructions for a more detailed explanation of this policy and the various restrictions that apply to a second choice. You may apply concurrently to a program housed at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and to programs housed at other divisions of the University. However, since the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences does not share application materials with other divisions, you must complete the application requirements for each school.

How do I apply to a dual- or joint-degree program? The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences refers to these programs as dual-degree programs. Applicants must complete the application requirements for both schools. Application materials are not shared between schools. Students can only apply to an established dual-degree program and may not create their own.

With the sole exception of approved dual-degree programs , students may not pursue a degree in more than one Columbia program concurrently, and may not be registered in more than one degree program at any institution in the same semester. Enrollment in another degree program at Columbia or elsewhere while enrolled in a Graduate School of Arts and Sciences master's or doctoral program is strictly prohibited by the Graduate School. Violation of this policy will lead to the rescission of an offer of admission, or termination for a current student.

When will I receive a decision on my application? Notification of decisions for all PhD applicants generally takes place by the end of March.

Notification of MA decisions varies by department and application deadlines. Some MA decisions are sent out in early spring; others may be released as late as mid-August.

Can I apply to both MA Statistics and PhD statistics simultaneously?  For any given entry term, applicants may elect to apply to up to two programs—either one PhD program and one MA program, or two MA programs—by submitting a single (combined) application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.  Applicants who attempt to submit more than one Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application for the same entry term will be required to withdraw one of the applications.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences permits applicants to be reviewed by a second program if they do not receive an offer of admission from their first-choice program, with the following restrictions:

• This option is only available for fall-term applicants.
• Applicants will be able to view and opt for a second choice (if applicable) after selecting their first choice. Applicants should not submit a second application. (Note: Selecting a second choice will not affect the consideration of your application by your first choice.)
• Applicants must upload a separate Statement of Purpose and submit any additional supporting materials required by the second program. Transcripts, letters, and test scores should only be submitted once.
• An application will be forwarded to the second-choice program only after the first-choice program has completed its review and rendered its decision. An application file will not be reviewed concurrently by both programs.
• Programs may stop considering second-choice applications at any time during the season; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences cannot guarantee that your application will receive a second review.
• What is the mailing address for your PhD admission office? Students are encouraged to apply online . Please note: Materials should not be mailed to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences unless specifically requested by the Office of Admissions. Unofficial transcripts and other supplemental application materials should be uploaded through the online application system. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Office of Admissions Columbia University  107 Low Library, MC 4303 535 West 116th Street  New York, NY 10027
• How many years does it take to pursue a PhD degree in your program? Our students usually graduate in 4‐6 years.
• Can the PhD be pursued part-time? No, all of our students are full-time students. We do not offer a part-time option.
• One of the requirements is to have knowledge of linear algebra (through the level of MATH V2020 at Columbia) and advanced calculus (through the level of MATH V1201). I studied these topics; how do I know if I meet the knowledge content requirement? We interview our top candidates and based on the information on your transcripts and your grades, if we are not sure about what you covered in your courses we will ask you during the interview.
• Can I contact faculty members to learn more about their research and hopefully gain their support? Yes, you are more than welcome to contact faculty members and discuss your research interests with them. However, please note that all the applications are processed by a central admission committee, and individual faculty members cannot and will not guarantee admission to our program.
• How do I find out which professors are taking on new students to mentor this year?  Applications are evaluated through a central admissions committee. Openings in individual faculty groups are not considered during the admissions process. Therefore, we suggest contacting the faculty members you would like to work with and asking if they are planning to take on new students.

For more information please contact us at [email protected] .

For more information please contact us at  [email protected]

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Past Qualifying Exams - Statistics

Exam preparation.

For the MS/PhD qualifying exams and the PhD comprehensive exam the following courses are suggested:

• Stat 540 & 545 for the take-home exam.
• Stat 553 & 561 for the in-class exam.
• Stat 546, 556, 557 and 567 for the comprehensive exam.

Previous exams

Note that exams before 2015 are less relevant for how current exams are prepared.  Links to data within take-home exams may no longer work.

(Comprehensive exams at bottom.)

Qualifying exams

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Comprehensive exams

• 2024 Jan Comprehensive Exam
• 2023 Aug Comprehensive Exam
• 2023 Jan Comprehensive Exam
• 2022 Aug Comprehensive Exam
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• 2021 Aug Comprehensive Exam
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• 2020 Aug Comprehensive Exam
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Qualifying Exams, Preliminary Exams, Final Exams

Qualifying examinations.

A PhD qualifying exam is offered once each year, at the end of June. The exam covers material in STAT 527, 528, 511, and 575. It consists of two four-hour exams, given on two different days. There are approximately two problems per course, for a total of about eight problems. T he exams are interchangeable, i.e. there could be questions relating to any course on either or both exams.

Every eligible PhD student is required to take the Qualifying exam after the first full year. A student receiving a passing score on the exam becomes a PhD candidate and maintains regular progress towards the PhD degree. A student who does not achieve a passing score will have one of two possible outcomes: (1) near passing, allowed to make a second attempt the following year, or (2) terminal non-passing score.

Preliminary Examination

During the first two years of graduate study, the student should be thinking seriously about what area of statistics to concentrate in, so that upon completing the qualifying examinations, work can begin toward the preliminary examination. The preliminary examination is frequently an oral presentation of the proposed thesis topic.

To schedule your Preliminary Exam visit here . Your request will be processed by the staff in the office and arrangements will be made with the the Graduate College to confirm your committee as well as make arrangements with the Office of the Registrar for an exam location. 

You are permitted to have a committee member who is not University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign affiliated. In order to proceed with a non-University of Illinois affiliated committee member, you will need to provide a CV as well as a letter of justification from your Chair on why the individual should serve on the committee. In addition, a valid email address for the non-University of Illinois committee member must be provided so that office staff may contact directly to obtain the appropriate signatures.

Once the office staff have received your request to schedule your Prelim Exam, they will reserve an adequate space that will have both a computer and a projector in the room. If you require additional technology in the room, please indicate as such in your request form. The office staff will also submit the committee approval to the Graduate College. Once the room and committee has been confirmed, you and the committee will be notified via email of the schedule and location of the Prelim Exam.

Preliminary Examination Committee

The Preliminary Examination Committee consists of at least four faculty members, not all of whom need to be in the Department of Statistics. The committee must be approved by the Graduate Advisor of the Department of Statistics, ad well as the Graduate College. The student prepares a written report to be presented to the members of the Committee at least two weeks before the Preliminary Exam. The Preliminary Exam itself consists of a short presentation by the student followed by questions from the members of the Committee. The Committee then has three choices: pass the student, fail the student, or postpone their decision with an indication to the student of what further work must be accomplished to satisfy the Committee. Since failure means that the Committee believes that the chances for success are very slim, only under extraordinary circumstances will a failed student be allowed to retake the Preliminary Exam. A pass means the student is eligible to begin thesis work.

Doctoral Thesis and Defense Examination

The thesis is written under the supervision of the student's faculty advisor. It must consist of original work, presumably an outgrowth of the preliminary work. A thesis examination committee consisting of at least four faculty members, appointed by the Graduate College at the request of the Department of Statistics, reads the thesis. The student is examined orally by this committee during the defense examination. The committee members should be given sufficient time to study the thesis prior to the examination.

After the defense examination had been passed, copies of the thesis, whose format and physical appearance have been approved by the Department of Statistics and the Graduate College, are to be submitted to the Thesis Office of the Graduate College for final approval.

To schedule your Final Exam and begin preparations for your Thesis format review, you will need to visit here . Your request will be processed by the staff in the office and arrangements will be made with the the Graduate College to confirm your committee as well as make arrangements with the Office of the Registrar for an exam location. 

You are permitted to have a committee member who is not University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign affiliated. In order to proceed with a non-University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign affiliated committee member, you will need to provide a CV as well as a letter of justification from your Chair on why the individual should serve on the committee. In addition, a valid email address for the non-University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign committee member must be provided so that office staff may contact directly to obtain the appropriate signatures.

Once the office staff have received your request to schedule your Final Exam, they will reserve an adequate space that will have both a computer and a projector in the room. If you require additional technology in the room, please indicate as such in your request form. The office staff will also submit the committee approval to the Graduate College. Once the room and committee has been confirmed, you and the committee will be notified via email of the schedule and location of the Final Exam.

Thesis Review

By following the structure and templates outlined on the Graduate College’s website, you should be able construct your thesis properly and to the standards of the university. For examples and templates, please see:  http://www.grad.illinois.edu/thesis/format .

Once your thesis is completed, it must receive a format review from the Department’s Thesis Format Reviewer. The Format Reviewer will check to make sure you meet the standards and requirements set forth by the Graduate College. Upon approval from the Format Reviewer you can then submit your Thesis to the Graduate College by using their web-portal found here:  http://www.grad.illinois.edu/thesis/submit .

After receiving approval from the Department Format Reviewer, a Dissertation Approval Form (TDA) will be submitted to the Graduate College indicating that the thesis has met the department’s approval and is now ready for review from the Graduate College. The Graduate College will not review a thesis until the TDA has been submitted.

For more information about Thesis and Dissertations, please see:  http://www.grad.illinois.edu/thesis

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Qualifying Requirements prior to Fall 2019

Qualifying exams.

Doctoral students are required to pass two qualifying exams.

• Comprehensive theory exam. This exam covers probability and theoretical statistics at the level of a graduate textbook such as "Statistical Inference" by Casella and Berger, used by Stats 510/511.  The comprehensive exam is offered twice a year, in late August and in late May. Students with advanced preparation may take this exam at the start of their first year. Two attempts are allowed, and the attempt at the start of the first year does not count towards this maximum of two.  All students need to pass this exam within 12 months of enrolling in the program unless an exception is approved by the PhD Program Director.
• Applied statistics exam. This exam tests modeling and data analysis skills and is roughly based on Stats 600/601. It is given as a 3-day take-home exam once a year in late May. Two attempts are allowed. All students need to pass this exam within two years of enrolling in the program unless an exception is approved by the PhD Program Director.

Program Requirements prior to Fall 2020

The Ph.D. in Statistics is flexible and allows students to pursue a variety of directions, ranging from statistical methodology and interdisciplinary research to theoretical statistics and probability theory. Students typically start the Ph.D. program by taking courses and gradually transition to research that will ultimately lead to their dissertation, the most important component of the Ph.D. program. The major requirements of the Ph.D. program are coursework, qualifying exams, advancement to candidacy, and dissertation. 

Required Courses

The core PhD curriculum consists of four course sequences, offered annually:

• Applied Statistics  — STATS 600 and 601
• Theoretical Statistics  — STATS 610 and 611
• Probability  — STATS 620 and 621
• Computational Methods for Statistics  — STATS 507 and STATS 606 ( prior to Fall 2019: STATS 607 I and II, 608 I and II )

Stats 600, 601, 610, 611, 620, and 621 are semester-long courses, and Stats 607 I and II, 608 I and II are half-semester modules. Any combination of two half-semester modules in the 607/608 sequence is equivalent to one course. All doctoral students must take at least 6 out of 8 required courses, with at least one course selected from each of the four sequences. A B+ average or higher in the six selected courses is required.

In addition, all students are required to complete two professional development seminar courses:

• STATS 810 , which covers research ethics and introduction to research tools. Must be taken in the first semester in the program.
• STATS 811 , which focuses on technical writing and presentation skills. Students are strongly advised to complete this course as soon as they have a writing project on which to work, such as a prelim proposal or a manuscript draft. Most students take this course in their second or third year. This course is required for graduation but not for advancing to candidacy.   

First Year Course Placement

Our Ph.D. program admits students with diverse academic backgrounds. All PhD students take Stats 600/601 (the PhD level applied statistics sequence) in their first year. Students with less mathematical backgrounds typically take Stats 510/511 (the Master’s level probability and theoretical statistics) in the first year and PhD-level theory courses (610/611, 620/621) in their second year. Students who wish to take 600-level theory courses in their first year should take the Theory QR exam offered just before the fall semester of their first year. Based on the results, they will either be approved to go on to the 600-level courses, or advised to take Stats 510/511. Passing the theory QR exam automatically places a student in 600-level courses, but one may also score high enough to place in 600-level courses without clearing the theory QR. In all cases, the PhD Program Director will help students choose their individual path through the required courses.

Qualifying Requirements

These requirements apply to students admitted in Fall 2019 and later. Students admitted in Fall 2018 can choose between the  old requirements  and the new requirements.  

All doctoral students need to satisfy the Applied and Theoretical Statistics qualifying requirements (QR).

• Applied statistics QR . This requirement is satisfied by passing a modeling and data analysis exam, roughly based on Stats 600/601. It is given as a 3-day take-home exam once a year in May. Two attempts are allowed. All students need to pass this exam within two years of enrolling in the program unless an exception is approved by the PhD Program Director.
• Theoretical statistics QR . This requirement may be satisfied by either excellent performance in certain courses (described below) or by passing the statistical theory exam offered once a year in late August. The exam covers probability and theoretical statistics at the level of a graduate textbook such as "Statistical Inference" by Casella and Berger, used by Stats 510/511. All PhD students need to satisfy the theoretical statistics QR by the beginning of their second year in the program unless an exception is approved by the PhD Program Director. A well-prepared student can opt to take this exam just before the start of their first year; if they do not pass, this attempt does not count. Whether they attempt this exam before the first year or not, all students can either qualify for an exemption based on course grades (see below) at the end of their first year, or take the exam in August just before the start of their second year. No further attempts are allowed.

A student can be exempt from taking the theoretical statistics QR exam based on coursework. To qualify for an exemption, the student can use their grades from two courses taken in their first year. One of the courses must be either Stats 510, 620, or 621 and the other course must be either Stats 511, 610, or 611. To qualify for an exemption, the average grade from the two chosen courses must be at least 3.65, and if at least one 500-level course is used, then the average must be at least 3.85. This is based on the conversion of letter grades to GPA points as follows: B- = 2.7, B = 3.0, B+ = 3.3, A- = 3.7, A = 4.0, A+ = 4.0.

Here are some examples of courses and grades that would qualify for an exemption:

• STATS 510 (A) and 511 (A-)
• STATS 510 (A) and 611 (A-)
• STATS 621 (A-) and 610 (A-)
• STATS 621 (B+) and 610 (A)

Advancing to Candidacy

Students who have passed the qualifying exams are expected to find a faculty advisor and start research leading to their dissertation proposal. The PhD Program Director and the faculty mentor assigned to each first year student can assist with finding a faculty advisor. Students are expected to submit a dissertation proposal and advance to candidacy within three semesters from passing the qualifying exams. Requirements for advancing to candidacy are:

• At least 18 credit hours of graduate course work , including at least 6 out of the required 8 core courses and Stats 810. A B+ average in the selected 6 core courses is required. Stats 808/809/818/819 (Department Seminar), Stats 990 (Dissertation Research) and similar non-graded courses do not count towards the credit requirement.
• At least 4 credit hours of cognates , which are 400- and higher-level courses from outside the Statistics department. All cognate course selections must be approved by the PhD Program Director.  
• Writing a dissertation proposal and passing the oral preliminary exam  which consists of presenting the proposal to the student's preliminary thesis committee.

A dissertation proposal should identify an interesting research problem, provide motivation for studying it, review the relevant literature, propose an approach for solving the problem​, and present at least some preliminary results​. The written proposal must be submitted to the preliminary thesis committee and the graduate coordinator a​head of time (one week minimum, two weeks recommended)​ and then presented in the oral preliminary exam. The preliminary thesis committee is chaired by the faculty advisor and must include at least two more faculty members, at least one of them from Statistics. ​​The faculty on the preliminary thesis committee typically continue t​o serve ​on ​the doctoral thesis committee​​, but changes are allowed.  Please see Rackham rules on thesis committees for more information.  

At the oral preliminary exam, the committee will ask questions about the proposal and the relevant background and either elect to accept the proposal as both substantial and feasible, or ask for specific revisions, or decline the proposal. The unanimous approval of the proposal by the committee is necessary for the student to advance to candidacy.

Additional Course Requirements

Students must take at least three additional PhD level semester-long courses or equivalent in half-semester modules. This requirement can be fulfilled with additional courses from the core sequences, advanced PhD courses, or topics courses. Stats 810, 811, and 750 (independent reading) do not count towards this requirement. While these additional courses are not required for advancement to candidacy, it is expected that students take at least some of them before advancing to candidacy. Taking courses after advancement to candidacy may require careful planning as candidates are allowed to take only one course per semester without an increase in tuition.

In addition, all PhD students are expected to register for Stats 808/809/818/819 (Department Seminar) every semester and attend the seminar regularly. Candidates registered for another course do not have to register for the department seminar, but are still expected to attend.

Exceptions to the above requirements may be granted by the PhD Program Director .

Annual Progress Reports

Each candidate is required to meet with the members of their thesis committee annually. This could be in the form of either giving a short presentation on their research progress to the thesis committee as a group, or meeting with committee members individually.

Each committee member should complete a  Thesis Committee Member Report  and return it to the student. The student should share the completed Thesis Committee Member Reports with both the PhD Program Coordinator and their advisor.

All meetings with the committee members should take place by  April 15.

Following the meetings, the student and the advisor should complete the  Annual PhD Candidate Self-Evaluation and Feedback Form . The advisor should review the committee members’ Thesis Committee Member Reports and take them into account when completing the advisor’s portion. The completed Annual PhD Candidate Self-Evaluation and Advisor Feedback Form must be submitted to the PhD Program Coordinator by  May 31. The completed form will be saved with the department, and a copy will be shared with the student.

Dissertation and Defense

Each doctoral student is expected to write a dissertation that makes a substantial and original contribution to statistics or a closely related field. This is the most important element of the doctoral program. After advancing to candidacy, students are expected to focus on their thesis research under the supervision of the thesis advisor and the doctoral committee. The composition of the doctoral committee must follow the Rackham's  guidelines for dissertation committee service . The written dissertation is submitted to the committee for evaluation and presented in an oral defense open to the public.

Rackham Requirements

The  Rackham Graduate School  imposes some additional requirements concerning residency, fees, and time limits. Students are expected to know and comply with these requirements. 

Advancing to Candidacy Checklist

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PhD in Statistics

Program description.

The Ph.D. program in statistics prepares students for a career pursuing research in either academia or industry.  The program provides rigorous classroom training in the theory, methodology, and application of statistics, and provides the opportunity to work with faculty on advanced research topics over a wide range of theory and application areas. To enter, students need a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistics, or a closely related discipline. Students graduating with a PhD in Statistics are expected to:

• Demonstrate an understanding the core principles of Probability Theory, Estimation Theory, and Statistical Methods.
• Demonstrate the ability to conduct original research in statistics.
• Demonstrate the ability to present research-level statistics in a formal lecture

Requirements for the Ph.D. (Statistics Track)

Course Work A Ph.D. student in our department must complete sixteen courses for the Ph.D. At most, four of these courses may be transferred from another institution. If the Ph.D. student is admitted to the program at the post-Master’s level, then eight courses are usually required.

Qualifying Examinations First, all Ph.D. students in the statistics track must take the following two-semester sequences: MA779 and MA780 (Probability Theory I and II), MA781 (Estimation Theory) and MA782 (Hypothesis Testing), and MA750 and MA751 (Advanced Statistical Methods I and II). Then, to qualify a student to begin work on a PhD dissertation, they must pass two of the following three exams at the PhD level: probability, mathematical statistics, and applied statistics. The probability and mathematical statistics exams are offered every September and the applied statistics exam is offered every April.

• PhD Exam in Probability: This exam covers the material covered in MA779 and MA780 (Probability Theory I and II).
• PhD Exam in Mathematical Statistics: This exam covers material covered in MA781 (Estimation Theory) and MA782 (Hypothesis Testing).
• PhD Exam in Applied Statistics: This exam covers the same material as the M.A. Applied exam and is offered at the same time, except that in order to pass it at the PhD level a student must correctly solve all four problems.

Note: Students concentrating in probability may choose to do so either through the statistics track or through the mathematics track. If a student wishes to do so through the mathematics track, the course and exam requirements are different. Details are available here .

Dissertation The dissertation is the major requirement for a Ph.D. student. After the student has completed all course work, the Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the student, selects a three-member dissertation committee. One member of this committee is designated by the Director of Graduate Studies as the Major Advisor for the student. Once completed, the dissertation must be defended in an oral examination conducted by at least five members of the Department.

The Dissertation and Final Oral Examination follows the   GRS General Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree .

Satisfactory Progress Toward the Degree Upon entering the graduate program, each student should consult the Director of Graduate Studies (Prof. David Rohrlich) and the Associate Director of the Program in Statistics (Prof. Konstantinos Spiliopoulos). Initially, the Associate Director of the Program in Statistics will serve as the default advisor to the student. Eventually the student’s advisor will be determined in conjunction with their dissertation research. The Associate Director of the Program in Statistics, who will be able to guide the student through the course selection and possible directed study, should be consulted often, as should the Director of Graduate Studies. Indeed, the Department considers it important that each student progress in a timely manner toward the degree. Each M.A. student must have completed the examination by the end of their second year in the program, while a Ph.D. student must have completed the qualifying examination by the third year. Students entering the Ph.D. program with an M.A. degree must have completed the qualifying examination by October of the second year. Failure to meet these deadlines may jeopardize financial aid. Some flexibility in the deadlines is possible upon petition to the graduate committee in cases of inadequate preparation.

Students enrolled in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS) are expected to adhere to a number of policies at the university, college, and departmental levels. View the policies on the Academic Bulletin and GRS website .

Residency Post-BA students must complete all of the requirements for a Ph.D. within seven years of enrolling in the program and post-MA students must complete all requirements within five years. This total time limit is set by the Graduate School. Students needing extra time must petition the Graduate School. Also, financial aid is not guaranteed after the student’s fifth year in the program.

Financial Aid

As with all Ph.D. students in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, the main source of financial aid for graduate students studying statistics is a Teaching Fellowship. These awards carry a stipend as well as tuition remission for six courses per year. Teaching Fellows are required to assist a faculty member who is teaching a course, usually a large lecture section of an introductory statistics course. Generally, the Teaching Fellow is responsible for conducting a number of discussion sections consisting of approximately twenty-five students each, as well as for holding office hours and assisting with grading. The Teaching Fellowship usually entails about twenty hours of work per week. For that reason, Teaching Fellows enroll in at most three courses per semester. A Teaching Fellow Seminar is conducted to help new Teaching Fellows develop as instructors and to promote the continuing development of experienced Teaching Fellows.

Other sources of financial aid include University Fellowships and Research Assistantships. The University Fellowships are one-year awards for outstanding students and are service-free. They carry stipends plus full tuition remission. Students do not need to apply for these fellowships. Research Assistantships are linked to research done with individual faculty, and are paid for through those faculty members’ grants. As a result, except on rare occasions, Research Assistantships typically are awarded to students in their second year and beyond, after student and faculty have had sufficient time to determine mutuality of their research interests.

Regular reviews of the performance of Teaching Fellows and Research Assistants in their duties as well as their course work are conducted by members of the Department’s Graduate Committee.

Ph.D. Program Milestones

The department considers it essential that each student progress in a timely manner toward completion of the degree. The following are the deadlines for achieving the milestones described in the Degree Requirements and constitute the basis for evaluating satisfactory progress towards the Ph.D. These deadlines are not to be construed as expected times to complete the various milestones, but rather as upper bounds. In other words,   a student in good standing expecting to complete   the degree within the five years of guaranteed funding will meet these milestones by the much e arlier target dates indicated below.   Failure to achieve these milestones in a timely manner may affectfinancial aid.

• Target: April of Year 1
• Deadline: April of Year 2
• Target: Spring of Year 2 post-BA/Spring of Year 1 post-MA
• Deadline: End of Year 3 post-BA/Fall of Year 2 post-MA
• Target: Spring of Year 2
• Deadline: End of Year 3
• Target: Spring of Year 2 or Fall of Year 3 post-BA/October of Year 2 post-MA
• Deadline: End of Year 3 post-BA/October of Year 2 post-MA
• Target: end of Year 3
• Deadline: End of Year 4
• Target: End of Year 5
• Deadline: End of Year 6

If you have any questions regarding our PhD program in Statistics, please reach out to us at [email protected]

PhD in Statistics

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Statistics prepares students for careers in industry, research institutions, and universities. The students initially undergo a sound training in theory and applied statistics, followed by advanced courses and dissertation research. Statistics faculty in the department work in diverse areas of research topics and are also actively involved in interdisciplinary research collaboration. This provides our PhD students a wide array of research topics to choose from for their PhD dissertation.

All PhD students have the opportunity to work as paid interns in the nearby industries and research institutions, such as Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Proctor & Gamble, and Medpace, after they finish a set of core applied statistics courses.  The internships are coordinated by the Department. The Department is consistently successful in placing most of our students with an internship of student’s interest. The internship offers the students experience in applying statistical methods they learn to real-world problems under the mentorship of experienced statisticians and researchers, while they pursue their PhD degree. Students also have the opportunity to choose a PhD dissertation research topic related to their internship work.  

The multifaceted training of our students, through course work, research, and the wide range of interdisciplinary experience through internship, sets our PhD program apart from other PhD programs in statistics. Our past students have had an extremely high success rate of employment in industries, research institutions, and universities after graduation.

Admission Requirements

Students applying for the program should have or be expecting to obtain a bachelor’s degree in statistics or a related area. Specifically, all students should have taken: 

• Three semesters of calculus up to and including multivariate calculus
• A semester course in linear algebra
• A semester course in calculus-based probability and statistics
• Courses in pure and applied statistics similar to STAT 6021-6022 (Mathematical Statistics I and II) and STAT 6031 (Applied Regression Analysis) and STAT 6032 (Design and Analysis of Experiments).

An official GRE score is not required for admission, but a quantitative score of 160 or higher is recommended.

The English proficiency requirement is met for applicants with degrees earned in English from accredited universities and colleges in  the US or other English-speaking countries .

Financial Support

Most of our PhD students receive full financial support (tuition remission and a Graduate Assistantship, a fellowship, or an internship), and most are supported through their entire UC career.  Travel support is available for students to attend or present their work at conferences.  

All applicants for the PhD program are automatically reviewed for graduate assistantship eligibility at the time of application. 

• Financial aid opportunities for students in the Mathematical Sciences Department
• Tuition and fees for graduate and professional students

Application Instructions

Applicants will need to meet the minimum requirements to be considered for the program. Completed applications will be reviewed beginning February 1 . We will continue to receive applications until all positions are filled.

All application materials from international students requiring a US visa must be received prior to April 1 (but sooner is better) in order to allow time for the necessary paperwork to be processed. The visa application process can often take 90 days or more to complete.

How to apply: 

1. Create  an online application

2. Include these documents in your application:

• Three letters of recommendation. The application system will automatically send an email to each of the recommenders with a link to submit their letters. 
• Unofficial copy of transcript (official transcript will be required if you are admitted to the program). 
• GRE general test score
• Statement of purpose/cover letter 
• English Proficiency for international students.

3. Pay the application fee

UC’s CEEB college code is 1833, as established by The College Board . CEEB codes are used to ensure that test scores are sent to the correct institution. 

• More information about submitting your application materials
• FAQs for the admission process

Program Description

The credit-hour requirement includes a minimum of 90 graduate credits beyond the bachelor's degree or a minimum of 60 credits beyond a master's degree, including 7 hours in dissertation research, with a GPA of 3.3 or higher. 

All incoming PhD students are required to take the  qualifying exam before the beginning of their first semester. Students who do not pass this exam at the PhD level are placed in the appropriate 6000 - level courses. The Statistics Qualifying Exam is based on the two two-semester sequences Mathematical Statistics STAT6021-6022 and Applied Statistics STAT6031-6032.

All PhD students must pass the  preliminary examination  by the end of their second year.  The Statistics Preliminary Exam is based on the two courses Linear Models and Multivariate Analysis II STAT 7024 and Statistics Theory STAT 7031.

After the preliminary examinations, an advanced examination in the area of examination of the student is required. An advanced exam may either be a written exam, a presentation or a series of presentations. The exam will be administered by a committee. Generally, this committee will form the students’ dissertation committee.

Visit the curriculum guide to learn more about the required courses. More details concerning the requirements of the program are explained in the Mathematical Sciences Department’s Graduate Handbook . See the course descriptions for information on the content.

About Cincinnati

Cincinnati is a big city with a small-town feel. The cost of living is low, but the quality of life is high.  Forbes named Cincinnati the #5 most affordable city and the #9 best city for raising a family. Cincinnati has ranked the best place to live in Ohio by U.S. News & World Report, also the fourth-best city in the country for parks . UC is home to over 10,500 graduate students, 20% of which are international students.

• Why Cincinnati  
• Estimated living expenses  (for international students)

For further information, please contact the Graduate Program Director, Dr. Robert Buckingham:

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 513-556-4085

See the full list of our graduate programs

Qualifying Exam Syllabus

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On Ph.D. Qualifying Exams

Where can I find Ph.D. qualifying exams questions? Is there any website that keeps a collection of such problems? I need it for doing some revision of the basic topics. I know of a book but that doesn't have the full collection.

• reference-request
• soft-question
• online-resources

• 8 $\begingroup$ Checking the links in the two first answers I remember what I was told during the presentation of my M.Sc. final exam: you must know what your thesis is about (really?!) and also the general stuff from undergraduate studies. This was funny since in graduate school they killed us with super year-long courses in topology, algebra or functional analysis (at least two of these three), plus some other optional courses, yet they remarked: it's your level in stuff of undergraduate level that'll decide whether you continue to PhD or not (with a mark of at least 85)...the same as Harvard and TAMU $\endgroup$ –  DonAntonio Commented Dec 30, 2012 at 11:47
• $\begingroup$ UFL link above is broken. Here is the right link: gma.math.ufl.edu/past-exams $\endgroup$ –  user157687 Commented Jun 17, 2014 at 22:29

5 Answers 5

These are the sets of qualifying/preliminary examinations of US universities that I collected some time ago for the same purposes as you. (Dave L. Renfro points out in a commentary below that he compiled a similar list a decade ago , the following includes new departments, updated old broken links and removes unavailable sources). These exams are of much help and some even include solutions!:

• University of Arizona Ph. D. Qualifying Exams
• Arizona State University Qualifying Examinations
• University of Alabama Qualifying Exams .
• University of Alabama at Birmingham Qualifying Exams
• SUNY Albany Ph.D. Preliminary Examinations .
• University of California-Berkeley Preliminary Examinations .
• Boston University Preliminary Exams .
• University of Colorado-Boulder Prelim Exams .
• Columbia University Qualifying Exams .
• University of Connecticut Prelim Exams .
• University of California-Davis Exams .
• University of California-Irvine Exams
• University of California-Riverside Exams
• University of Florida Graduate Exams .
• University of Georgia-Athens Qualifying Exams .
• Harvard University Qualifying Exams .
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Comprehensive Exams .
• Indiana University-Bloomington Tier I Examinations .
• University of Iowa Qualifying Exams .
• Iowa State University Qualifying Exams
• Johns Hopkins University Qualifying Exams .
• Kansas State University Qualifying Exams .
• University of California-Los Angeles Qualifying Exams .
• Louisiana State University Comprehensive Exams .
• University of Maryland Qualifying Exams .
• University of Massachussetts-Amherst Qualifying Exams .
• University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Qualifying Review Examinations .
• University of Minnesota Prelim Exams .
• University of Missouri-Columbia Qualifying Exams .
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln Qualifying Exams .
• University of New Mexico Qualifying Exams .
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Comprehensive Ph.D. Exams (requires one to log in) .
• Northeastern University Qualifying Examinations .
• Northwestern University Preliminary Examinations .
• Ohio State University Qualifying Exams .
• Oklahoma State University Comprehensive Exams .
• University of Oklahoma Qualifying Exams .
• Pennsylvania State University Qualifying Exams .
• University of Pittsburgh Preliminary Exams .
• Purdue University Qualifying Exams .
• University of Rochester Preliminary Exams .
• Rutgers University-New Brunswick Qualifying Exams and oral exams .
• Stanford University Qualifying Exams .
• Syracuse University Prelim and Qualifying Exams .
• Temple University PhD. Exams .
• University of Texas at Austin Preliminary Exams .
• Texas A & M University Qualifying Examinations .
• University of Utah Qualifying Examinations .
• University of Washington Preliminary Examinations .
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Qualifying Exams .

• 13 $\begingroup$ @ Javier Álvarez: I don't know how much time it took you to assemble this list, but you might be amused at how long it took me to do this back in May 2000 (probably over 15 hours). See my comment at the StackExchange question Qual question archives? , where I incorrectly said there that it was in 1999. There still seem to be a few (legitimate) webpages carrying my list, despite the fact that I last updated it in December 2001. $\endgroup$ –  Dave L. Renfro Commented Jan 4, 2013 at 19:28
• 1 $\begingroup$ @DaveL.Renfro: I had the list already assembled some months ago and was unaware of your list. What I did was merely keeping a bookmarks folder of the departments which had copies of old exams as I was visiting every single one of them to look for their research interests. It grew slowly as I was surveying webs to make a suitable list of graduate schools I would apply to. To put it here was just copy and paste after a text script to change the bookmarks to StackExchange format. I hope you do not see my post as an illegitimate one... as there are a few more items and no broken links. $\endgroup$ –  Javier Álvarez Commented Jan 4, 2013 at 19:46
• 1 $\begingroup$ thanks for your huge effort $\endgroup$ –  Koushik Commented Jan 5, 2013 at 1:39
• 2 $\begingroup$ Most links are broken as of now. $\endgroup$ –  user557 Commented Jul 11, 2019 at 23:17
• 8 $\begingroup$ I've updated most links. I wasn't able to find working links for ASU, Alabama, UNC (the one I added requires you to log in), Columbia. $\endgroup$ –  user557 Commented Jul 23, 2019 at 20:52

Some old qualifying exams from Harvard: http://www.math.harvard.edu/quals/index.html

Try the collection at Texas A&M University. Although I am not a student of the university, I used the collection to practice for my own qualifying exams. Here is the link: http://www.math.tamu.edu/graduate/phd/quals.html .

Berkeley Problems in Mathematics (Problem Books in Mathematics) 2004 by Paulo Ney de Souza and Jorge-Nuno Silva.

Download preface, sample pages 1 and table of contents in https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9780387204291

In 1977 the Mathematics Department at the University of California, Berkeley, instituted a written examination as one of the first major requirements toward the Ph.D. degree in Mathematics. Its purpose was to determine whether first-year students in the Ph.D. program had successfully mastered basic mathematics in order to continue in the program with the likelihood of success. Since its inception, the exam has become a major hurdle to overcome in the pursuit of the degree. The purpose of this book is to publicize the material and aid in the preparation for the examination during the undergraduate years. The book is a compilation of over 1,250 problems which have appeared on the preliminary exams in Berkeley over the last twenty-five years. It is an invaluable source of problems and solutions for every mathematics student who plans to enter a Ph.D. program. Students who work through this book will develop problem-solving skills in areas such as real analysis, multivariable calculus, differential equations, metric spaces, complex analysis, algebra, and linear algebra. The problems are organized by subject and ordered in an increasing level of difficulty. Tags with the exact exam year provide the opportunity to rehearse complete examinations. The appendix includes instructions on accessing electronic versions of the exams as well as a syllabus and statistics of passing scores. This new edition has been updated with the most recent exams, including exams given during the Fall 2003 semester. There are numerous new problems and solutions which were not included in previous editions.

The Written Qual Book by Daryl DeFord and David Freund.

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Qualifying Exams

The Statistics Qualifying Exam is generally taken after the following four core courses are taken.

• STAT 564 Theory of Probability
• STAT 566 Theory of Statistics
• STAT 571A Advanced Statistical Regression Analysis
• STAT 571B Design of Experiments

The exam consists of two sections (Theory and Methodology) and is taken over a two day period.  It is offered in January and August.  PhD students must take the exam and must receive a score of "PhD Pass" in order to continue towards candidacy in the program.  Master's students have the option of taking the exam (and earning at least a "MS Pass") or doing a thesis.

For more information on the qualifying exam see the Program Handbook .

Qualifying Exam Dates

The next Qualifying Exam date is:

• August 8 and 9, 2024

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	University of Southern California
	Jun 25, 2024   USC Catalogue 2024-2025     USC Catalogue 2024-2025 The department offers a degree program leading to the PhD in Biostatistics. The program is designed to produce biostatisticians who will have in-depth knowledge of statistical theory and methodology and the ability to apply this knowledge creatively to statistical problems in the biological and health sciences. All students will enroll in a set of core courses that cover both biostatistical theory and applications. Students will then choose from one of four tracks that will allow them to develop expertise in a specific area. The available tracks are: (1) biostatistics theory; (2) statistical genetics; (3) environmental statistics; (4) clinical trials. Course Requirements A minimum of 60 units of graduate study is required for the PhD degree; a maximum of 19 of these units may be from research and dissertation. In preparation for the qualifying examination, students are required to take all remaining core and track-specific courses. Screening Procedure In preparation for the screening examination, all students must take four core courses: PM 511a   , PM 511b    and PM 522a   , PM 522b   . A student failing the screening examination will either terminate or will terminate with the MS degree upon completion of an acceptable thesis. Qualifying Exam Committee A formal qualifying exam committee will consist of at least five faculty members. The committee chair and at least two additional members must be affiliated with the student’s program. At least three members of the committee must be tenured or tenure track. Qualifying Examination The written portion of the qualifying examination will comprise testing on track-specific course content and focus on the student’s dissertation topic. An oral examination will ascertain the student’s competence in orally communicating this knowledge. Students must pass the written portions and the oral portions in order to pass the qualifying examination. Annual Research Appraisal (ARA) Beginning in the second year, each student must register for PM 610    (1 unit) and present an annual progress report to the program oversight committee. Once a dissertation topic has been selected, the annual progress report is presented to the student’s qualifying exam committee. Once the student has passed the qualifying examination and is appointed to candidacy, the annual progress report is presented to the student’s dissertation committee. The student will meet annually with the dissertation committee, until he or she graduates from the program. The oral portion of the screening examination as well as the qualifying examination and the defense examination will count as ARAs. Dissertation and Oral Defense Upon passing the qualifying examination the PhD candidate and his or her chair will recommend a three-member dissertation committee. The dissertation should be completed within two years and should be oriented toward a theoretical-methodological application to a problem area in the biological or health sciences. The oral defense is based on a rough draft or final version of the dissertation. The defense is administered by the dissertation committee, with other faculty invited to attend. Prerequisite PM 510L Principles of Biostatistics Units: 4 Required Courses for All Tracks (Screening Exam Courses) PM 511aL Data Analysis Units: 4 PM 511bL Data Analysis Units: 4 PM 522a Introduction to the Theory of Statistics Units: 3 PM 522b Introduction to the Theory of Statistics Units: 3 Recommended Courses: All Tracks PM 511cL Data Analysis Units: 4 PM 520L Advanced Statistical Computing Units: 3 PM 610 Seminar in Biostatistics and Epidemiology Units: 1 Recommended Courses: Biostatistics Theory Track PM 513 Experimental Designs Units: 3 PM 518a Statistical Methods for Epidemiological Studies I, II Units: 3 PM 518b Statistical Methods for Epidemiological Studies I, II Units: 3 Recommended Courses: Statistics Genetics Track PM 534 Statistical Genetics Units: 3 PM 570 Statistical Methods in Human Genetics Units: 4 Recommended Courses: Environmental Statistics Track PM 558 Environmental Epidemiology: Concepts, Methods, and Practice Units: 4 PM 575 Statistical Methods in Environmental Epidemiology Units: 3 Recommended Courses: Clinical Trials Track PM 523 Design of Clinical Studies Units: 3 PM 552 Statistical Methods in Clinical Trials Units: 3 Elective Courses BISC 502a Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry Units: 4 BISC 502b Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry Units: 4 BISC 505 Genomics and Molecular Genetics Units: 4 CSCI 544 Applied Natural Language Processing Units: 4 CSCI 561 Foundations of Artificial Intelligence Units: 4 CSCI 567 Machine Learning Units: 4 CSCI 570 Analysis of Algorithms Units: 4 CSCI 573 Probabilistic Reasoning Units: 3 CSCI 585 Database Systems Units: 4 CSCI 587 Geospatial Information Management Units: 4 CSCI 653 High Performance Computing and Simulations Units: 4 DSCI 550 Data Science at Scale Units: 4 DSCI 551 Foundations of Data Management Units: 4 DSCI 553 Foundations and Applications of Data Mining Units: 4 DSCI 554 Data Visualization Units: 4 INTD 561 Molecular Biology Units: 4 INTD 572 Medical Physiology I Units: 4 INTD 573 Medical Physiology II Units: 4 INTD 577 Writing in the Biomedical and Biological Sciences Units: 1 MATH 501 Numerical Analysis and Computation Units: 3 MATH 505a Applied Probability Units: 3 MATH 505b Applied Probability Units: 3 MATH 507a Theory of Probability Units: 3 MATH 507b Theory of Probability Units: 3 MATH 509 Stochastic Differential Equations Units: 3 MATH 520 Complex Analysis Units: 3 MATH 541a Introduction to Mathematical Statistics Units: 3 MATH 541b Introduction to Mathematical Statistics Units: 3 MATH 542 Analysis of Variance and Design Units: 3 MATH 543 Nonparametric Statistics Units: 3 MATH 545 Introduction to Time Series Units: 3 MATH 547 Mathematical Foundations of Statistical Learning Theory Units: 3 MATH 548 Machine Learning in Quantitive Finance Units: 3 PM 516a Statistical Problem Solving Units: 1 PM 516b Statistical Problem Solving Units: 1 PM 517a Research Methods in Epidemiology Units: 4 PM 517b Research Methods in Epidemiology Units: 3 PM 533 Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Units: 3 PM 538 Introduction to Biomedical Informatics Units: 3 PM 542 Social Network Analysis Units: 4 PM 544L Multivariate Analysis Units: 3 PM 549 Human Molecular Genetics and Genomics Units: 4 PM 551 Statistical Methods in Genome-Wide Association Studies Units: 3 PM 565 Introduction to Global Health Units: 4 PM 569 Spatial Statistics Units: 3 PM 579 Statistical Analysis of High-Dimensional Data Units: 4 PM 591 Machine Learning for the Health Sciences Units: 4 PM 599 Special Topics Units: 2, 3, 4 PM 603 Structural Equation Modeling Units: 4, 2 years PM 605 Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Units: 4 PM 790 Research Units: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 PMEP 547 Programming Methods for Empirical Analysis of Health Data Units: 4 QBIO 478 Computational Genome Analysis Units: 4 QBIO 577 Computational Molecular Biology Laboratory Units: 2 QBIO 578a Computational Molecular Biology Units: 3 QBIO 578b Computational Molecular Biology Units: 3 SSCI 581 Concepts for Spatial Thinking Units: 4 SSCI 582 Spatial Databases Units: 4 SSCI 583 Spatial Analysis and Modeling Units: 4 SSCI 585 Geospatial Technology Project Management Units: 4 SSCI 586 GIS Programming and Customization Units: 4 SSCI 587 Spatial Data Acquisition Units: 4 SSCI 589 Cartography and Visualization Units: 4 252 IMAGES GitHub PPT PhD Qualifying Examination PPT PhD Qualifying Examination 6 Effective Tips on How to Ace Your PhD Qualifying Exam VIDEO What does a Probability Theory PhD Qualifying Exam look like? PhD qualifying exam -- "Some fairly easy questions about topology" STATISTICS AND PROBABILITY The Qualifying Exam I Passed 5-Lemma (PhD Qualifying Exam, UdeM, 2013-10) Want to pursue a PhD? Qualifying UGC NET will be important now ! COMMENTS Previous Statistics Ph.D. Qualifying Exams Previous Statistics Ph.D. Qualifying Exams. Previous Statistics Ph.D. Qualifying Exams. August 2023 Questions, Part 2. August 2023 Questions, Part 1. August 2022 Questions, Part 2. August 2022 Questions, Part 1. May 2021 Questions, Part 2. May 2021 Questions, Part 1. Data set "abalone2" from May 2021 exam. Qualifying Exams The qualifying exam process consists of: Exams in probability (December) and theoretical statistics (May). Students who do not pass an exam in their first year of study have the option of a retake the following year. Oral exam: scheduled individually for each student, exploring research in an area of interest that might lead to an eventual ... Qualifying Exams The Department of Statistics offers qualifying exams for MS and Ph.D. students. The MS exam is designed for students in both the MS in Statistics and the MS in Biostatistics. It is focused on testing basic understanding of course materials. The Ph.D. qualifying exam is designed for students pursuing a Ph.D. in Statistics. Doctor of Philosophy There are four Ph.D. qualifying examinations that cover material in methodology, probability, mathematical statistics, and computational statistics and are based on the core courses of the first year of graduate study in statistics. Preliminary Examination. A student who has submitted an approved plan of study and passed the qualifying exams is ... PhD Program For example, every Ph.D. candidate who passes the qualifying exam gives a 30 minute presentation each semester (in Stat 300), in which the faculty ask questions and make comments. The Department recently introduced an award for Best Post-Qualifying Talk (up to two per semester), to further encourage and reward inspired research and presentations. Doctoral Program Doctoral Program - Qualifying Exams. Qualifying examinations in the statistics department are intended to test the students' level of knowledge when the first-year program, common to all students, has been completed. There are separate examinations in the three core subjects of (1) applied statistics, (2) probability theory, and (3) theoretical ... Doctoral Program All students who have passed the qualifying exams but have not yet passed the Thesis Proposal Meeting must take STATS 319 at least once each year. For example, a student taking the qualifying exams in the summer after Year 1 and having the dissertation proposal meeting in Year 3, would take 319 in Years 2 and 3. Ph.D. Examinations Ph.D. Qualifying Exam. Besides taking required course work, Ph.D. students must pass the qualifying exam, written and oral preliminary exams, write a dissertation and pass a final oral exam. For students entering with a previous Master's degree in Statistics, the qualifying exam should be taken within one year of entering the program. Qualifying Examination The Qualifying Examination is typically taken at the end of the first year, and must be passed before the start of the third year. The exam consists of two parts: a 4-hour closed book in-class portion, and. a take-home applied statistics component. The in-class portion is scheduled early in the week of Spring Semester after final exams. Department of Statistics By the end of year 1: passing the qualifying exams; By the end of year 2: fulfilling all course requirements for the MA degree and finding a dissertation advisor; By the end of year 3: passing the oral exam (dissertation prospectus) and fulfilling all requirements for the MPhil degree. By the end of year 5: distributing and defending the ... Past Qualifying Exams Exam preparation. For the MS/PhD qualifying exams and the PhD comprehensive exam the following courses are suggested: Stat 540 & 545 for the take-home exam. Stat 553 & 561 for the in-class exam. Stat 546, 556, 557 and 567 for the comprehensive exam. PDF PhD Qualifying Exam Syllabus PhD Qualifying Exam Syllabus Option A (709/710) Probability and Distribution Theory. Set operations, ˙- elds, measures, probability measures, distribution functions, measurable functions, ran- ... su cient statistics, factorization theorem, minimal su ciency, exponential family, nat- ... (Walds test, Raos score test, Pearsons goodness of t chi ... Qualifying Exams, Preliminary Exams, Final Exams A PhD qualifying exam is offered once each year, at the end of June. The exam covers material in STAT 527, 528, 511, and 575. It consists of two four-hour exams, given on two different days. There are approximately two problems per course, for a total of about eight problems. PhD Program information The Statistics PhD program is rigorous, yet welcoming to students with interdisciplinary interests and different levels of preparation. ... Qualifying Exam Chair. For qualifying exam committees formed in the Fall of 2019 or later, the qualifying exam chair will also serve as the student's departmental mentor, unless a student already has two ... PDF Stanford University Department of Statistics The qualifying exams are held in the final week of the eight-week Summer Session (Quarter). The first-year cohort select the days for each specific exam, with the approval of the Faculty Examination Committee. These are typically non-consecutive days. Students are informed of the results immediately prior to the following Autumn Quarter. PhD Qualifying Examination The PhD Qualifying Examination (QEP) is given every year during August, approximately one week prior to the start of Fall semester. This exam is given only once per year. A student who passes the QEP is eligible for an MS degree in Statistics, pending the completion of the appropriate coursework. See the previous chapter for more details. Previous Program Requirements Qualifying Exams. Doctoral students are required to pass two qualifying exams. Comprehensive theory exam. This exam covers probability and theoretical statistics at the level of a graduate textbook such as "Statistical Inference" by Casella and Berger, used by Stats 510/511. The comprehensive exam is offered twice a year, in late August and in ... Sample Qualifying Exams Advanced Exams Advanced Statistics Version I Spring 2016 , Fall 2016 , Spring 2018 , Fall 2018 , Spring 2020 , Fall 2020 , Spring 2022 , Fall 2022 PhD in Statistics PhD Exam in Applied Statistics: This exam covers the same material as the M.A. Applied exam and is offered at the same time, except that in order to pass it at the PhD level a student must correctly solve all four problems. ... Completion of pre-qualifying exam coursework (MA779, MA780, MA781, MA782) Target: Spring of Year 2 post-BA/Spring of ... PhD in Statistics The Statistics Qualifying Exam is based on the two two-semester sequences Mathematical Statistics STAT6021-6022 and Applied Statistics STAT6031-6032. All PhD students must pass the preliminary examination by the end of their second year. The Statistics Preliminary Exam is based on the two courses Linear Models and Multivariate Analysis II STAT ... Qualifying Exam Syllabus Download PhD-QE-Syllabus. Qualifying Exam Syllabus. Site footer content. Quick Links. Welcome and Diversity; Academics; Research Interests; Faculty List; Staff; Learning Center; Contact Us. UW Madison Department of Statistics 1300 University Ave Madison, WI 53706 USA; Email: [email protected]; Phone: (608) 262-2598 Website feedback ... On Ph.D. Qualifying Exams Syracuse University Prelim and Qualifying Exams. Temple University PhD. Exams. University of Texas at Austin Preliminary Exams. ... The appendix includes instructions on accessing electronic versions of the exams as well as a syllabus and statistics of passing scores. This new edition has been updated with the most recent exams, including exams ... Qualifying Exams The Statistics Qualifying Exam is generally taken after the following four core courses are taken. ... PhD students must take the exam and must receive a score of "PhD Pass" in order to continue towards candidacy in the program. Master's students have the option of taking the exam (and earning at least a "MS Pass") or doing a thesis. For more ... Program: Biostatistics (PhD) The available tracks are: (1) biostatistics theory; (2) statistical genetics; (3) environmental statistics; (4) clinical trials. ... Upon passing the qualifying examination the PhD candidate and his or her chair will recommend a three-member dissertation committee. The dissertation should be completed within two years and should be oriented ... Required Exams for PhD Students The Qualifying or Comprehensive Exam for PhD students in Mathematics. Students in the PhD program in Mathematics must fulfill one of the following two options within the time frame described in the graduate catalog. Option 1: Pass two written qualifying exams from five subjects. Written qualifying exams are given twice a year, in January and ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis