Program Description
The Field of Statistics offers two programs of study: the MS/PhD and PhD programs. The PhD program
is intended to prepare students for a career in research and teaching at the University level. The
PhD is a "terminal" degree and requires writing and defending a dissertation. The MS/PhD program is
primarily intended as the first part of the PhD program. Completion of the MS/PhD portion of the program
typically involves two years of graduate-level coursework in statistics and probability. Further
information on program requirements and general expectations of progress can be found under
Program Course Requirements and Timetables.
Program Admission
Applicants having achieved a BA or BS degree will be considered for admission to the MS/PhD program.
Applicants having achieved a masters degree in a related field of study (e.g., statistics, mathematics,
computer science) will, at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies, be considered for admission
directly into the PhD program. Further information on the academic preparation expected of incoming MS/PhD
students can be found under Recommended Academic Background.
Applicants interested in obtaining a terminal MS degree in statistics should apply to Cornell's
MPS Program in Applied Statistics.
Transitioning from the MS/PhD to PhD program
Students admitted to the MS/PhD program do not automatically progress into the PhD program at the end of their
second year. In particular, students must first pass both the First and Second Year evaluations. Further
information on the evaluation and transition process may be found under
Evaluations and Examinations.
The Doctoral Dissertation
Once the program requirements are completed and you are ready to begin planning and working on your PhD
dissertation, you must form a Special Committee consisting of your dissertation adviser and at least two
other faculty members. The Special Committee plays a fundamentally important role in your graduate education and,
in particular, is charged with the responsibility of helping you achieve your academic objectives.
Once you are ready to begin substantive work on the thesis, the Special Committee holds the "A Exam." The A Exam
is an oral examination at which you present your dissertation proposal and answer questions about it (and related
topics). Passing this examination means that you are admitted to doctoral candidacy and therefore eligible to write
and present a dissertation to the graduate faculty of the Field of Statistics.
Once the dissertation is complete, the Special Committee holds the "B Exam" (the dissertation defense). The dissertation
defense is an oral examination at which you present and discuss your major results and answer questions about it and
related topics.
Students should consult both the Guide to Graduate Study and Code of Legislation of the Graduate Faculty
(available at www.gradschool.cornell.edu) for further information on
academic and procedural matters pertinent to pursuing a graduate degree at Cornell University.
Your Advisor and Special Committee
Upon your arrival, a faculty member of the Field of Statistics will be assigned to serve as your temporary adviser;
this arrangement will remain in place until the student forms the Special Committee, at which point in time the Committee
chair becomes your academic advisor.
Your academic adviser typically serves as your primary source of information on academic matters, but we hope that you will
feel free to talk to any of the graduate faculty: the more faculty members that you get to know, the better.
Your assigned advisor and the membership of the Special Committee need not be set in stone: you should consider making appropriate
changes if your area of interest or dissertation topic changes (keeping in mind that this entails a certain unavoidable loss of
time). Your objective should be to write the best possible thesis or dissertation, and the choice of your Special Committee
should serve this objective.
Other Faculty and Staff
The Director of Graduate Studies is in charge of general issues pertaining to graduate students in the Field of Statistics.
Regarding specific administrative, scheduling, and financial questions, the administrative staff may be more knowledgeable
than the faculty, so please do not neglect this important resource.
Your Graduate Student Colleagues
Your graduate student colleagues will fill you in on the general "lay of the land." There is a formal Statistics Graduate Student Association which sponsors social and academic activities.
