Statistics and Data Science Department at WashU
Statistics — as a core discipline focusing on data-driven discovery, understanding, and decision-making — is rapidly evolving and advancing in the data science era. The new Department of Statistics and Data Science (SDS) strives to be a world-class department with outstanding scholars who will transform the university's intellectual community not only through their own activities and achievements but also through synergistic collaborations with existing faculty and departments across Arts & Sciences, the McKelvey School of Engineering, and all of the other schools at the university.
The SDS department offers two master's degree programs in statistics and one doctoral degree in statistics. Our masterʼs and PhD graduates regularly secure competitive positions at universities, at government institutions, and as statisticians and data scientists in industry. One of the most attractive features of our program is the friendly and supportive atmosphere that develops among our graduate students.
Master’s of Arts in Statistics and Data Science
The Department of Statistics & Data Science (SDS) offers a Master’s of Arts in Statistics and Data Science, with concentrations in either Statistics or in Data Science. Our programs provide students with the analytical background needed to prepare them for diverse careers in government, finance, business, further PhD studies, and more. We encourage practical training experiences, such as internships off campus or research opportunities on campus, which students can pursue based on availability and their own initiative. Master's students in the Statistics and Data Science Department are expected to be self-funded.
MA students can also challenge themselves to take the more advanced Statistics PhD qualifier courses to prepare them for further PhD programs upon graduation. High-achieving students may also choose to complete a master’s thesis.
The MA in Statistics and Data Science is available to all qualified students from any field. There are 30 units of coursework. Students may also choose an optional thesis pathway, which requires 6 additional units of thesis research, bringing the total requirement to 36 units. The minimum residence requirement is one full academic year of graduate study. A GPA of B (3.0) or better must be maintained in graduate courses. To be eligible for the thesis option, a student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in the first 18 units of courses satisfying the program requirements. View program requirements for the MA in Statistics and Data Science.
The Accelerated BA/MA is available only to qualified WashU undergraduates, allowing them to earn MA degrees with two additional semesters of work, usually a total of five years. The program is fast paced and requires intense work and careful planning. Applicants are expected to have backgrounds comparable to the students admitted to the regular MA program. View program requirements for the Accelerated BA/MA in Statistics and Data Science.
PhD in Statistics
Students ordinarily complete the PhD program in five years, and those students may expect up to five years of support. Continuation of support each year is dependent upon normal progress toward the degree and the satisfactory performance of duties. Students typically spend their first two years (four semesters) taking graduate courses. At the end of this time, they will have completed requirements for the master's degree. Students ordinarily start the process of finding a dissertation advisor and start their research during their second year.
A student who comes to Washington University with advanced preparation may finish in less time. Alternatively, some students find that it is advisable for them to take some preparatory courses before attempting the qualifying courses. In special cases, the time schedule may be lengthened accordingly.
Washington University's graduate student stipends are in the top 25% of stipends at similar universities, and St. Louis has a low cost of living. View program requirements for PhD in Statistics.
Faculty Research
The interdisciplinary interests of our faculty span a broad range of areas including the application of statistics and data science to medicine, finance, environmental sciences, and technology. Research interests of our faculty include the following:
1. Bioinformatics
2. Bootstrap methodology
3. Environmental statistics
4. Functional data analysis
5. High-dimensional statistics
6. Statistical computing for massive data
7. Mathematical and statistical finance
8. Model selection and post-selection inference
9. Network analysis
10. Objective Bayes
11. Robust statistics
12. Statistical and machine learning
13. Time series and spatial statistics
