Graduate Programs

Introduction

The Department of Statistics offers both Master's and PhD graduate programs.

Application Procedure, Deadlines and Required Supporting Documentation

Applications may be made online or by mail. Applications and additional information is available from the Faculty of Graduate Studies (Admissions). It is important to follow all instructions and submit all of the required documentation before any deadlines. In addition to the supporting documentation required by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Department of Statistics also require the following additional supporting information:

• Two letters of reference in support of your application. Please use the form available here under the heading "Other Supporting Documentation". Additional pages may be added if required.
• A brief (1-2 pages) statement of purpose which should include your financial aid expectations and/or requirements.

Deadlines

For September admission, the Department of Statistics begins the application review process in early February. To be considered in the initial review process, all application materials, including letters of reference and transcripts, should be received before February 1st. Applications received after this date will still be considered for admission depending on the number of spaces available for the Fall term. While applications after February 1st will still be considered for admission, they may not be considered for funding.

Students should also be aware of deadlines imposed by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The Faculty of Graduate Studies requires that Canadian/U.S. submit their application and supporting documentation to the Faculty of Graduate Studies at least 3 months prior to their intended start date. International students should submit their application and supporting documentation to the Department at least 7 months prior to their intended start date.

M.Sc. Programs

Program Requirements

The Master's degree may be earned in one of three ways:

• Submission of a thesis; at least nine credit hours of approved work at the 7000 level in statistics, which must include STAT 7080, STAT 7140 and the zero credit hour STAT 7310; and six credit hours of approved coursework at the 4000 or 7000 level in Statistics.
• Submission of a practicum; at least nine credit hours of coursework at the 7000 level, which must include STAT 7080, STAT 7140, STAT 7290 and the zero credit hour STAT 7310; and six credit hours of approved work at the 4000 or 7000 level in Statistics.
• Eighteen credit hours of course work at the 7000 level, which must include STAT 7080, STAT 7140, the zero credit hour STAT 7310 and the research project course STAT 7320; and six credit hours of approved coursework at the 4000 or 7000 level in Statistics.

Students are also expected to take part in laboratory instruction.

Second language reading requirement: none

Expected time to graduate: one to two years depending the option selected

Note: This is based on proposed program changes currently awaiting approval. It is expected that these will be the program requirements as of Fall 2010.

Ph.D. in Statistics

Program Requirements

Minimum program requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies are found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. Students are required to satisfy the following requirements:

Candidates are required to attempt and successfully complete at least twelve credit hours at the 7000 level. These courses will normally be taken from the Department of Statistics. Courses will normally be recommended by the candidate's supervisor. Candidates are required to pass the Ph.D. qualifying examination within eighteen months of first registration. Candidates are required to pass a candidacy examination, which will normally be administered twelve months prior to the completion of all degree requirements. The candidacy examination will be set and administered by the candidate's Ph.D. advisory committee. The format may vary.

Second language requirement: none

Thesis: required

Expected time to graduation: five years

Financial Support

Financial support is available on a competitive basis. Sources for such support include

• NSERC PGS-M/D (for Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents only)
• University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships
• Manitoba Graduate Scholarships
• MITACS
• Teaching and Research Assistantships
• Supervisor's Funds
• A limited number of Faculty of Science Graduate Scholarships are also available on a competitive basis.

Consulting Service

The Statistical Advisory Service is operated by the Department of Statistics in the Faculty of Science. In addition to providing assistance to faculty members and graduate students on campus, members of the Statistical Advisory Service:

• participate in collaborative research projects
• conduct research in statistical methodology
• act as a resource for clients from government and industry
• provide training in statistical consulting to graduate students in statistics

In the past, seminars and workshops on a variety of statistical topics have also been developed and conducted by consultants for research groups and organizations.

Computing Facilities

The Statistics Department has two computer labs primarily equipped with recent Apple iMac computers.

The Statistics Lab in room 311 Machray Hall was developed to support students in our introductory STAT 1000 and STAT 2000 courses. The Department hires senior undergraduate and graduate students to provide both statistical and computing assistance in 311 Machray Hall. If you are interested in working in the lab, you should contact Margaret Smith in room 336 Machray Hall. This lab has 43 iMacs.

The senior lab facility, located in room 314 Machray Hall, is available for senior undergraduates and graduate students. This lab is accessible to eligible students at all times. This room currently has seven iMac computers, some of which are equipped with VMWare Fusion for running Windows, and one IBM IntelliStation running Ubuntu Linux for high-performance computing. If you require remote access to any of thesesystems, you need to see Dave Gabrielson in 323 Machray Hall.

All of the iMacs in both labs are available as a clustered computing resource. The aggregate power of the cluster is over 100 GHz with more than 500 Gb of RAM.

Supplementary Regulations

Application for Graduate Admission

Information for Graduands