Ph.D. in Applied Statistics: Biostatistics

The Ph.D. program in Applied Statistics is housed in the Department of Management Science and Statistics in the College of Business, and draws on the extensive health-related expertise of faculty from the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio to complement the Statistics faculty. The program will address growing national and state demands for individuals with doctoral training in the areas of biostatistics and bioinformatics. Statistical methods are ubiquitous and used in the social, physical, and biomedical sciences and in business to process information to assist decision making. In this age of advanced technology, there is an increasing demand for individuals with the expertise in designing experiments and analyzing large complex data sets via the latest advances in computing. In particular, there is a real need for professionals with a Ph.D. degree in Applied Statistics. Statisticians are in very high demand in the growing biomedical field to develop methods for evaluating the efficacy and safety of new medications/drugs, surgeries, and other treatment and in the cutting edge research of Bioinformatics to assess such topics or protocols as gene therapy, stem cell, genomics research, aging, cloning, and many other newly developed issues.

Program Description:

The College of Business’ Department of Management Science and Statistics at UTSA is uniquely situated to address these demands with an experienced faculty in Statistics uniquely prepared to meet the diverse needs of academia, medicine, and professional areas. The Faculty includes individuals with extensive publication records in Biostatistics, Discrete distributions, Multivariate Analysis, Time Series Analysis, and Survival Analysis. In addition, the program will include collaboration with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. This program will address an area of unmet need. There are only a few schools in Texas that offer a doctoral program in Applied Statistics. Currently, in the state of Texas a Ph.D. in Statistics is offered by only two other public institutions; Texas A&M University at College Station, and The University of Texas at Dallas.

Admission Standards:

In addition to satisfying the university-wide graduate admission requirements, an MS or MA in mathematics, statistics, engineering, or a degree in a related field is required. Students who have not earned a qualifying masters degree may be required to complete the equivalent courses in the appropriate background areas before taking doctoral course work. The admissions requirements consist of:

·  A minimum 3.5 grade point average in graduate courses in Statistics and Mathematics

·  A complete core of graduate classes or their equivalents including: Linear Algebra and Matrix Theory, Real Analysis, Data Analysis with Statistical Software, Mathematical Statistics I and II, and Linear Models. Applications that do not meet these standards will be reviewed on an individual basis.

·  A recent Graduate Records Examination (GRE) score from a recent (no more than five years prior to the application date) administration of the exam.

·  Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work completed.

·  Three letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources familiar with the applicant’s background.

·  A curriculum vitae and a statement of academic work experiences, interests, and goals.

·  International students from non-English speaking countries must also submit a score of at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). TOEFL scores may not be more than two years old.

Applicants may be asked to appear before the admissions committee for a personal interview.

Advancement to Candidacy:

Admission into the doctoral program does not guarantee advancement to candidacy. Advancement to candidacy requires a student to complete University and Applied Statistics Program requirements. All students in the program will be required to complete a degree plan specifying the courses they will complete within the specialty or track areas selected by the student. This degree plan must be approved by the student’s graduate committee before the end of the second semester of enrollment. After completing the required course work, students seeking candidacy must also pass written and oral qualifying examinations before being admitted to candidacy for the degree. The written exam is administered by the graduate faculty in the specialization area. Written examinations are scheduled twice a year, whereas the oral examination is administered at the discretion of the student’s dissertation committee. The oral examination is for the purpose of eliminating any questions of competency related to substantive written exams and serves as a hearing for the student’s dissertation proposal. Students will be provided no more than two attempts to pass written qualifying examinations and two attempts to pass the oral qualifying exam. Majority approval of the dissertation examination committee is required to pass the oral examination. The oral examination must be completed within one year of completion of the written examination. Results of the written and oral qualifying examinations must be reported to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Financial Support:

All applicants will be considered for financial support. We anticipate we will be able to provide most students with financial assistance in the form of teaching or research assistantships. Tuition and fees for teaching and research assistants will be waived/paid. Health benefits may also be provided for teaching or research assistants.

For further information on this program contact the Department of Management Science and Statistics at (210) 458-6345 or visit our website at business.utsa.edu/departments/mss/

Apply online at http://www.utsa.edu/graduate/