Graduate Program Information
M.S. and Ph.D. Program for Full-time Students:
- Master of Science in Statistics (M.S.) The 33-hour M.S. is designed to give a broad coverage of both statistical theory and application, with the flexibility to address your particular interests. Our M.S. graduates pursue their futures either directly in government, business, or industry, or go on to pursue a doctorate in statistics or another quantitative field.
- Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (Ph.D.) The 60-hour Ph.D. (for a student entering the program with a Bachelor's degree) or 42-hour Ph.D. (for a student entering the program with a Master's degree in statistics) is designed to prepare students to be statistical researchers at universities or senior statisticians in Big Tech companies, pharmaceutical companies and financial institutions, etc (see our recent Ph.D. graduates).
More information on our program is available at the above links. If you have any questions not addressed by these links don't hesitate to contact the graduate coordinator at grad_dir@stat.sc.edu. We would be more than happy to answer your questions or help to arrange an on-campus visit.
Applying for Admission
If you would like to be considered for one of our programs, carefully completing an application is the first step in your admissions process. The on-line application can be completed at www.gradschool.sc.edu.
The application fee has been waived by the University of South Carolina for the 2024-25 cycle. In addition to the completed application form, the complete application requires two letters of recommendation, transcripts of all previous college work, and GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores (general test only). The GRE score is strongly recommended, and it is required unless you qualify for a GRE score waiver (see below). We may make a preliminary admission decision using a photocopy of your test score report, but the official ones must be sent directly from the testing agency before we may formally admit. Similarly, we may make an initial admission decision based on unofficial transcripts, but official transcripts must be provided before the student enrolls. We also require that students submit a resume/vita and a personal statement. All of these materials should be sent directly to the graduate school. Please note that your application will be delayed if they are sent to our department as we must then forward them on to the graduate school.
The M.S. and Ph.D. programs are designed to be entered in the Fall semesters, and applicants who wish to be considered for financial support should have their applications completed by January 15th. Applications received through March 1st will be considered for financial support in the event earlier financial offers are declined.
We are happy to receive applications from students from outside of the U.S. and automatically consider all of our applicants for assistantships. For students from countries where English is not an official language to be considered for financial support, we also require TOEFL scores. The TOEFL requirement is waived for students who have received a degree from an accredited University in the United States.
The GRE is strongly recommended for admission to our M.S. and Ph.D. programs. Candidates who apply without GRE scores will only be admitted if their applications are outstanding in all other respects. To bypass the GRE requirement on the application, you must submit a document attesting that you meet at least one of the following conditions for a GRE score waiver in the application:
- A B.S. degree from an accredited university with an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.50/4.00
- A master’s degree from an accredited university with a graduate GPA of at least 3.50/4.00.
- A record of peer-reviewed publication in the scientific literature.
Successful applicants often have a quantitative score of at least 160, a verbal score of at least 145, and an analytical writing score of at least 3.0. We require grades of B or better in college-level calculus and linear algebra. Additionally, international students are required to have a TOEFL score of at least 80. To be competitive for a teaching assistantship, GRE and TOEFL scores should be considerably higher than the minimum required and the student's GPA should be above 3.5.
Thank you for your interest!
Don't hesitate to contact us about any questions or to arrange a visit to campus!
Graduate Director
Department of Statistics
The University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
Tel: (803) 777-4348; Fax: (803)777-4048
e-mail: grad_dir@stat.sc.edu