May 11, 2024  
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog

Statistics, PhD


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Graduate Programs

The Doctoral Degrees (Ph.D. in Mathematics and Ph.D. in Statistics) in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics are research degrees. Students in the Ph.D. program are to maintain a balance between the depth of the dissertation work and the breadth provided by the course work. The programs prepare students for academic careers balancing teaching and research, or, especially in the case of the statistics Ph.D., research-oriented jobs in government and industry.  

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the PhD degree, students in the Statistics program are expected to be able to:

  • Effectively explain, integrate, and apply critical concepts in statistics
  • Clearly communicate statistical ideas orally and in writing
  • Use appropriate technology to successfully make progress on a wide variety of statistical tasks
  • Read, understand, critique, and extend published articles
  • Conduct original research in mathematics and write a dissertation of publishable quality

Admission Requirements

Deadlines: Summer and Fall, Jan 31 recommended for funding.

Applicants to the PhD programs in Mathematics and in Statistics are required to have a Master’s degree by the time they start classes at BGSU. If you are currently in a master’s program, please indicate clearly when you expect to finish that degree program in your application under the Academic History tab. When evaluating applications, we examine the student’s ability to start immediately in PhD-level courses offered the next Fall, because the first requirement for PhD students is to take two PhD-level sequences and pass qualifying examinations. This assists in preserving time to conduct dissertation research and finish the degree in a 4-year time frame. In the event that assistantship funding is available, the department can offer two years of support for the Master’s program and four years of support for the PhD program.

Additional documents required:

  • Submit scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Your GRE will be waived if you:
    • hold a US undergraduate degree with a GPA of 3.4 or better on a 4.0 scale. Enter your undergraduate GPA and GPA Scale on the Academic History tab with your undergraduate degree information
    • or if you hold a First Class Honors degree designation in a British school system, please email your Student Services Counselor and let them know you are eligible for the GRE waiver
  • Three Letters of Recommendation from faculty or professionals who can assess your academic preparation for the program
  • Statement of Purpose

Application Requirements

Admissions Categories and Grade Point Average Requirements

International Application Information

Degree Requirements

Curriculum Requirements


Additional Requirements


  • Minimum 3.0 graduate cumulative grade point average
  • Maximum of 10 credits of 5000-level coursework may be counted toward degree requirements
  • Preliminary Examination or Project
  • Minimum of  16 credits of dissertation research (maximum of 30 credits of dissertation research are applicable to degree requirements)
  • Dissertation Defense and Publication of Manuscript on OhioLINK
  • All requirements must be completed within eight years from the end of the earliest course used to fulfill degree requirements.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Graduate Programs