M.Stat 5th Year Option for Rice Undergraduates

This is a special opportunity for Rice students! With proper planning and coordination of your undergraduate major(s) and senior year courses, you may obtain the Professional Master in Statistics (M.Stat) in just a 5th year of study!

The M.Stat involve a 5th year of specialized study, which is integrated with the four undergraduate years leading to either the BA or the BS degree in the same or related areas of interest. The professional degree program is open to students who have shown academic excellence in their undergraduate studies. Statistics, other Engineering, Mathematics, Mathematical Economics, and other majors with appropriate statistics interest and coursework would be candidates for this degree.

Admission is open to Rice students who have shown academic excellence in their undergraduate studies. Applications have to be received within the normal time table for application for the program. With faculty approval, students can start taking required core courses of the Professional Master's Program during their senior year at Rice. A plan of graduate study based on their particular focus area will need to be jointly developed and approved by the track director and the M.Stat program director.

Course of Study

The 5th Year M.Stat is a non-thesis Master's degree, and does not require an internship. Students are required to take 30 hours of approved coursework, with additional recommended career-enhancing enrichment courses. Depending on the student's selected specialization, the mix of required, track-specific and elective courses will be jointly determined by the student and the graduate advisor. You will meet with your advisor during the first year of the program to select an individualized plan of study, with periodic tune-ups as the program progresses.

The program normally takes three semesters of full-time course work, although very strong students may finish in two semesters; it is also possible to complete the program on a part-time basis, so long as the student eventually satisfies the 1-semester residency requirement. Here is a summary of the salient issues:

With proper planning and coordination of your undergraduate major(s) and senior year courses, you may earn the Professional Master in Statistics (M.Stat) in just a 5th year of study.

Generally the 5th Year M.Stat is coordinated between the student and the undergraduate advisor and M.Stat Director prior to the student's graduation from the University.

The Department has at our discretion the ability to count certain courses for M.Stat credit which were taken while the student is an undergraduate, so long as these were taken in addition to an approved UG degree plan, which is normally considered to comprise 120 hours. Indeed, this ability to pursue M.Stat level courses while still an undergraduate is a key reason that the program can be completed in a single additional year.

In unusual circumstances, a student could complete the 5th Year M.Stat degree in a single additional semester of study. It is not possible to complete the 5th Year M.Stat degree without at least one additional semester specifically in the M.Stat program due to University graduate student residency requirements (9 hours minimum).

Click here for information on the undergraduate statistics major. For general university requirements regarding graduate degrees and the 5th year option, see General Announcements - Graduate Degrees, including regulations on dual course credit. The M.Stat is a non-thesis Master's degree, and does not require an internship. For applicants with GPA greater than or equal to 3.0/4.0, the GRE requirement may be waived. Students are required to take 30 hours of approved coursework. In the 5th Year M.Stat program, these requirements will have been met by the end of the student's 5th year at Rice.

Core Curriculum

Required Courses

These courses are normally completed by the end of the first 2 semesters

Courses Specific to Area of Specialization

These courses are recommended for the specialization track that is to be developed between the M.Stat student and their advisor (Director of M.Stat Program). Courses include recommended core and elective courses. The current recommended core courses are listed below; recommended electives and courses for certain tracks such as Applied Statistics for Industry and Preparation for Ph.D. Studies are developed separately.

Financial Statistics and the Statistics of Risk

Bioinformatics, Statistical Genetics, and Biostatistics

Statistical Computing and Data Mining

Environmental Statistics

Free Electives

Electives are targeted in the subfield of interest. Students may be asked to take specific courses outside the department, depending on the incoming background of the student, career objectives and funding sources.

Program Specialization

M.Stat students can choose to focus their studies in any of the following program areas (see program details for more information on these specializations):

Applied Statistics for Industry
Financial Statistics and the Statistics of Risk
Bioinformatics, Statistical Genetics, and Biostatistics
Statistical Computing and Data Mining
Environmental Statistics
Joint MBA/M.Stat Degree Program
Preparation for Ph.D. Studies in Statistics, Mathematical Economics, and Finance

Admission to the M.Stat program does not carry any commitment of financial aid, and the student is expected to be fully responsible for tuition and fees throughout the program.  Tuition is based on hours taken; full-time tuition is based on registering for at least  9 hours; for more details, see application process.

International students must pay careful attention to rules regarding full-time status and optional and practical training (if needed). The International Students and Scholars Office (OISS) is the source of information on these issues.