Statistics Masters Student Handbook

General Track Credit Requirements 

Students in the general track MS: Statistics program are expected to complete 32-36 credit hours (dependent on if STAT 410 is waived) with at least 12 of those credit hours being at the 500 level of non-repeated courses. At least 8 hours of the 12 from a 500 level course must be a Statistics controlled course. 

The course requirements include the 12-16 core courses (STAT 410, STAT 425 (or 527), STAT 510, and a selection of one of the following: STAT 424, 426, 429, 431, 433, 528, 533, or 556). The remaining 20 credit hours will be made up of elective course work, for a complete list of available electives please see: Masters Programs. 

Of the remaining 20 credit hours, 8 may come from outside of the Statistics program, however the courses must have prior approval before enrollment to determine if the coursework is eligible for degree consideration. 

Analytics Concentration Credit Requirements 

Students in the Analytics Concentration track of the MS: Statistics program are expected to complete 36-40 credit hours (dependent on if STAT 410 is waived) with at least 12 of those credit hours being at that 500 level of non-repeated courses. All coursework must be completed through Statistics controlled courses with the exception of CS 412 or CS 512. Any request for course substitution should be discussed with your advisor. 

Students in this track are expected to complete the coursework outlined here: Masters Program and complete the Mathematical Statistics, Applied Statistics, Statistical Consulting, Statistical Computing, and Advanced Analytics sub-groups as detailed on the website. 

Applied Concentration Credit Requirements

The Applied MS in Statistics is intended for students pursuing doctoral degrees in other fields who wish to enhance their statistical knowledge and credentials by obtaining a degree in Statistics in addition to their primary field of study. Admission to this program requires that you have been admitted for PhD studies in another field at the University of Illinois.

A total of nine courses, constituting 36 graduate credit hours, are required for the Applied MS degree with specialization. At least 12 credit hours must be taken at the 500 level. Students wishing information beyond that provided here should contact the Director of Graduate Studies in Statistics.

During your course of study for the Applied MS in Statistics you must transfer temporarily to the Department of Statistics for at least one semester. After satisfying this requirement you then transfer back to your primary degree program.

See here for approved course requirements.

The general MS: Statistics and the Analytics Concentration program both require students have at minimum a 2.75 GPA in order to be eligible for graduation. 

Campus policy requires a student to maintain a minimum cumulative graduate GPA of 2.75 and a semester GPA of 2.25 in order to continue in an advanced degree program, and to have a cumulative graduate GPA of at least 2.75 to graduate. 

The graduate GPA includes all hours and grades for all courses taken while enrolled as a graduate student, including all repeated courses. The GPA component of academic status is calculated at the end of each semester. At the point of calculation, graduate students must have a cumulative graduate GPA at or above their department’s minimum and must have a semester GPA of at least 2.25 to be in good standing.

A graduate student placed on probation who fails to improve their academic standing by the end of the probationary period will receive a notice of dismissal from the Graduate College. This action prohibits the student from registering and drops any courses for which the student has preregistered. The graduate student may request reinstatement to the Graduate College through the graduate student petition process. The Graduate College will consider petitions containing strong support from the academic program they wish to pursue and strong justification based on other factors pertinent to the program’s determination of satisfactory academic progress.

Purpose

The purpose of the Annual Academic Review is to assess the academic progress of MS students in the Department of Statistics. This formal evaluation ensures students are making satisfactory progress toward degree completion and meeting departmental and Graduate College expectations. The process helps identify milestones achieved, areas needing improvement, and provides students with constructive feedback. Completion of the annual review is required to maintain status as a Student in Good Standing.

Applicability

All MS students in Statistics, except new students who have not yet completed their first semester of study, are required to complete the annual evaluation each academic year.

Platform

Evaluations are completed electronically through the ATLAS Grad Student Toolbox available at:
https://my.atlas.illinois.edu

Students must log in using their NetID and password. If the Grad Student Toolbox does not appear, it can be selected from a dropdown menu to enable access.

Timeline

• The evaluation period is announced annually.
• The submission deadline is typically in late-August for continuing students.
• Failure to submit by the deadline may result in a hold on student registration or a loss of Good Standing status.

Review Workflow

1. Student Submission via ATLAS
2. Review by Academic Advisor
3. Final Review by Program Director
4. Feedback is documented in the student’s academic record

Questions and Support

For help or clarifications:

• Email the department at [stat-office@illinois.edu]
• Contact your Academic Advisor at Stat-MS@Illinois.edu 

Compliance

Completion of the Annual Academic Review is mandatory per Graduate College policy for all continuing MS students. Noncompliance may impact academic standing and registration eligibility.

Students enrolled in either the traditional MS in Statistics degree or in the Analytics Concentration degree may switch between the two programs by submitting a petition through the Graduate College’s Student Portal. 

Students should select both the ‘Curriculum Change’ AND the ‘Transfer Credit’ options, select the term that the change should go into effect, select the new program, indicate in the detailed explanation area what program you are wishing to transfer to and state that all related coursework should transfer to the new program. Click ‘Continue’ and as long as there are no errors in the petition, click ‘Submit Petition’. 

Your petition will then be reviewed for approval by your advisor and then reviewed by the Graduate College. Once a decision has been made on your petition you will be notified via email. 

There are academic deadlines each semester to keep in mind and curriculum changes must be submitted for review before those posted deadlines. Please be aware of the appropriate deadlines for the desired actions each term to ensure you stay on track to graduate on time. 

MS students interested in the Statistics PhD program may apply for admission to the program one of two ways, either through the traditional method upon the completion of the MS degree or through the MS to PhD Transfer Program. 

The MS to PhD Transfer Program is available to those MS students who have an accumulative GPA of 3.85 or higher, has successfully completed 3 - 500 level courses in Statistics with a final grade of at least an ‘A’, and must be currently enrolled in the MS program at time of applying. 

The application period opens up in May after degree conferral has taken place making all recent graduating students ineligible for this program. 

Students accepted to the PhD program via the MS to PhD Transfer Program are eligible to participate in the Qualifying Exams, however they are also given the option to opt out until the following exam period. 

Interested students should see the administrative advisor in the academic office for more details and required application materials. 

STAT 410: The content of STAT 410 Statistics and Probability II is foundational and critical to coursework that will follow. If a student has already taken the course at UIUC, the course is automatically waived. For students interested in possibly waiving the course based on prior knowledge from similar coursework, a waiver exam has been provided in the new student orientation course in canvas. Students who have not previously taken STAT 410 at UIUC and have not been informed of ability to waive the course based on the waiver exam must complete STAT 410 and should enroll in the course in their first semester as the course is a pre-requisite for many other courses in the program. 

STAT 425 vs. STAT 527: STAT 425 is an upper level regression course taken by upper level undergraduate students and MS students. STAT 527 is an advanced graduate course in regression analysis for PhD and MS students. Students who have already completed STAT 425, should take STAT527 to meet the STAT 425 requirement or speak with their advisor about possible substitution.  Students may otherwise choose between the STAT 425 and STAT 527 to meet the requirement. 

Students planning to take STAT 425 to meet the requirement are strongly recommended to take the course during their first semester as the course is a prerequisite for other advanced coursework. Those who already have proficiency at the STAT 425 level and plan to take STAT 527 may choose to take STAT 527 in a later semester, but are advised that STAT 425 proficiency is integral to other courses they will likely be taking.

Course registration is completed through the UI Integrate Self-Service system, or Student Self-Service. The Student Self-Service system can be accessed through apps.uillinois.edu/selfservice.

Degree seeking students will be assigned a time ticket showing the earliest time you are authorized to register. The time ticket indicates the first time a student can register for the term. Within each priority grouping, registration time tickets are assigned in intervals first by student level or special group designation and then by the number of hours completed. 

When they become available, you can access your time ticket under Registration Eligibility in Student Self-Service. (Contact registration@illinois.edu if you cannot access your time ticket.)

All graduate students are expected to be registered for at minimum 8 credit hours per fall and spring semester in order to maintain their full-time status. Students who hold an assistantship of 25% or more may register for 4 credit hours and still be considered full time. This holds true for international students as well who are typically required to maintain a full-time status per visa regulations. 

Students are not required to register for the summer term unless they are an international student on CPT (Curricular Practical Training). International students while on CPT should register for STAT 593. 

Students who have less than 8 hours to complete the degree program only need to register for the number of hours required to graduate during their last semester of enrollment. International students will need prior approval from ISSS in order to request a final term of study reduced course load. 

In the fall and spring semesters, students can use Self-Service to drop full semester classes until the end of the eighth week of instruction. After the eighth week and until the end of the twelfth week of instruction, students wishing to drop full semester classes may do so through the Graduate College Student Portal without receiving a grade of W. 

After the twelfth week, students wishing to drop a class will need to complete the Late Course Change form with academic departmental approval, and will receive a grade of W for the class. The last time to submit changes to a student’s current term registration is 5:00 p.m. on Reading Day. Summer deadlines vary; see the Graduate College Academic Calendar for details. 

Students do not need the instructor’s approval on the Late Registration form in order to drop their course, only advisor and administrative approval from the department office. 

After the tenth day of instruction, students who wish to add a course for the semester must complete a Late Registration/Late Course Change Form found in the Graduate College Student Portal. The student should complete the form with all required information to ensure the form routes to the appropriate administrators. The course instructor and department will be notified of the request for both parties to review for approval. If approved, your request will be routed to the Graduate College for processing. 

Non-STAT courses will require the approval of the course controlling department. 

The last time to submit changes to a student’s current term registration is 5:00 p.m. on Reading Day.

Please contact your academic advisor for any requests regarding course substitutions for non-STAT courses. Decisions on substitutions will generally depend on the content of the course you propose to use toward the MS degree and the content of coursework you propose to replace. Be prepared to provide a course description, syllabus, and any other relevant information you may have on the course you propose to substitute. 

Plan ahead and discuss substitution requests with your advisor early. Requests should ideally be made prior to starting the course or at the very beginning of the course when the course overview and syllabus are provided. Students should not expect approval of requests made after that.

You are welcome to take courses outside of the degree program (discuss with advisor beforehand on any possible course substitutions), however the department does not have any control over courses outside of the primary program. If there is a course outside of Statistics that a student wishes to take and they are unable to register for the course, they should contact the controlling department of that course to determine eligibility requirements. 

Many courses, including STAT courses, are initially restricted to certain groups of students until a certain period of time or indefinitely. The department cannot help students register for these courses. 

An auditor is only a listener in the classes attended; he or she is not a participant in any part of the exercises. Auditors are not permitted in studio, laboratory, or activity courses. An audited course will appear on the student’s transcript with a grade of AU. Audited hours do not count toward assessed hours.  An audited course does not count toward the registration requirement for fellows. A course, once audited, may not be repeated for graduate credit. 

Students wishing to audit a class must make the request using an Auditor’s Permit. The student should take the Auditor’s Permit form to the first class meeting and ask the instructor to sign, indicating approval. The form should then be submitted to the Graduate College for approval. Approval from both the instructor and the Graduate College is required. The deadline for submitting the Auditor’s Permit to the Graduate College is the 10th day of instruction in the fall and spring terms.

Credit-no credit is a permanent notation on the academic record that may be requested by a student with the adviser’s approval. Students on limited status admission or probation are not allowed to register for credit-no credit course work until the limited status or probation has been removed. 

Credit/no credit courses are not counted toward the GPA, but are included as part of the total credit hours and are assessed as credit hours when completing degree audits for graduation. 

In any one semester, a student may take no more than 4 semester hours on a credit-no credit basis. Over the entire degree program, a student must earn at least 2 hours of graded (A-D) course work for each hour of credit-no credit course work. 

For courses not used toward their degree requirements, students may take courses Credit/No-Credit up to the limit allowed by the Graduate College. Students may not take the Credit/No-Credit option for any required degree program core course (e.g. STAT 425, 510, etc.). Students should discuss with their advisor prior to any selections of Credit/No-Credit. 

A student may amend a credit-no credit request and return to a regular grade mode by filing a second credit-no-credit form and submitting it by the published deadline as indicated in the Graduate College Academic Calendar. 

A student can repeat a course that they got a less than favorable grade in, however the original grade will not be replaced and both grades and total hours will count towards the cumulative GPA, as well as appear on the student’s transcripts. 

Neither the Graduate College or the department allow for graduate level course grades to be replaced. 

Closed Section: There are no available seats remaining in the section. 

Duplicate CRN: Student already registered for a section of the same course. 

Instructor Consent Required: Instructor approval is required. Contact instructor. 

Level Restriction: Student does not meet the required level (Undergrad or Graduate). 

Link Error: Course requires registration in corresponding linked section. 

Major Restriction: Student’s major does not match course. 

Maximum Hours: Student has registered for maximum hours. 

Program Restriction: Student is not in the required program of the course. 

Reserve Closed: Reserve seating in the course has been filled. 

Time Conflict: Course conflicts with another course already registered for. The Department does not approve time conflicts with Statistics courses. 

Students who have completed all degree requirements and are ready to graduate may place themselves on the corresponding Degree List through the Student Self-Service system prior to the posted deadline. Students who have missed the deadline may complete an Add to Degree List form through the Graduate College. 

The department will complete a degree audit for any student on the degree list to verify that all requirements have been or will be met pending completion of the final term. Students may complete their own degree audit through the uAchieve system. Students may contact the department office or their advisor and request a degree audit for verification that they are on track for graduation. 

The department office or advisor will contact you if there is an issue with completing your degree audit to resolve any issues that may prevent you from graduating on time.  

The University has the responsibility for maintaining academic integrity so as to protect the quality of education and research on our campus and to protect those who depend upon our integrity. 

It is the responsibility of each student to refrain from infractions of academic integrity, from conduct that may lead to suspicion of such infractions, and from conduct that aids others in such infractions. Students have been given notice of this by virtue of its publication. Regardless of whether a student has actually read Article 1: Part 4 of the Student Code, a student is charged with knowledge of it. Ignorance is not a defense. 

Violations of academic integrity will result in disciplinary actions up to but not limited to: failing grade on assignment, failing of course, probation, suspension or dismissal from the University. 

Course work-based charges of academic integrity infractions against graduate students will be handled according to applicable procedures in Article 1, Part 4 of the Student Code: studentcode.illinois.edu. Charges of academic integrity infractions against graduate students that involve research and/or publication will follow procedures contained within the Bylaws of the Graduate College and the University of Illinois Policy and Procedures on Academic Integrity in Research and Publication.

The Graduate Student Request Form is to be used to request changes to you academic record, or to petition for an exception to a published deadline or Graduate College policy. 

The Student Petition portal can be found under the Academics section of the Graduate College’s website. 

Students who submit a petition should provide detailed information on the specifics of their request by including all relevant information and documentation. 

Clearly identify the issue and provide justification for the request. This justification may include a timeline of events, medical documentation, supporting statements, or other as applicable. 

Submitted petitions go to the academic program for initial review. Once your advisor and an office administrator makes a decision on the petition, they will either submit it to the Graduate College for final review or contact you for further information. 

Not all petitions are approved. 

Graduate Students in degree-seeking programs are entitled to a total of two terms (fall and/or spring semesters) of academic leave. Students must document their request for a leave and meet the eligibility requirements. Students who anticipate not being enrolled for one or more terms, (fall or spring semesters, not summer), must meet with their program advisor before the first day of classes of their period of non-enrollment to apply for and receive approval for an Academic Leave of Absence. 

Student status does not change during the period of an approved Leave of Absence. Standing that was in place at the time of the leave is not changed at the time of return as long as the conditions of the approved leave are met. 

All Academic Leaves must be requested before the term begins. An Academic Leave of Absence cannot be requested retroactively, cannot be used to return to good standing, and cannot be used to extend the time to degree. 

To request a formal academic leave the student must complete the Request for Academic Leave of Absence form and if necessary, complete a petition to request an extension of time to degree. 

Students who do not enroll for a calendar year must apply for Re-Entry through a Graduate Petition through the Graduate College’s website. Please consult with your advisor before your request for re-entry is submitted. 

If your Time to Degree/Expected Graduation Date has expired, you will need to request a Time Extension at the time of re-entry. Both your program and the Graduate College will review your request for Time Extension. 

The department office may ask for updated materials or documentation related to your absence in order to consider your re-entry request. These materials may include new or updated letters of recommendation or transcripts if applicable. 

International students will also need to submit the International Student Verification Form and Declaration & Certification of Finances Form, along with the appropriate funding documentation. International students needing a new I-20 after not being registered for one fall or spring semester should contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) for assistance.

Students wishing to cancel their registration to avoid tuition and fees must do so on or before the last business day before the start of the semester. A cancellation request processed at any time after the start of the academic term will result in an assessed amount of tuition and fees being charged to the student. 

A student who wishes to drop all courses after the cancellation deadline must withdraw from the University for that term. Students withdrawing from the University are refunded on a pro-rata basis until a specified date in the semester after which no refund is available. No portion of the health insurance fee or health service fee is refundable. 

A Cancellation/Withdrawal form must be submitted for approval to the department’s administrative office before being submitted to the Graduate College. International Students will also need the approval of ISSS. 

Registration holds can be placed on a student’s record for several reasons. Holds may prohibit the student from making changes to their registration, from receiving a transcript, or from graduating. Review the hold description to determine how to remove the hold, otherwise contact the administrative office for further information on how to remove the hold. 

The Department of Statistics Career Services Advisor will help students navigate the post-graduation work force and prepare them for future employment opportunities. Some of the services provided by the Statistics Career Advisor include: Resume and Cover Letter Review, Interview Preparation, Elevator Pitches, Internship and Job Search Strategy, Offer Negotiations, LinkedIn Profile Review, and more. 

Schedule an appointment with the Career Services Advisor through the Department by emailing: stat-careers@illinois.edu. 

The Consulting or experiential learning requirement of the MS in Statistics and the MS in Statistics Concentration in Analytics can be met by taking STAT 427 Statistical Consulting, STAT 443 Professional Statistics, or STAT 593 along with an approved internship. 

Internships for STAT 593 may not be research or on-campus employment (some exceptions apply; e.g. internships with ATLAS). Internships at Research Park paid through the University can apply to STAT 593 if the position is deemed relevant to your field of study and approved by your academic advisor. 

An appointment as a consultant with at least a 25% assistantship for at least one semester in the Illinois Statistics Office (ISO) can waive the course requirement. Such work would not receive any course credit, but would provide substantial experience consistent with the course requirement. Other roles in the ISO (including but not limited to hourly work, data management, and data analytic assistance for a consultant) would not be considered a substitute for the experience obtained in the required coursework.

Hourly Course Assistants

Hourly grader/course assistant positions are based on department availability and are awarded on a competitive basis. Students will be notified when the application period has opened for upcoming terms. Serious candidates are expected to have completed applicable course or course equivalent with a 'B' or higher to be considered for grading positions. 

Department of Statistics Hourly Course Assistant Application

Teaching/Research Assistantships

Statistics MS students occasionally are provided with an opportunity to hold an assistantship with the department. Students who obtain an assistantship within the department must abide by the same policies and procedures outlined in the Statistics-PhD Student Handbook, Section II: Employment Policies and Procedures and are governed by the same requirements, expectations, evaluations, potential dismissals, and eligible for assistantship awards. 

External Student Job Boards

Graduate College Assistantship Clearinghouse
Office of Student Financial Aid Virtual Job Board

STAT 593 Stat Internship is for a supervised off-campus work experience in the statistical sciences. Students must have an internship offer prior to requesting to enroll in STAT 593. Domestic students can hold an internship without enrolling in the course, but would not receive course credit. International students on F-1 visas must obtain approval for CPT (Curricular Practical Training) and enroll in STAT 593 as part of their CPT. International students with J-1 visas should consult with ISSS. 

CPT is for F-1 visa students who have completed one full academic year of coursework and wish to complete an internship. International students with an F-1 visa should review the content on ISSS’s CPT website  and attend a CPT workshop. Working without the necessary authorization is a serious visa violation, so international students are advised to consult with ISSS and their academic advisor. 

Steps for Enrollment (International Students Only)

1. Students on F-1 visas, use the I-Start system to request for CPT, write your advisor’s name in the CPT request form, and then submit that. Students on J-1 visas should consult with ISSS.
2. All students: Send an email to stat-ms@Illinois.edu from your Illinois email account with the following information:
   1. Full legal name
   2. NetID
   3. UIN
   4. Semester of entry to MS program
   5. Semester of anticipated graduation
   6. Desired semester of registration
   7. Desired hours of registration (See details below.)
   8. Attached offer letter
   9. Brief description of job (If not written into offer letter.)
3. Your advisor will review your request and decide on departmental CPT approval (if necessary) and enrollment in the course.

Hours of Registration: 

You may elect to register for 0 or 4 hours. This may have impacts on full-time status and tuition. During Fall and Spring semesters, 4 hours is most often selected. In Summer, 0 hours is used for reduced tuition. 

Course Requirements: 

If taken for 0 hours, the only course requirements are maintaining an internship, and a brief evaluation from your supervisor at the end of the term. If taken for 4 hours, there will be two additional requirements: a mid-semester and end-of-semester report. Details will be provided on Compass. 

Graduation Requirements: 

At most, 4 hours of STAT 593 may count towards graduate requirements and will count as one of the 500 level courses required to earn a degree. 

Summer Tuition and Fees: 

The number of credit hours students enroll in for STAT 593 will determine the tuition and fee rates that will be assessed. Summer tuition and fee schedule for graduate students can be accessed at the Office of the Registrar's website. 

Length of Training: 

Students who participate in twelve months or more of full-time curricular practical training will lose eligibility to apply for twelve months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduate studies are completed. Participation in part-time curricular training programs does not affect a student’s eligibility for post-completion OPT. 

Change of Address: 

Once your CPT is approved, students need to update their address in the UI Integrate system to match the address of their CPT training, for the period of their training. Once students return to campus, they must update their address for their current location. 

OPT and Graduation (International Students Only) Occupational Practical Training (OPT) is for graduate students who are on an F-1 visa, are completing required coursework, been enrolled for a minimum of two semesters directly prior to your completion of studies, have a valid passport, and complied with registration requirements of any prior CPT and wish to complete one year of practical on the job training after graduation. In order to start the OPT training paperwork, students must follow the steps below. 

1. Review information available at the International Student Services Office OPT website.
2. Send an email to stat-ms@illinois.edu from your Illinois email account with the following information:
   1. Full legal name
   2. NetID
   3. UIN
   4. Semester of graduation
   5. Attached offer letter
   6. Brief description of job (If not written into offer letter.)
3. Submit the OPT request through the ISSS I-Start portal. This form will be electronically routed to your academic advisor. The academic advisor will
   1. verify student has met the degree requirements;
   2. indicate the student’s anticipated graduation date; and
   3. sign the form.

Dates and Deadlines: 

You can apply no sooner than 90 days before your program end date but no later than 60 days after your program end date. OPT start date must be requested between 1st and 60th day of program end date. However, USCIS will determine the actual start date. Application processing time is approximately 90-100 days. 

OPT STEM (24-Month Extension): 

All graduate degrees in Statistics are considered STEM programs and thus are eligible for the 24-month extension for OPT.