The contents in this handbook are for students in the Statistics-PhD program to navigate the various resources and policies of the doctoral program. Information provided in this guide is relevant as of the posted modify date below. Questions regarding particular processes or policies should be directed at the indicated contacts under each category.

Degree Requirements, Minimum Grades, Course Credits

The Statistics-PhD program requires a minimum of 96 credit hours for completion. This is comprised of 64 credit hours at the advanced doctoral level and 32 credit hours at the MS level.

Review complete course requirements here: https://stat.illinois.edu/academics/graduate-programs/phd-statistics/coursework

  • Successfully complete the Qualifying Exam after first year in the PhD program.
    • Successful completion of the Qualifying Exam will allow a student to continue on to PhD candidacy and allow a student to begin working with research faculty.
  • Successfully pass a Preliminary Exam for thesis proposal.
  • Successfully pass a Final Exam for thesis proposal.
  • Successfully deposit thesis for review.
  • Minimum GPA: 3.0
  • Students should register for at minimum 0 credit hours of STAT 599 Thesis Research before deposit.

Minimum Grades and Credit for Repeated Courses

The Graduate College has no minimum grade policy, but a department or program may set a minimum grade to be earned in order for a course to count as credit toward the degree. Students are responsible for knowing their departmental requirements.

Students must earn a grade of C- or higher in a course or CR (Credit/No-Credit) in order for the course to be counted towards degree requirements. 

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. 

Credit/No-Credit (Pass/Fail)

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.

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. Additional information about credit-no credit can be found in the Student Code.

Students may not take the Credit/No-Credit option for any required degree program course.

The following courses will not be approved for Credit/No-Credit:

  • STAT 527 (Qualifying Exam Course)
  • STAT 528 (Qualifying Exam Course)
  • STAT 511 (Qualifying Exam Course)
  • STAT 575 (Qualifying Exam Course)
  • STAT 553 (PhD Theory Course)
  • Either STAT 525 or STAT 542 if used to meet the Computing-related course requirement
  • Either STAT 427, STAT 593, or STAT 595 is used to meet the Practicum course requirement
  • Either STAT 556, STAT 555, STAT 533, STAT 554, or STAT 576 if used to meet the Stochastic Processes and Time Series course requirement

Elective courses used to satisfy degree requirements may use the Credit/No-Credit option. Only those courses receiving the Credit (CR) notation will be eligible for degree consideration. Courses listed as options to meet one or more core requirements may elect to use Credit/No-Credit only in the event said course is selected as an elective (e.g., STAT 525 may be used to meet the Computing-related course requirement by receiving a standard letter grade, thus STAT 542 can then be selected as Credit/No-Credit in a future term as the Computing-related course requirement will have been met with STAT 525). 

Course Registration

Course registration questions can be addressed here: stat-grad@illinois.edu

Course registration FAQ (Seat Availability, Registration Errors, Course Capacities, Individual Studies & Thesis Research, Internship, etc.): https://stat.illinois.edu/course-information-pages/registration-frequently-asked-questions-info

Registration Errors: https://stat.illinois.edu/course-information-pages/common-registration-errors

Term Specific Registration Information: https://stat.illinois.edu/academics/registration

 

Timelines and Milestones

GRADUATE COLLEGE TIME REQUIREMENTS FOR DEGREE

  • Bachelors to PhD Program Time Limits - 7 years from first term enrolled in doctoral program.
  • PhD Program Time Limits with a MS at Illinois - 5 years (2 yrs. for MS and 5 yrs. for PhD)
  • PhD Program Time Limits with a Non-Illinois MS - 6 years from first term enrolled in doctoral program

First Year

  • Qualifying Exam Courses
    • STAT 527 - Advanced Regression Analysis I (4 hours)
    • STAT 528 - Advanced Regression Analysis II (4 hours) 
    • STAT 511 - Advanced Mathematical Statistics (4 hours)
    • STAT 575 - Large sample theory (4 hours)
  • Grad Academy/Grad Symposium
    • Grad Academy is for students entering the PhD program who are already teaching eligible.
    • Grad Symposium is for for students entering the PhD program who are not teaching eligible. 
  • Complete EPI (International student only)
  • Qualifying Exam (after completion of first year)
    • Two day exam, four hours each, consisting of five questions per day

Second Year

    • Begin work with Research Advisor

Third – Fifth Year

  • Prelim Exam (Thesis Proposal)

Fifth – Seventh Year

  • Final Exam (Thesis Defense)
  • Dissertation Deposit

Annual Reviews

  • Annual academic reviews completed in first half of fall term
  • Bi-annual TA reviews completed at end of each fall/spring term. ​​​​​​​

Open Offer Policy

The Department of Statistics offers Doctoral students an “Open Offer”, which means they will hold either a teaching or research assistantship or a fellowship for up to five academic years (Fall and Spring terms only) from their first term of enrollment, providing satisfactory progress is evident by the student. After the fifth year if additional thesis work is required, additional support may be provided on a term-by-term basis. Summer support is not guaranteed and is not included in this policy. Students are required to meet the following criteria in order to maintain their “Open Offer” status:

  • Secure a thesis advisor by the end of the first academic year.
  • Complete any required ESL courses by the end of the first academic year (for international students only).
  • Pass the Qualifying Exam by the end of the first year or pass the make-up exam within one academic year if the first attempt results in a failing grade.
  • Not take a leave of absence from the program unless otherwise approved.
  • Maintain a satisfactory GPA.
  • Not be on probation status at any time during the duration of the program.
  • Maintain consistent and regular meetings with thesis advisor.
  • Complete the Graduate Student Self-Evaluation by the deadline.
  • Complete the Teaching Assistant Self-Evaluation by the deadline.
  • Have a satisfactory progress on the Graduate Student Annual Evaluation at all times.

 

Teaching Assistantship Appointments in Statistics

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Research Assistantship Appointments in Statistics

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Conference Travel Policy

You are encouraged to apply to multiple funding sources. It would be wrong to claim reimbursement from two sources for the same expense. So when you apply for travel funding, you are implicitly promising that any funds you receive will be used for the purpose for which they were approved, and that you will not be reimbursed from any other source for the covered expenses.

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS

Travel funding from the department is restricted to students giving talks or presenting a poster on their work. Summer schools and intensive workshops at national institutes generally qualify for funding also, please check with the Statistic’s Business Office prior to attending. Students are required to request support from their advisor.

Amount of funding: $2,500 per Academic Year.

Eligibility requirements: You must be a current PhD student in good standing in the Department of Statistics.

Application procedure: Complete a pre-approval request through ChromeRiver. (You may need to request access to ChromeRiver. Step 1: Complete the Information Security Compliance Form. Step 2: Email stat-business@illinois.edu asking for access to ChromeRiver, stating you have already completed the Compliance Form.) 

Application deadline: Apply as early as possible before your trip, but no less than 90 days before your trip. Retroactive applications will not be considered.

While planning your trip: Check with Business Office on rules and regulations of purchasing travel expenses (see below for some of the rules).

After funding is approved: Please check with the Business Office about procedures for paying directly for transportation and conference registration, getting receipts, and claiming for accommodation and other expenses.

After the trip: complete the reimbursement form and email  it with your receipts to the Statistics Business Office (stat-business@illinois.edu). Receipts must be original itemized receipts in order to be accepted. Receipts for airfare and lodging must be fully itemized 

Travel Reimbursement Rules & Regulations:

  • Please review the Business Travel Guide for campus rules and regulations (here are a few):
    • Travel must serve the best interest of the University of the Illinois System, have a legitimate business purpose, and be related to the employee's job duties. 
    • All travel must be by the most direct route, using the most economical mode of transportation available considering travel time, costs, and work requirements. When reserving lodging, employees must request the lowest available rate that does not exceed state lodging maximums.
    • Employees should not pay out of pocket for other employees travel expenses
  • All receipts must be turned in prior to the 60-days of the conference. If the reimbursement is not submitted prior to 60-day, the employee will be taxed on the reimbursement.
  • Room Sharing: If you share a room, you need to get a receipt in each person’s name with their portion of the hotel expenses. If the hotel is not willing to do this, then one person would need to get reimbursed for the total expenses, which will be charged only to that person’s academic year funding.
    • NOTE: DO NOT VENMO/PAYPAL/etc expenses of the room to each other, as the University will not reimburse the VENMO/PAYPAL/etc.
GRADUATE COLLEGE CONFERENCE TRAVEL AWARD

See the Graduate College website for application guidelines. To be considered, complete the application form by one week ahead of the Graduate College deadline. Write "Graduate College Conference Travel Award" in the comments box on the application form.

 

Graduate Assistant Benefits Overview

Please see the Graduate College Benefits Grad Map for up to date details on graduate student benefits such as health insurance.

English Proficiency Requirements (International Students Only)

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Graduate Student Petitions

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Required Coursework

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Earning Supplemental M.S. Degree

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Qualifying Exam

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PhD Prelim & Final Exam Committees

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Annual Academic Evaluations

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Teaching Assistant Evaluations

Teaching Assistantship Terms

A.            Evaluations

Students who hold a teaching assistantship with the Department of Statistics are subject to performance evaluations at the end of each academic term the student holds the teaching assistantship. Evaluations are on performance of required duties in conjunction with the assignment of the teaching assistantship.

                1.            Evaluations will be administered at the end of the current academic term that the graduate employee holds the assistantship.

                2.            The graduate employee will be asked to complete a self-evaluation of their performance during the academic term that the appointment was held.

                3.            The graduate employee’s supervisor will at the same time complete a performance evaluation based on the assigned duties during the academic term. The graduate employee will have a chance to review and reply accordingly to the supervisor’s evaluation.

                4.            The Program Director of the graduate employee’s degree program will initiate any further discussion regarding the outcome of the performance evaluation. These discussions can vary based on the evaluation. The Program Director will be forthcoming with the topic of discussion in the event the graduate employee would like to request the presence of a Union Representative from the Graduate Employee Organization.

B.            Responsibilities

Students who hold a teaching assistantship are expected to honor their commitments to the accepted position by satisfactorily completing assigned duties, having clear and responsive communication to the supervisor, and being readily available to begin their assignment effective the start date of their offered position.

                1.            Assistantantship responsibilities may include one or more of the following:

  • Involved with instruction
  • Teach classes
  • Grade
  • Lead lab/discussion groups for a course
  • Develop instructional materials
  • Proctor exams
  • Hold office hours
  • Tutor
  • Other duties as assigned

 

C.            Approved/Unapproved Time Off

Graduate employees who hold a teaching assistantship must seek prior approval from their current or next immediate supervisor for any time off during the assigned assistantship period(s) for approved time off (the exception being unforeseen emergencies). In the event the graduate employee has planned holiday or personal time that overlaps from one appointment to another, the employee will need to seek approval from both supervisors.

Assistants shall receive holidays off without loss of pay in accordance with the campus holiday schedule provided by Illinois Human Resources, which may be modified from time to time. Any other event (extended holidays, personal time, or during academic breaks such as spring break, winter break, etc.) which may prevent a graduate assistant from performing their duties effectively during any duration of time outside of the campus designated holidays must be discussed with and approved by the immediate supervisor(s).

D.            Appointment Start Dates

Appointment start dates for the respective terms will always begin on August 16 for fall, January 1 for spring, May 16 or June 16 for summer. Dates outside of those designated days will be determined on a case-by-case basis in the event a graduate employee is unable to begin their appointment on the standard effective date without prior approval otherwise.

If the graduate employee is unable to begin the assigned appointment by the effective date of the received offer and the assigned supervisor does not approve of the requested time, Department HR will modify the offer effective start date to reflect that of the new start date, thus imposing a financial penalty to the first monthly stipend payment.  A base rate calculation of the amount of working days missed in that current pay period will be deducted from the beginning of the pay period to reflect that of the accurate starting date of the graduate employee.

Graduate employees who have a teaching assistantship during the fall and or spring term should seek prior approval from their supervisor(s) before scheduling trips during extended academic breaks, such as winter break.

E.            Resignation/Release

If a graduate assistant wishes to resign after acceptance of an appointment, the assistant must provide a written statement a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the effective date of resignation requesting the resignation.

If a graduate assistant wishes to resign from their appointment after the start of the effective date, the employee must schedule a meeting with their supervisor to discuss the resignation and upon a continuation of the request must submit a letter of resignation to the Department HR office. A fourteen (14) calendar day notice is required of resignation.

F.            Procedure for Unsatisfactory Performance or Violation of Policy

A graduate employee who has violated any of the aforementioned assistantship policies or have received unsatisfactory performance evaluations may be subject to disciplinary action. The Department of Statistics will operate on a three-strike policy (three (3) violations), unless the actions are beyond correction or violate any University polices that may warrant full dismissal. The three-strike policy may take into consideration any and all performance evaluations that may be considered poor, engaging in unapproved time off that conflict with the obligation of the appointment offer, or other behavior that may be deemed unprofessional to that of the standing as a graduate employee.

When assistantship performance is unsatisfactory, the assistantship duties may be reduced and appointment fraction and pay may be reduced correspondingly, or the assistant may be dismissed. In cases where assistantship performance is unsatisfactory, the matter will first be discussed with the assistant prior to any action being taken. An assistant shall be given two (2) business days advance notice of such a discussion. An assistant shall be entitled to the presence of a Union Representative at such a discussion if the graduate employee has reasonable grounds to believe that the results of the discussion may be used to support disciplinary action against them and requests the Union representation.

Any graduate employee who receives three-strikes may be dismissed from their current assistantship appointments with the Department of Statistics, jeopardizing any future appointments within the department. A graduate employee will have the opportunity to appeal all grievances against them within a timely manner.

G.           Employment Dismissal

Dismissal is termination of an assistantship during a semester or other period of appointment. The parties recognize the authority of the University to dismiss or take other appropriate disciplinary action against an assistant for just cause, which shall include but not be limited to the following reasons: failing to attend mandatory orientation or other sessions; engaging in misconduct in the performance of University duties or academic activities; neglecting or refusing to perform assigned duties; demonstrating unsatisfactory performance; violating University regulations or policies; violating University regulations or policies related to discrimination and harassment; acting outside the appropriate exercise of University responsibilities so as willfully to physically harm, threaten physical harm to, harass or intimidate a visitor or a member of the University community with the effect of interfering with that person’s performance of University duties or academic activities; or damaging, destroying or misappropriating property owned by the University or any property used in connection with a University function or approved activity. Dismissal may result from an accumulation of minor infractions as well as for a single serious infraction. The assistant will be provided with written notice and an opportunity to respond to the Unit Executive Officer prior to dismissal. A supervisor alerted to the possibility of misconduct by an assistant shall attempt to resolve the issue and clarify the facts directly with the assistant. Discipline shall be issued in a private manner so as not to cause embarrassment to the assistant. Discipline short of dismissal may be taken which may include a Written Reprimand. A Written Reprimand shall state the facts supporting the discipline and be in the form of an official, signed letter. The assistant will be provided with an opportunity to respond to the supervisor and, if desired, to the Unit Executive Officer. Discipline in the form of a Written Reprimand is not required prior to seeking to dismiss an assistant. If any discipline is taken against an assistant, the assistant will receive a copy of the disciplinary action.

 

Thesis Deposit Process

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Graduation - Degree List Process

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Special Grades (I, DFR, ABS, NR)

DFR: Deferred grades are issued at the end of the term only for STAT 599. DFR grades will only be changed to an “S” grade once the thesis has successfully be completed.  

I: Incomplete grades are issued at the end of the term when students have not completed the required work for the course. The time limit for students to complete the work is as follows:

  • 5:00 PM of Reading Day of the next semester in which the student is registered, if next semester of registration is within a year
  • if not registered in a graded course within a year, one year
    After the deadline, the Graduate College will automatically change an “I” grade to an “F by Rule”. This failing grade will be reflected in the student’s GPA until the instructor changes it. 

NR: Not reported. This temporary notation is automatically entered if an instructor does not report a grade by the deadline. A student will not be certified for a degree with an NR notation in the academic record.

S / U: Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory. A permanent notation used as a final grade only in courses (generally thesis research or seminar courses) approved for this grade mode.

W: Withdraw. A permanent notation signifying an approved withdraw without credit.