Statistics and Biostatistics Graduate Program

Frequently Asked Questions

If your questions regarding graduate study in Statistics and Biostatistics are not answered below, please feel welcome to contact us.

Can graduate study be completed part-time?
Yes, in principle. Many of our students successfully complete their MS degree part-time. We strongly recommend that PhD students plan on spending at least two years studying full-time.
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Can Statistics and Biostatistics courses be taken as a non-degree student?
Yes, you can take courses as a non-degree student and up to 12 credit hours can later be counted towards your degree if you decide to pursue the degree. Please visit Graduate and Professional Admissions and apply to Rutgers as a nondegree student. Application information is available from the Apply — Three Easy Steps page: please read the Nondegree Graduate Study paragraph under the heading Further Information. There may be a $50 fee to be a non-degree student. You will also need a special permission number from the Graduate Program in Statistics and Biostatistics, after applying to be a non-degree student, in order to register for the course(s). This process should be completed in advance of the start of the desired semester and early application is advised. Please visit our information page for non-degree students
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Are classes offered in the evening?
All required core courses for the MS are offered in the evening. Doctoral courses, and some courses that a student may be required to take in order to satisfy prerequisites, are offered only during the day.
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I am currently pursuing a graduate degree at another university. What are the procedures for transferring to your program and can my credits be transferred?
The admissions procedure is the same for transfer students as it is for students just starting their graduate study of Statistics and Biostatistics.
Students can apply to transfer up to 12 credits for graduate courses with a grade of B or better, provided they replace appropriate courses offered by our program, and credit for such courses was not used to earn a previous undergraduate degree. Permission to transfer credit is granted on a case-by-case basis and is not granted automatically. Please see the general Graduate School-New Brunswick rules for transfer of credit for full details. Note that students may not transfer any credits from another university until they have completed 12 credits as a matriculated student.
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Can a GMAT score replace the GRE?
No, unfortunately, it cannot.
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What minimal TOEFL scores are required?
Minimum TOEFL scores are set by the graduate school.
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I am a PhD student at Rutgers. Can I pursue the MS degree in Statistics at the same time as my current PhD program?
Rutgers allows students to pursue a second degree while remaining coded in the original admitted curriculum. A new application is not required. Please see the information on second degrees for more details.
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I have not taken all the prerequisite courses. Should I still apply?
We will consider applications from students who show promise. Students lacking prerequisites may still be admitted to the program, but will need to take some of the prerequisite courses during their first semester or preceding summer. We may make satisfactory completion of prerequisite courses within the first year after admission a condition of continued status in our program.
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Do graduate students in your program get exposure to real data analysis projects?
The Department of Statistics and Biostatistics maintains an Office of Statistical Consulting, and interested PhD students are assigned to assist in this office, under the supervision of its director. Many MS students arrange for supervised statistical practice. The graduate director assists with linking interested students with investigators needing data analysis help, but the primary responsibility for making these connections rests with the MS student.
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I am interested in pursuing a career in actuarial science. Do Rutgers Statistics degrees provide suitable preparation for actuarial exams?
That is not the purpose of our degrees. Please visit Preparation for an Actuarial Career at Rutgers for more information on courses offered which are appropriate for actuarial students.

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Do Rutgers Statistics degrees provide suitable preparation for pursuing a career in financial mathematics?
That is not the purpose of our degrees. Please consider the MS in Mathematics with the Option in Mathematical Finance program, offered in conjunction with Statistics and Biostatistics.
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Where can the prerequisite courses be taken?
That is up to the individual. Courses may be taken at any institution of higher education. In some cases, it may be possible to take some prerequisite courses at Rutgers during the summer semester prior to entering the program proper in the fall.

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Do you have rolling admission? When can I begin the program?
Students may begin their studies during Fall, Spring, or Summer terms. PhD students are strongly urged to begin in the Fall, but other entry options are available. We strongly encourage students to submit applications by the published deadlines. We cannot guarantee that applications submitted after the application deadline will be considered in time for matriculation during the term requested. Late applications may be consider, or deferred until the following term.
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What is the minimum number of courses I can take in a semester?
Rutgers University requires that all students register for at least Matriculation Continued, and pay a fee (currently $7), each semester. Certain students are required to register for larger number of credits. International students on F visas generally must register for at least 9 credits per semester. However, F visa students may take as few as one (1) credit hour for three (3) different semesters as long as they submit an approved Reduction in Credit Load form. Reasons for allowing a reduction for a given semester include (a) final semester in the program, (b) completion of master's thesis or essay.
The rules regarding the minimum number of courses can change from year to year and depend on visa requirements. Students who need to take fewer than the usual minimum course load to be considered full-time (three 3-credit courses) are urged to check with the International Student Office.
Students may be required to maintain full-time status in order to remain eligible for university housing, or to defer repayment of some student loans. If you are required to maintain full-time status for these or other reasons, consult with the entity requiring the status for their precise definition of "full time", and with the graduate
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What books will be used in my courses during the next semester?
Books for our courses are generally ordered through the Ferren Mall book store . From this link, choose the Ferren Mall bookstore, and then choose books and then textbooks, and request books for our department, coded as 960. We will try to make a early tentative version available.
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I already have a terminal MS degree in Statistics and Biostatistics from Rutgers. What do I need to do to enroll in the PhD program?
Alumni of the Rutgers MS program must formally apply for the PhD program. Current students in the Rutgers MS program should speak with the graduate director about changing their program. The mathematical prerequisites for the PhD program are more stringent than for the MS program. Students should first complete a course equivalent to 640:311 before beginning doctoral work, and should complete a course equivalent to 640:411 early in their PhD program.
Furthermore, students who have completed the MS at Rutgers have generally taken the MS theory sequence 960:580/2-3, and the Rutgers registrar will not allow students who have taken these courses to register for the first year PhD theory sequence 960:592-3. Such students are encouraged to audit 960:592-3 in order to prepare for the PhD written exam and for the second year theory sequence 960:652-3. PhD students are required to take 960:663, 960:680-1, 960:587, and two additional 600-level courses. Students who completed the MS at Rutgers will generally have at least 24 of their 30 credits earned towards the MS degree from courses numbered 540-599 and not 587, and may count these 24 credits towards the PhD degree, to complete the PhD course requirements.
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May undergraduates take courses offered by the Graduate Program in Statistics and Biostatistics?
Yes, under certain conditions. Interested students should first obtain the form from the graduate school. Bring the form to the graduate director for approval. The graduate director will then contact the graduate school for the appropriate administrator's approval.
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Is there provision for students at other universities to take Rutgers Statistics and Biostatistics courses, other than as a non-matriculated student?
Rutgers has arrangements with various other universities that allow their graduate students to take graduate courses at Rutgers. Conditions and procedures vary. Princeton students may use the Rutgers Exchange Program. New Jersey Institute of Technology students should use the procedure commonly used for taking Rutgers-Newark courses. Please review the Rutgers registrar's policy document to understand how this works from Rutgers' perspective. Reciprocal arrangements also exist with University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
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Does your department offer programs in educational statistics, measurement, and evaluation, or in statistics education?
Activities in these areas are concentrated in the Graduate School of Education.
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