Master’s Examination Policy

 

2.      Each area examination is based upon a syllabus prepared by the faculty – these syllabi are available in the office, Neuberger Hall 334. Each exam is supported by 300 and/or 500-level courses in the topic area. Previous examinations may be viewed in the department office, and you may request copies of these.

 

3.      Examinations are given twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. Starting in September 2010, the fall examinations will be offered during the week prior to the start of fall term, and the spring examinations will continue to be offered during the first week of spring term. It is possible for students to sign up for examinations up to two weeks before the exam is scheduled (please contact the department for the exact sign up deadline). Students may cancel sign ups for master’s exams up to 48 hours before an exam is given. 

 

4.      Students must pass two area examinations.

 

5.      At each examination period, in the Fall or in the Spring, a student can take either one or two examinations.

 

6.      A given subject area examination can be taken by a student at most two times. An examination canceled with less than 48 hours notice or not canceled at all still counts as one of the two allowed attempts.

 

7.      For each examination, a student will receive a Pass, a Conditional Pass, or a No Pass (Fail).  Students who receive a Conditional Pass in an examination will have four weeks from the notification date to work with the examination committee to remove the conditions needed to receive a Pass.

 

8.      Students are encouraged to take examinations early in their graduate program. Most students should be able to plan their programs so that they are able to take these examinations during their first or second year.

 

9.      Students must be registered for and complete at least one graduate credit hour for the term in which they intend to take an examination. Students taking the fall examination must be registered for fall term, and those taking the spring examination must be registered for spring term.

 

 

 

Students must pass two examinations, one in Mathematical Statistics which covers material from STAT 561, 562, 563, and one in Applied Statistics which includes the core topics covered in STAT 564, 565, 566 and two additional topic areas. For clarity, the grading policy for the master’s exam in Applied Statistics is listed below.

 

Topic areas A and B are chosen by the individual student. Current topic areas include: Applied Multivariate Statistical Analysis, Computer Intensive Methods in Statistics, Sampling Theory and Methods, Categorical Data Analysis, Survival Analysis, Applied Probability, and Longitudinal Data Analysis. Each of the four components consists of a written exam portion and a separate, in-laboratory, statistical computing applications portion. The Applied Statistics Exam may be repeated once; that is, a maximum of two tries is permitted. 

 

Pass (P) or Fail (F) is given on each component 1 through 4. 

 

Four P’s equal a PASS on the exam.

Three P’s equal a CONDITIONAL PASS on the exam. The student should contact the Examination Committee to discuss the requirements for removal of the Conditional.

Two or fewer P’s (two or more F’s) equal a FAIL on the exam. In this case the entire exam must be retaken.