Ph.D. Course Selection, Year-to-Year Progression, and Examinations
The material here is an informal step-by-step walk through the program that should be fully understood by all students and advisors. This should be read in conjunction with the Formal Requirements of both the department and the Graduate School. Most importantly ...
| ... it is the responsibility of each student and her/his advisor (whether initial course advisor, Prelim committee chair or eventual Thesis advisor) to be fully aware of all regulations governing each step of the progression through the Ph.D. program. This includes all basic steps, such as course selection, first year exams and ensuring Satisfactory Progress, and the more detailed steps involved in proposing committee membership, scheduling the Prelim Exam and Thesis defense, and the administrative matters associated with thesis completion, format and submission. Review the Statistical Science summary regulations and the full details at the Graduate School web site. |
FIRST YEAR:
Helpful info and resources for new students is available at the Graduate School first year student resource site. Some key specifics for Statistical Science students are:
- Select from core first year courses.
Students with more advanced backgrounds may select more advanced courses, after consultation with
their advisors. Some students (less commonly)
take a non-STA course (see Duke
course schedule). A normal course load is 3 or 4 courses (3 for students with TA/RA duties).
All course selections must be approved by the advisor. No courses are required of any student, and
advanced courses, as well as independent study, may be taken by incoming students, again subject to
discussion and approval through the advisory process.
Core STA courses most incoming students select from are:
Fall Spring 213, 290, MTH203, 253, ... 215, 244, 205, 291/2, 395, ... - Non-native English speakers take English tests (written and oral) just prior to the start of fall semester. Students not passing at sufficiently high levels will register for one or more English courses for credit, in fall or spring, or both. See the details under the English language proficiency tab at the Graduate School Ph.D. details page.
- Students less prepared mathematically generally advised to take MTH 203 Basic Analysis in fall semester. (The more advanced MTH 241 Real Analysis is taken by some who are more prepared in mathematics and interested in more advanced material useful in probability and measure theory.)
- Register for and attend the required Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) program - including a required retreat just prior to semester and attendance at several lectures during the year. See the details under the RCR tab at the Graduate School Ph.D. details page.
- TA/RA assignments expected to demand 10-12 hours per week (departmental expectation) and for sure no more than 19.5 hours (Graduate School policy).
- In early Fall, first year U.S. students that have not earlier applied for available external, national fellowships should seriously consider applying U.S.fellowships, including those of the National Science Foundation, the National Physical Science Consortium, the Hertz Foundation, and others. Eligibility is for U.S. students applying to graduate school and for first year PhD program students only.
- First Year Exam (FYE), in early May during exam week. Three hour written exam (covering material within the scope of STA 205, 213, 215, 244, 290) and 24 hour take home applied statistics exam.
- Satisfactory Progress: in courses, TA/RA duties, applied statistics, FYE.
- Summer: Vacation, internship, RA at Duke, etc. Consult advisors and other professors as well as students about intership and RA opportunities, and monitor email announcements.
SECOND YEAR:
- Select from core second year courses and more advanced courses, including STA courses
and, in some cases, courses from other departments.
All course selections must be approved by the advisor.
Core STA courses to select from are:
Fall Spring 214, 216, 291/2, 253, ... 376, 291/2, 293/4, 395, ... - Discuss potential Prelim Exam topics with advisor, and with other professors, often taking STA 291/2 Independent Study in one or both semesters to develop expertise in an area in preparation for the Prelim.
- Propose Prelim Committee. The Committee must be approved by the Graduate School at least 60
days prior to the scheduled Prelim Exam (though can be changed arbitrarily, with approval, once established).
Students should aim to have the initial Committee and named chair/Prelim advisor, approved by the end of
February, and schedule the exam in early May.
The Committee proposed must follow these Graduate School and departmental regulations on Committee membership for what will become the Thesis committee following a successful Prelim.
- File intent to earn MS in Statistical Science "en route" to Ph.D., if that is the intent (most students gain the MS en route).
- Prelim Exam. Some students take the Prelim earlier; some take it
later in summer session after the second year. In rarer cases the Prelim can be deferred until fall
semester of the third year.
Prelim goals and format: The Prelim assesses the competency of the student in the broad field of statistical science, and preparedness for individual research in statistical science. With agreement of the advisor and Prelim Committee on topic(s), the student will make a seminar-style presentation to the Committee, with questions from the Committee on the material presented, and associated material, as well as any other questions on statistics and related topics the Committee members choose. The Prelim presentation material may comprise review and critique of published research (in one or two papers from the literature), or -- more commonly -- work the student has developed in mentored independent study or as RA. It is common, but not required, that the student presents material s/he has been exploring that is already identified as a likely Ph.D thesis research topic. - Satisfactory Progress: in courses, TA/RA duties, applied statistics, Prelim.
- Submit the required annual progress form to the DGS Assistant before April 15.
- Summer: Vacation, internship, RA at Duke, possibly attend research conferences, etc.
THIRD YEAR:
- Thesis research.
- The Prelim committee becomes the Thesis Committee. Commitee membership may be changed at any time, depending on the focus of research and advisory relationships between the student and involved faculty. It is usual that the primary Ph.D. advisor also be the Thesis Committee Chair (this is not required, but is almost always the case). The Committee membership, governed by the Graduate School and departmental requirements, comprises the Statistical Science Advisor/Chair, at least 2 other professors in Statistical Science and 1 professor from another related department or program. Full details are covered in the summary of Graduate School and departmental regulations on Committee membership.
- Students may take a small number of more advanced courses in STA topics and sometimes a course in an area of immediate relevance to their thesis research from other departments. As in years 1 and 2, course selection must be approved by the thesis advisor. Also, register for STA 291/2 Independent Study and Research each semester with thesis advisor.
- Meet regularly (weekly) with primary advisor and with committee members, informally, throughout each semester.
- Attend one or more research conferences, presenting posters or talks on thesis research. Post-Prelim students are eligible to apply for a grant for partial financial support from the Graduate School and department for one research conference each year - here is the application form. Students should always seek additional support from conference organisers and faculty advisors who may have relevant grant funds.
- Present progress reports in informal seminars (often in STA 395) to students and faculty.
- Write thesis. Writing in thesis format should begin as soon as research begins. Keep detailed written (and graphical, and software) records of all aspects of R&D, and evolve records for talks, future papers and thesis presentation. You cannot start writing early enough; beyond the discipline and experience of routine writing, you will find that the act of writing, and editing, your work routinely will help to generate new ideas, rediscover old ones, and to identify open questions and the need for more work on aspects of research you thought you had completed ...
- Satisfactory Progress: in courses, TA/RA duties, research towards thesis.
- Submit the required annual progress form to the DGS Assistant before April 15.
- Summer: Vacation, internship, RA at Duke, possibly attend research conferences, etc.
FOURTH YEAR +:
- Thesis research, and other details as listed above in Year Three. Committee changes may be made if research directions change and to respond to developments in your research interests.
- Statistical Science students are expected to progress to thesis completion and defense within 5 years, and many complete and defend in 4 years (or during the summer following the 4th year). See also the Duke Graduate School policy on timelines and satisfactory progress.
- Satisfactory Progress: In research towards thesis, presentation of dissertation and oral thesis defense.
- Submit the required annual progress form to the DGS Assistant before April 15.
DEFENSE & FINAL TIMELINE:
It is the responsibility of the student and advisor to accord to the details of thesis format and the timeline for thesis format checks, approval, submission and post-defense deposit, per the Graduate School policy. This includes:
- File the online "declaration of intent" form at least one month before the defense date, and accord with all the other Graduate School time limits especially those related to graduation dates.
- Schedule a thesis format check interview at which the thesis is formally submitted for approval of format by the Graduate School. At this interview, the student must have a letter from the advisor confirming that the thesis is complete and ready to defend (or the advisor may send an email to the Graduate School confirming this prior to the interview). The student must apply to schedule this meeting at least one week prior to the defense date and preferably earlier.
- The advisor and student should agree that the thesis is essentially complete, apart from final touches, several weeks prior to defense. It is desirable that the completed thesis be given to the advisor and committee well in advance of the defense, and it is required at least one week in advance.
- After a successful defense, the final thesis must be deposited within one week of the defense.