UCLA Statistics FAQs


Applicants

General:


How do I apply to your graduate program?
Click this link and you will read the details on applying to our program. Note: If you plan on applying to our Ph.D. program, choose Ph.D. as your immediate degree objective and not M.S. in order to be placed in the correct applicant pool.

Do you have a part-time or correspondence program?
The graduate programs in Statistics are ONLY full-time, day-time program. Students must come to our campus to take classes since this program does not offer any correspondence courses.

What sort of jobs do your students normally get after graduating?
You can go to our webage directory and choose "alumni" to research our alumni and their current jobs to see jobs our graduates get.

If I am applying for the Ph.D. Program and want to get an M.S. degree on the way, do I write Ph.D. or M.S. in the Immediate Degree Objective section of the application?
If you are applying to the Ph.D. program, please put Ph.D. in immediate Degree Objective. We have different committees for M.S. and Ph.D. applicants and we want to make sure that the correct committee reviews your application.

Can both the M.S. and Ph.D. Committees review me at the same time?
No. The rule is you can apply to only one program at UCLA at a time. So in addition to the fact that you cannot apply to another Department at UCLA and Statistics for the same term, you also cannot apply to both the M.S and the Ph.D. Programs in our Department for the same term.

What factors should I weigh when deciding if I should apply to the M.S. or Ph.D. programs?
There are several factors that you should consider before making this decision. The most important is, "what do you want to do with the degree?" If you plan on continuing in academia or research, the Ph.D. is designed for these goals. Otherwise, the M.S. program is a better program for students interested in more applied pursuits. Additionally, Ph.D. students have a higher likelihood of receiving funding or assistantship if this is one of your concerns. Because of these reasons, it is more competitive to get accepted into our Ph.D. than to our M.S. degree.

Can I attend part-time?
No, this is a day-time, full-time program and has no provision for part-time or limited status students.

I am interested in Biostatistics, should I apply to your program?
You can, but your interests may be better suited to apply to the Biostatistics program. You can read more about them at this webpage. Remember, you cannot apply to both of our programs in the same term.

I would like to become an actuary. Would this be a good program to apply to?
You would be better suited to apply for the Math Department. They have an undergraduate program for actuaries and have faculty who are better in dealing with actuarial sciences.

Application Deadlines:


When are the application deadlines?

This depends if you are applying to our Ph.D. or M.S. Program. If you are applying for the Ph.D. program, the application is due December 15 of the year before the Fall that you would like to start our program. We accept Ph.D. applications for Fall only. If you are applying for our M.S. program, we accept applications year round. However, due to the time it takes to process M.S. applications, we have strict deadlines for receiving applications before the start of the quarter that you are applying for. For Winter, the deadline is June 1 and for Spring, the deadline is September 1 (both for the year before the start of the program).

Can I apply for a quarter other than Fall?
You can apply for Winter and Spring quarters only if you are applying for the M.S. program. We accept Ph.D. applications for Fall only and M.S. applications for Fall, Winter and Spring quarters.

As an M.S. students, are there any disadvantages to applying for a quarter other than Fall?
Although we are not against students applying for Winter or Spring, we will warn you that there are several disadvantages to not having Fall as your first quarter. First, if you qualify for any of the Special UCLA Fellowships (they are listed on the online application) you must apply for Fall and submit the application by December 15th of the year previous. Also, the 200, 210 and 217 series classes that we strongly recommend for incoming students are only offered beginning in Fall. So if you enter in Winter or Spring, you must wait for the next Fall to start these series courses. Finally, our Department holds a three-day orientation in Fall to welcome students and inform them of UCLA and departmental procedures. If you do not come in the Fall, you will also wait for the following Fall to get the complete orientation information and fanfare.

Application Questions:


Can I get a paper application?
No. UCLAís Graduate Division, who produces the major part of the application, has stopped making paper applications and thus we do not have any to send out. Because the online application is much more efficient and accurate, that is the only way you can apply.

Is it better to mail in my application or do it online?
It is better to send in applications online. Your information is more accurate and goes through the systems much more efficiently. Also, you can check your status online if you apply online.

How and when can I check the status of my application?
One of the great things about applying online is that you will be able to check up on the completion and decision of your application online at the same place where you filled out the UCLA application. We have the ability to update students on the completeness of their application and each Department performs this task differently. Due to the fact that we get more than 100 applications, we primarily complete only the Items Still Required to Complete Application/Comments section to update you on the completion status. You should check this in early January to see your status. As for decisions, you should start looking online for those about mid-February.

Is it possible for me to talk to current Graduate students?
Yes. If you look at our directory, you can find their e-mail addresses.

GRE Questions:


Do I need to take the GRE subject test? .
The subject GRE is only required for students applying to the Ph.D. program. There are no exceptions to this requirement. It is not required for M.S. Applicants.

With the GRE changing formats, will you accept GRE scores from the old format?
As per rules of the University, we take GRE scores for up to three years. So we will accept old and new format GREs as long as they have been taken during this time frame.

What are your GRE Institution and Department codes?
UCLA's Institution Code is 4837, and Statistics Department code is 0704

Can I substitute the GMAT (or any other tests) for the GRE test?
Unfortunately, our Department will only accept GRE scores and other test such as the GMAT cannot be used to substitute for the GRE.

As an international student, what do I have to do to show my English Proficiency?
International applicants whose first language is not English must certify their proficiency in English. Such applicants must submit scores received on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as part of their application. Admitted applicants are required, upon arrival at UCLA, to take the UCLA English as a Second Language Placement Examination (ESLPE), an English diagnostic test, before being permitted to register. Depending on the results of the ESLPE, you may be required to complete English as a Second Language courses beginning in your first term at UCLA. If English courses are required, you should anticipate spending a longer period of time at the University. Admission is canceled for those who do not pass the ESLPE. Please note that you cannot substitute the TOEFL, IELTS or any other English proficiency test in lieu of the ESLPE.
International applicants who hold a bachelor’s or higher degree from a university located in the United States or in another country in which English is the spoken language and the medium of instruction, or who have completed at least two years of full-time study at such an institution, are exempted from both the TOEFL requirement and the ESLPE.

Are there any minimum GPA or GRE score requirements?
Yes, the graduate division stipulates that you must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to be eligible to apply. There are no minimum score cut-offs for the GRE.

Funding Questions:


When should I apply to get financial aid?
If you apply by December 15th, there is a financial aid application that is a part of the application. This application is due December 15th. For M.S. Students, if you want to apply for one of the UCLA fellowships, you must apply for Fall and turn in the application by December 15th. Also, for domestic students and permanent residents who may have a financial need, we strongly encourage you to fill out a FAFSA application to see if you qualify for any other state or federal funding.

Are there other places to apply for funding?
Yes, there are numerous places to get funding and hopefully your college has resources to find outside funding. For domestic students and permanent residents with research, we strongly hope you are applying for the outside funding sources as well as UCLA funding sources and most of their deadlines are a month before our application deadline. Some examples are the National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowships, Jacob Javits fellowship and Ford Fellowship. If you receive one of these multi-year fellowships, our department will also recommend that the University supplement your funding and add an additional stipend to the funds you will receive. You can also see the Graduate Division’s for other support options.

How do you determine who gets departmental financial aid or assistantships?
The Department has limited funding and the students determined to be our top doctorate prospects will receive a University or Departmental-funding offer. Assistantships can also offered to incoming students, but these offers are not guaranteed.

As a Masters student, do I have a chance of receiving funding?
As noted above, doctorate students receive our Departmental fellowship. We do have assistantships (Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantship and Readerships) and Masters may get offers of assistantships. These assistantships are not guaranteed and are usually offered to doctorates before Masters students.

What are the requirements for receiving an assistantship?
In order to get any of our Assistantships, you must be a registered UCLA graduate student with at least 12 units for that quarter. Also, if you are an International Student (this includes Permanent Residents) from a non-English speaking country, you MUST pass either the Test for Spoken English (TSE) or UCLA’s SPEAK exam in order to be considered for a TAship. We cannot give you a teaching assistantship until you pass one of these two tests. We strongly advise International Applicants to take this test before applying, as a passing TSE score looks good on an application review.

If I receive an Assistantship, does it cover my fees and tuition?
If you receive a 25% assistantship, it will help pay most of your in-state fees but none of your out-of-state tuition.


Current Students

General Questions:

How do I get to the Statistics Lab (Boelter 9413)?
What are the Statistics Lab hours?

Academic Questions:

How do I find a dissertation/thesis advisor?
Who can be on my dissertation/thesis committee?
Who do I go to about questions on courses to take?
I took classes at a different college, how do I get it to count for UCLA?
What do I need to do to advance to candidacy?

Funding Questions:

How do you determine who gets financial aid or assistantships?
What other funds are available for graduate students?


Undergraduates

General:

When will you get an undergraduate major?
What class do I need to take for the undergraduate minor?
How do I find statistics tutoring?
How do I get to the Statistics Lab (Boelter 9413)?
Where are my finals being held?
I took a Statistics class at another school, what is its equivalent course at UCLA?

Enrollment:

I have not fulfilled a prerequisite for a course, is there any way for me to still get in the class?
Who do I talk to about getting into a Statistics course if URSA does not let me in?
I am from another school and want to attend a Statistics class at UCLA. How do I do this?


Incoming Students

How do I register for classes?
What classes should I take?
What does the R mean when I am registering for classes?
Where do I get a student my UCLA ID card?
Where can I find housing information?
How do you determine who gets financial aid or assistantships?
What is involved in orientation?
How do I get an email address?


Faculty

General:

I need my evaluations for my academic review. Where do I get them?
I am working on getting a class approved, who can help me with the paperwork?

Before the Quarter:

What classes am I teaching?
What text is used for this class and where do I get a deskcopy?
Who are my TAs and Readers?
If I have specialized technology needs for my classroom, who should I contact?

During the quarter:

How do I get class rosters?
When are evaluations due?
How do I get a room for a Review Sessions?
Where are my finals being held?
Where can I make photocopies for course handouts?

After the quarter:

What do I do about Grade Changes?
What are the grading rules and guidelines?


TAs

When are TAs decided?
Normally about 2 to 3 months before the start of the quarter.

How do you choose TAs?
How do you choose Summer TAs?
Can I TA if I am not enrolled as a student?
When are evaluations due?
How do I get a room for a Review Sessions?
How do I get class rosters?
Where can I make photocopies for course handouts?


UCLA Department of Statistics
Last updated: 20-Aug-2003
Access count is: 54037, since 20-Nov-2002
Maintained by: Dean Dacumos [dacumos@stat.ucla.edu]