{"id":166,"date":"2023-06-19T17:41:54","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T00:41:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/statsms\/?page_id=166"},"modified":"2025-11-20T09:31:05","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T17:31:05","slug":"admissions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/statsms\/admissions\/","title":{"rendered":"Admissions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>The MS program in Statistics is designed to provide students with a strong mathematical foundation required for deeper understanding of modern cutting edge techniques. We recommend applicants to have had at least three semesters (or equivalent) of calculus, including multivariable calculus, and also one semester (or equivalent) in linear algebra. In addition, applicants to our program should have at least one course in both undergraduate probability theory and statistics. Applicants need to have excellent grades in all required subjects; in particular, recent successful applicants have had overall GPAs of 3.7 and higher. We typically receive many more well-qualified applicants than there are available positions, so the field is competitive. USC&#8217;s Department of Mathematics does not offer financial support for Master&#8217;s students. The vast majority of Statistics M.S. students provide their own financial support.<\/p>\n<p>Faculty and administrators are not able to make preliminary determinations regarding the chances of a prospective student&#8217;s acceptance into the program, or for the awarding of support. Students who are seriously interested in studying at USC should submit a fully completed application package online through the <a title=\"USC Graduate Admission\" href=\"http:\/\/www.usc.edu\/admission\/graduate\/\" target=\"_self\">USC Office of Graduate Admission<\/a>. Please note that USC no longer accepts paper applications, and all USC graduate applications are submitted online. <strong>All application materials must by received by February 1 in order to be considered for admission for the following Fall.<\/strong> Admission is considered for the Fall semester only, and not the Spring semester.<\/p>\n<p>Applicants applying from within USC may be able to waive the requirements for a statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and a CV\/resume, but are still bound by the February 1 deadline. <strong>Applicants from within USC must also include an official USC transcript with their application.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For general information on graduate study in Mathematics at USC, go <a title=\"USC Mathematics Graduate Study\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/mathematics\/admissions\/\" target=\"_self\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n      \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--accordions \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--accordions\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  \n      <ul>\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-1-AWBT1nowrj\" aria-controls=\"section-1-1-AWBT1nowrj\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">What are your preferred guidelines for the USC Statistics Statement of Purpose? How many pages maximum are preferred? How many words maximum are preferred?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-1-AWBT1nowrj\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-1-AWBT1nowrj\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">The statement of purpose should explain how how the graduate degree in Statistics fits into the applicant\u2019s overall education and career path, and why they are interested in coming to USC. There are no length requirements, but typically it will be 1-2 pages long.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-2-AWBT1nowrj\" aria-controls=\"section-1-2-AWBT1nowrj\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">Please confirm whether three letters of recommendation are required. Does every recommender need to be an academic?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-2-AWBT1nowrj\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-2-AWBT1nowrj\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Recommendation letters should come from somebody who knows the applicant well professionally and can highlight their unique strengths; two letters from such recommenders would suffice. They do not have to be in academia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-3-AWBT1nowrj\" aria-controls=\"section-1-3-AWBT1nowrj\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">How many students on average are admitted to the program each year? What is the average admit rate? What are the factors evident in strong candidates for admission?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-3-AWBT1nowrj\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-3-AWBT1nowrj\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">We do not share internal admission statistics, but the factor all strong candidates share is a solid mathematical background and high average undergraduate GPA for mathematics\/statistics-related courses (e.g. linear algebra and probability theory). MS Statistics students often take Ph.D-level courses, and mathematical maturity is needed to flourish and be successful in this environment.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n          <\/ul>\n  \n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":282,"featured_media":170,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-166","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Admissions - Masters of Science in Statistics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/statsms\/admissions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Admissions - 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