Recommended Background & Program Admission Procedures
MS/PhD students entering the Field of Statistics are assumed to have had at least 1 undergraduate-level course in
each of the following areas: introductory statistics, applied statistics (e.g., regression), mathematical statistics,
and probability.
Ideally, students should also have computer programming skills and undergraduate level training in stochastic processes,
linear algebra, and advanced calculus. Exceptional students may be admitted to the MS/PhD program without this
background, making up any important deficiencies during the first year.
Students that wish to be considered for admission directly into the PhD program must have obtained a Masters degree in
statistics, biostatistics or related field and, in particular, must have academic backgrounds similar to that expected
of 1st year PhD students in the Field of Statistics.
Admission Procedures
Admission procedures are described on the Graduate School web page.
Financial assistance is available on a competitive basis and may be applied for by completing the appropriate item on
the Admission and Fellowship Application form. The completed form should be mailed to the Graduate School. From there
it goes to your designated Field of Study (see below) for further evaluation by the Admissions Committee in the
designated Field. If your application for study is approved and you do not receive financial support from Cornell, then
you will not be eligible for admission until you have provided the Graduate School with certification of financial
support for the full length of your anticipated program at Cornell (minimally: at least two years for a Master's degree,
at least four years for a PhD degree).
An application is not complete (and will not be evaluated by the Admissions Committee) until all supporting documents
have been received. These documents are:
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College transcripts (certified copies, or certified translation for transcripts not in English)
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Two letters of recommendation
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Statement of purpose
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Official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores must be sent from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to the
Graduate School prior to the field's application deadline.
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Official Test of English as a Foreign Language Exam (TOEFL) scores. All students whose native language is not
English must submit official TOEFL scores via ETS to the Graduate School. TOEFL is not required of applicants who
have studied full-time for two or more years in a college or university (1) located in a country where English is
the native language; and (2) where English is the language of instruction.
Further information on the GRE and TOEFL exams is available from ETS: Educational Testing
Service, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. For reference, the proper Graduate School code number is 2098; please refer
to the GRE Information and Registration Bulletin for the 4 digit department code.
Choosing a Field of Study
There are many graduate fields of study at Cornell University. The best choice of graduate field in which to pursue a
degree depends on your major interests. Statistics is a subject that lies at the interface of theory, applications, and
computing. Statisticians must therefore possess a broad spectrum of skills, including expertise in statistical theory,
study design, data analysis, probability, computing, and mathematics. Statisticians must also be expert communicators,
with the ability to formulate complex research questions in appropriate statistical terms, explain statistical concepts
and methods to their collaborators, and assist them in properly communicating their results. If the study of statistics
is your major interest then you should seriously consider applying to the Field of Statistics.
There are also several related fields that may fit even better with your interests and career goals. For example, if
you are specifically interested in the development and application of statistics in biology (e.g., genetics),
agriculture or the environment, you might consider applying to the
Field of Biometry. If you are mainly
interested in mathematics and computation as they relate to modeling biological processes (e.g, protein structure and
function, computational neuroscience, biomechanics, population genetics), you might consider the
Field of Computational Biology. You may wish to
consider applying to the
Field of Electrical and Computer Engineering if
you are interested in the applications of probability and statistics to signal processing, data compression, information
theory, and image processing. Those with a background in the social sciences might wish to consider the
Field of Industrial and Labor Relations with a
major or minor in the subject of Economic and Social Statistics. Strong interest and training in mathematics or
probability might lead you to choose the
Field of Mathematics. Lastly, if you have a
strong mathematics background and an interest in general problem-solving techniques (e.g., optimization and simulation)
or applied stochastic processes (e.g., mathematical finance, queuing theory, traffic theory, and inventory theory) you
should seriously consider the
Field of Operations Research.
