Degree Programs

First Year Qualifying Exams

At the end of spring quarter following the first year of study, all students are required to take the first-year statistical theory exam (administered jointly by Statistics, Biostatistics and QERM) and the first-year applied methods examination (administered by QERM).

For students to continue into the QERM doctoral degree program, both the applied methods and statistical theory exams must be passed at the doctoral level. A student receiving a master's level pass may be reexamined one additional time to achieve a doctoral level pass. If a doctoral level pass is not achieved after the second attempt, the student may not continue into the doctoral degree program. They may, however, complete a master's degree in QERM. Failure to pass either examination at the master's level after a second attempt will result in the student’s graduate enrollment being terminated. The applied methods or statistical theory exam must be retaken in their entirety.

Students entering the program with little or no statistical background are advised to consider taking the following courses in their first year for preparation in this area:

Students entering the program with a master's degree in statistics are not required to take STAT 512-513 if they have already had the necessary background. However, they must take a screening examination in September offered by the Biostatistics Department to determine their competence. This "challenge" examination does not count as one of the 2 attempts to pass the statistics theory exam. These students are still required to take the statistical theory examination after their first year of study.

Generally, it is advised that all students take Statistical Inference I and II (STAT 512-513) in the year they take the statistical theory qualifying examination and Analysis of Ecological and Environmental Data (QERM 514), Applied Ecological Modeling (QERM 550), and Introduction to Mathematical Biology (AMATH 422) in the year they take the applied methods qualifying examination.