Mathematics Ph.D. students at Penn have the option to apply to the masters program in Statistics. If they are accepted, then they will be candidates for both degrees. The Math Ph.D. requires 20 courses, and the Statistics masters requires ten courses; but because of double-counting of courses, it is possible to fulfill the course requirements of both degrees with a total of 22 courses. As a result, students in this joint degree program take no longer than other Math Ph.D. students to finish (generally, five years).
Math Ph.D. students who wish to pursue a Statistics masters will typically apply to the Statistics Department at the end of their first year or in their second year. Students who are TA's can take one Statistics course each summer without paying tuition. In addition, students on TAship or fellowship can take courses during the academic year without paying tuition, up to 20 courses (for those who are candidates just for the Math Ph.D.) or 22 courses (for the joint degree candidates). Students who wish to take Statistics courses during their first two years, other than the summer, should first get permission from the Mathematics Graduate Group Chair. This is to insure that these courses do not interfere with taking the basic required Math courses. Math Ph.D. students who enter the Statistics masters program can count any relevant courses they may have taken as grad students at Penn prior to entering the masters program, on the same basis as courses taken after entering that program.
A Math Ph.D. student who is enrolled in the Statistics masters will be permitted to count four Statistics courses toward the 20 courses for the Math Ph.D. The other 16 courses (toward the 20) will be in the Math Department. The Statistics Department will count four Mathematics courses toward the ten course requirement for the Statistics masters. The other six courses (toward the ten) will be in Statistics, including Stat 5300, 5310, 5500, 5510 (or the equivalent), and a selection of other Statistics courses (chosen from Statistics 5400, 5410, and Statistics courses numbered 9000 and above; or other courses if approved by the two departments on an individual basis) to bring the total of Statistics courses to six. For more details about the Statistics program, see theĀ Statistics Department web page.