The Master’s in Statistics program is formally known as the Intercollegiate Graduate Statistics and Data Science Program (IGSDSP). Students may pursue a full master’s degree or minor in statistics while enrolled in their primary PhD or master’s program. This program is open to graduate students in departments with an approved statistics minor and/or master’s curriculum.
Students participating in the Intercollegiate Graduate Statistics and Data Science Program may pursue a concurrent master’s degree in statistics through the Department of Business Analytics and Statistics. This program is open to graduate students in departments at UTK with an approved statistics minor and/or master’s curriculum.
A limited core curriculum and a number of electives are offered by faculty in Haslam’s Department of Business Analytics and Statistics. Advanced statistical and data science courses that have been approved by the IGSDSP program’s executive committee may be applied to a minor or master’s degree in statistics under the guidance of a statistics advisor or a program prescribed by the students home department.
The discipline of Statistics informs nearly every field of modern science and social science. The fundamentals of collecting and interpreting data stand at the forefront of graduate academic work, and as such the Master of Statistics at the Haslam College of Business is the most advanced credential offered by the Intercollegiate Graduate Statistics and Data Science Program (IGSDSP).
This M.S. in Statistics offers a valuable credential to students working toward a PhD at UTK that will set them apart when planning for a career either in industry or the academy. If your current program of study requires a substantial number of statistics or data science courses, a concurrent M.S. in Statistics can often be added to your program of study with limited impact on your time to graduation. The program may also accommodate students currently in a PhD program that would prefer to change their course of study to an M.S., but do not have an M.S. program available in their major field.
If your program is not listed, contact your college representative to start the process of getting program approval.
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD Students: Stat Minor, Stat MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS:
STAT 537 – Statistics for Research I
STAT 538 – Statistics for Research II
ECON 582 – Elements of Econometrics I
ECON 583 – Elements of Econometrics II
ECON 682 – Advanced Topics in Cross Section Econometrics
Contact your PhD Advisor for additional guidance.
Contact: lmyers16@utk.edu
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Seong Hoon Cho, Karen DeLong, and Xuqi Chen
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for Ph.D. Students: Stat Minor, Stat MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for Ph.D. Students: Stat Minor
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Ben Auerbach
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Hong Tian, Rachel McCord
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Jeremy B. Kanter
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Lee Han, Asad Khattak
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent MS – Statistics Minor:
(Level A 6cr, Level B 3cr)
Level A: PSYCH 521 (Regression), PSYCH 522 (ANOVA)
Level B: PSYCH 622 (Structural Equation Modelling)
Preferred Courses for Concurrent PhD – Statistics MS:
(Level A 6cr, Level B 9cr)
Level A: PSYCH 521 (Regression), PSYCH 522 (ANOVA)
Level B: PSYCH 607 (Psychometrics), PSYCH 622 (Structural Equation Modelling), Student Program of Study Driven Level B Elective
Please use this as a guide and contact your advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Elizabeth Avery Foster, Michael Kotowski
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS:
*STAT 537 should be taken with STAT 538, STAT 538 should be taken after taking either STAT 537 or PUBH 530, PUBH 530 should be taken with STAT 538, ANSC 571 should be taken after taking STAT 537, EMS 577 should be taken with EMS 677, f EMS 677 should be taken after taking EMS 577, PSYC 521 should be taken with PSYC 521. PSYC 522 should be taken after taking PSYC 521
Contact your advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Odoi Agricola
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: James Fordyce, Mike Gilchrist
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Luiz Renato Lima, Christian A. Vossler, Celeste Carruthers
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Jennifer Ann Morrow, Louis Rocconi
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Terry Ishitani
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Sheng-I Yang, Mark Q. Wilber
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor:
Level A Class Options:
STAT 537 and GEOG 515
Level B Class Options:
GEOG 510: Geographic Software Design
GEOG 517: Database Design for Spatial Data Science
GEOG 549: Topics in Geography of Transportation (which covers various spatial analysis methods for transportation and logistics problems)
GEOG 611: Seminar in Geographic Information Science
GEOG 649: Seminar in Geography of Transportation (which covers spatial optimization problems)
Please contact the advisor (listed below) to finish creating a custom path for your academic goals.
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics MS:
GEOG 510: Geographic Software Design
GEOG 517: Database Design for Spatial Data Science
GEOG 549: Topics in Geography of Transportation (which covers various spatial analysis methods for transportation and logistics problems)
GEOG 611: Seminar in Geographic Information Science
GEOG 649: Seminar in Geography of Transportation (which covers spatial optimization problems)
Please contact the advisor (listed below) to finish creating a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Nicholas Nagle, Shih-Lung Shaw
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: John Kobza, Mingzhou Jin, Hwangbo Hoon
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contact: David Williams
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contact: Wenjun Zhou, Lan Gao
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor:
STAT 578 Categorical Data Analysis
STAT 577 Data Mining Methods and Applications
STAT 579 Applied Multivariate Methods
Please contact the advisor (listed below) to finish creating a custom path for your academic goals.
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics MS:
STAT 578 Categorical Data Analysis
STAT 577 Data Mining Methods and Applications
STAT 579 Applied Multivariate Methods
Please contact the advisor (listed below) to finish creating a custom path for your academic goals.
Contact: Jonathan Hasford
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Vasillios Maroulas, Balram Rajput, Jan Rosinski, Christopher Strickland, Carl Wagner, Ioannis Sgouralis
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS:
Courses taken by graduate students in School of Natural Resources for IGSDSP minor and masters (09-16-2023)
Statistics for Research I – STAT 537 (Level A)
Statistics for Research II – STAT 538 (Level A)
Probability I – STAT 563 (Level B)
Probability II- STAT 564 (Level B)
Biometry – EEB 560 (Level B)
Applied Time Series – STAT 575 (Level B)
Design of Experiments – STAT 573 (Level B)
Data mining methods and applications – STAT 577 (Level B)
Machine Learning – COSC 522 (Level B)
Advanced Epidemiology – CEM 601 (Level B)
Design and Analysis of Biological Research – ANSC 571 (Level B)
Statistics for Biological Research – PLSC 561 (Level B)
Multivariate and data mining techniques – STAT 579 (Level B)
Categorical Data Analysis – STAT 578 (Level B)
Advanced Regression for Agricultural Research – FDSC 551 (Level B)
Introduction to Bayesian methods – POLS 518 (Level B)
Possible Course Pathway (Minor in Stats for SNR Master’s students)
Statistics for Research I – STAT 537 (Level A)
Biometry – EEB 560 (Substitute for Level A)
Level B course -> See options previous SNR students have taken for level B courses
Possible Course Pathway (Master’s in Stats for SNR students)
Statistics for Research I – STAT 537 (Level A)
Statistics for Research II – STAT 538 (Level A)
Probability I – STAT 563 (Level B)
Probability II- STAT 564 (Level B)
Biometry – EEB 560 (Level B)
Categorical Data Analysis – STAT 578 (Level B)
Data mining methods and applications – STAT 577 (Level B)
Introduction to Bayesian methods – POLS 518 (Level B)
9 remaining hours from technical courses in SNR
Please contact the advisor (listed below) to finish creating a custom path for your academic goals.
Contact: Mark Wilber
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Wes Hines, Ronald Pevey, Belle Upadhyaya, Jamie Coble
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Lisa Lindley
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Vincent Pantalone
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor:
Level A – POLS 512 and POLS 513
Level B – two from POLS 515, POLS 516 and POLS 518; one course from another Department, to be approved by the Political Science DGS.
Please contact the advisor (listed below) to finish creating a custom path for your academic goals.
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics MS:
Level A – POLS 512 and POLS 513
Level B – two from POLS 515, POLS 516 and POLS 518; one course from another Department, to be approved by the Political Science DGS.
Please contact the advisor (listed below) to finish creating a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Wonjae Hwang, Kyung Joon Han, Nathan J. Kelly, David Houston
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Chris Elledge, Lowell Gaertner
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent MA – Statistics Minor:
Minor (masters level)
Level A
PUBH 530 Biostat (this is required for the MPH also)
Level B
STAT 578 Categorical Data Analysis
CEM 601 Advanced Epidemiology or CEM 602GIS and Geographical Epidemiology (as these are not offered every year)
Preferred Courses for Concurrent PhD – Statistics Minor:
Minor (phd level)
Level A
PUBH 530 Biostat
Level B
STAT 578 Categorical Data Analysis
CEM 601 Advanced Epidemiology or CEM 602 GIS and Geographical Epidemiology
SOWK 665 Advanced Quantitative Research Methods: Applied Multilevel Modeling
POLS 515 Maximum Likelihood
Please contact the advisor (listed below) to finish creating a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Samantha Ehrlich, Odoi Agricola
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact your academic advisor to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Charles Glisson, William Nugent
Concurrent Degree Options for Master’s Students: Stat Minor
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent MA – Statistics Minor:
STAT 537 and 538 or PSYCH 521 and 522
SOCI 631
Preferred Courses for Concurrent PhD – Statistics Minor:
STAT 537 and 538 or PSYCH 521 and 522
SOCI 631
And any two of the following:
EDPY 667
GEOG 517
POLS 515
POLS 518
PUBH 635
PSYC 622
SOWK 665
Preferred Courses for Concurrent PhD – Statistics MS:
STAT 537 and 538
STAT 563 and 564
Additional B level STAT class:
STAT 579 or STAT 577
In concentration:
SOCI 631
SOCI 534*
POL 515
And any three of the following:
EDPY 667
GEOG 517
POLS 515
POLS 518
PUBH 635
PSYC 622
SOWK 665
Please contact the advisor (listed below) to finish creating a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Stephanie Bohon, Robert Jones, Deadric Williams
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contact: Stephanie Eckerd
Concurrent Degree Options for PhD: Stat Minor, STAT MS
Preferred Courses for Concurrent Statistics Minor or MS: Please contact the advisor (listed below) to create a custom path for your academic goals.
Contacts: Joshua Rosenberg
The master’s in statistics requires 33 hours, (24 IGSDSP hours including STAT 537-538, STAT 563-577 and at least 3 additional hours of courses listed as STAT of BZAN at the 600 level). Up to nine hours of courses can be used to fulfill both doctoral degree and minor or master in statistics requirements. Level A courses are introductory, graduate-level applied statistics courses. Level B courses are graduate-level applied statistics courses which have Level A (or equivalent) prerequisites. Some approved Level B courses can be substituted for Level A courses. Please talk with your advisor about these options.
Doctoral students can earn a master’s in statistics by taking 33 hours of coursework, including 24 hours in approved IGSDSP courses.
STAT 537 – 538 (6 hrs)
STAT 563 – 564 (Students completing 564 prior to 2024)
STAT 563 , STAT 577 (Students not completing 564 prior to 2024)
3 hours from an additional Level B STAT courses
9 hours from any approved Level B courses
9 hours from technical courses in your concentration
No Comprehensive Exam Required (Must Receive A or B in Statistics 563 and 564)
Must Have IGSDSP Member on Committee
Of the required 24 hours of IGSDSP coursework, up to 9 hours can be taken from the department of the student’s primary major.
For doctoral degree students, the minor in statistics requires 15 credit hours.
6 hours of approved Level A courses
9 hours of approved Level B courses
No Comprehensive Exam Required
Must Have IGSDSP Member on Committee
Up to 9 hours in approved IGSDSP courses can be taken from the department of the student’s primary major.
For master’s students, the minor in statistics requires 9 credit hours. Approved coursework taken through the department of the student’s primary major may be applied towards the master’s or minor requirements.
6 hours of approved Level A courses
3 hours of approved Level B courses
No Comprehensive Exam Required
Must Have IGSDSP Member on Committee
Up to 9 hours in approved IGSDSP courses can be taken from the department of the student’s primary major.
Level A courses are introductory, graduate-level applied statistics courses. Level B courses are graduate-level applied statistics courses that have Level A (or equivalent) prerequisites. Upon approval by the IGSDSP Executive Committee and the student’s home department, some of the Level B hours may be obtained from certain Level A courses.
Applicants must add a member of the IGSDSP faculty to their graduate committee and work with that committee to establish a list of courses that fulfill the minor or Master of Statistics curriculum requirements.
Applications should be submitted as early in the student’s doctoral degree as possible, but no later than the beginning of their final semester.
If you are currently enrolled as an MS student or in a PhD program at UT, you are eligible to get a minor in statistics. Please see the course requirements here.
Students currently enrolled in a UTK PhD program and who are not able to finish can petition the Business Analytics and Statistics Department to be admitted to the MS in Statistics. Please contact the Department for more Information.
You will take the required coursework and then fill out two forms. All students must fill out the Admission to Candidacy form (Forms Central – The Graduate School). You will also need to fill out the “Request for Concurrent MS Degree” available on the forms central website at the UT graduate school. International students may need to contact the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) for additional paperwork. You need three signatures (an Intercollegiate Graduate Statistics and Data Science Program [IGDSDP] faculty representative from your department, the IGDSP college representative and the IGSDSP executive committee chair). After getting the signatures, forward the form to gradspec@utk.edu.
According to the graduate school, you should submit the application “no later than the last day of classes preceding the term in which you expect to graduate.”
It is a simple process. Take the required coursework, and then fill out the application (see admissions tab on this site). You need three signatures (an IGDSDP faculty representative from your department, the IGDSP college representative and the IGSDSP executive committee chair). After getting the signatures, forward the form to gradspec@utk.edu. As a reminder, an approved IGSDSP faculty member must serve on the graduate committee. This can be an approved faculty member from your department.
You should send the minor application to the graduate school no later than sending all other graduation forms such as doctorate final defense forms or admission to candidacy forms or corresponding forms for your MS. If you have a plan, you can send the application the semester before finishing your coursework, even if all courses aren’t completed.
Your minor will be recognized on your official transcripts after graduation.
Many programs have listed recommended pathways. For those that do not, please contact your graduate director for guidance on a tailored plan that fits your research goals. You may also contact the IGSDSP Executive Committee Chair with any questions.
Send a copy of the course syllabus to your IGSDSP college representative.
Send your CV to the IGSDSP executive committee chair for approval. A short statement describing your interest in statistics and data science is also helpful.
To apply, contact basadmins@utk.edu and ask for the contact information for the current IGSDSP Executive Committee Chair or the Director of Graduate Studies for the MS in Statistics. The application can be filled out any time throughout a student’s graduate program, but it is a good practice to contact the Director of Graduate Studies to ensure that the requirements are clear.
Lowell Gaertner – Arts and Science
(gaertner@utk.edu)
Mark Wilber – Herbert College
(mwilber@utk.edu)
Bill Nugent – College of Social Work
(wnugent@utk.edu)
Mike Kotowski – College of Communications and Information
(mkotowsk@utk.edu)
Jennifer Ann Morrow – Education, Health and Human Sciences
(jamorrow@utk.edu)
Lee Han – College of Engineering
(lhan@utk.edu)
Lisa Lindley – College of Nursing
(llindley@utk.edu)
Russell Zaretzki – Haslam College and Executive Committee Chair
(rzaretzk@utk.edu)
Brittany Shelton – College of Education
Alejandro Molina Moctezuma – Herbert College
Andrew Taeho Kim – College of Arts and Sciences
Mitchell Richmond – Herbert College
Julia Yan – College of Education
Aaron Buss – College of Arts and Sciences