The Department of Statistics at Northwestern University offers programs leading to the master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees. The graduate programs train students for careers as professional statisticians in industry, government, or academia.
The department is distinguished by the faculty's strong interest in the application of statistics to such diverse areas as engineering, law, medicine, public policy, and social sciences. The graduate programs offer substantial training in statistical applications and methodology, as well as current advances in statistical theory and computation.
The statistics department is relatively small, with ten faculty members and 10 to 15 graduate students. Graduate classes are typically small, often with fewer than 10 students, and students benefit from the close interaction with faculty members and each other. The department is located in a converted residence that contains a common room, a seminar room, computing facilities, and faculty and student offices. The setting encourages informal discussions and a congenial atmosphere.
State-of-the-art computational facilities are available for students' use. Many courses require substantial computing, either using widely available statistical packages, such as SAS and S-Plus, or developing customized software to solve a problem. Several of the faculty members have a strong interest in statistical computing, and students are encouraged to develop expertise in this area.
Financial aid in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships is widely available for well-qualified students in the PhD program. Financial aid is typically not available for master's degree students.
The Department of Statistics is located on Northwestern University's 240-acre campus in Evanston, 12 miles north of downtown Chicago. Northwestern, a private university, is one of the nation's outstanding educational and research institutions. With its quiet suburban setting and proximity to the scientific and cultural activities of Chicago, Northwestern is an excellent environment for the student and scholar.
Director of Graduate Studies: Wenxin Jiang, wjiang@northwestern.edu
