Statistics PhD Program
Program Mission
The mission of the PhD program in Statistics is to prepare graduates to become independent researchers and leaders in the field and to conduct original research to address academical and societal challenges and contribute to the broader community.
Program Goals
The goal of the PhD program in Statistics is to
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Train independent researchers capable of conducting original statistical research in theory or applications,
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Developing new statistical models and computational tools,
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Contribute to academic, industrial, or governmental sectors through their expertise in statistics.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Knowledge and Understanding:
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K1: The graduates from the PhD program in Statistics will have a deep and specialized understanding of advanced statistical theory and methodology. In addition to a specific sub-field of statistics where they will be able to address complex problems and contribute to the discipline's advancement.
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K2: The graduates from the PhD program in Statistics will have the ability to critically evaluate scholarly literature in statistics, particularly in their area of dissertation research.
Skills:
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S1: The graduates of the PhD program in Statistics will have the ability to conduct original research, formulate new research problems, develop innovative theory, and/or create new statistical methods with software.
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S2: The graduates from the PhD program in Statistics will be able to apply advanced statistical methods appropriately in complex applications.
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S3: The graduates of the PhD program in Statistics will be able to effectively communicate complex research findings both orally and in writing to diverse audiences and scientific journals.
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S4: The graduates of the PhD program in Statistics will be able to integrate complex concepts to translate scientific or real-world research questions into appropriate statistical problems, and design statistically sound approaches to address them.
Values, Autonomy, and Responsibility:
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V1: The graduates of the PhD program in Statistics will be able to commit to upholding the highest ethical standards in conducting research with integrity, demonstrating a strong commitment to the values and norms of the field of statistics.
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V2: The graduates of the PhD program in Statistics will be able to take responsibility for monitoring their own learning working closely with the supervisor to direct the course of their research and performance and actively pursuing self-development
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V3: Graduates in the PhD program of Statistics will be committed to actively participating in the development of the field of statistics, contributing to its advancement, by fostering innovation, reinforcing positive community relationships and advancing a knowledge-based society.
PhD Course Requirements
Students entering the PhD Program must complete the requirements below:
- STAT 300-level courses* (12 credits)
- Graduate Seminar (non-credit)
- Winter Enrichment Program (non-credit)
The Academic Advisor may request the completion of additional courses. Courses taken while pursuing the KAUST MS degree cannot be counted towards the PhD course requirements.
* All courses must be approved by the Academic Advisor.
Graduate Seminar (non-credit)
Students must register for
STAT 398 and receive a Satisfactory grade for two Semesters during their PhD.
Winter Enrichment Program (non-credit)
All students must complete the Winter Enrichment Program (
WE 100) for credit at least once during their studies at KAUST. Students who have previously completed WEP will be exempt from this requirement in their future studies.
PhD Candidacy
In addition to the coursework requirements, students must successfully complete the required PhD candidacy milestones to progress toward PhD candidate status. These milestones are as follows:
- A subject-based qualifier
- PhD Proposal Defense
Once students have advanced to candidacy, students are designated as PhD or Doctoral Candidates.
Qualifying Exam
The qualifier consists of three written subject exams, one in each of the core courses STAT 220, STAT 230, and AMCS 241. It is given twice per year: during the final exams of the Fall Semester and immediately after the final exams of the Spring Semester, or as feasible. The Fall Semester qualifier is the final exam of each of the Core Courses given during the Fall Semester. The Spring Semester exam is a 3-hour exam per subject prepared by the Faculty teaching the Core Courses.
Students must complete and pass all three (3) qualifiers by the end of the third semester of the PhD program. Students have two chances to take each exam and can retake only those they did not pass.
Each exam is Passed if students obtain a score of at least 70% in that exam. If students at the end of the third Semester of their PhD have only passed 2 out of 3 qualifiers, then the Qualifying Exam Committee reviews the case, and it is decided if students can proceed with the PhD Contact the STAT GPSA for more details about the PhD qualifying exam.
Note: Students who pass the final exam of a qualifying exam course with a score of 70% or higher during their MS do not have to retake that exam during their PhD as a qualifying exam. Exams taken during the MS do not count towards the two attempts, provided these correspond to courses in which students are enrolled. Students can take the final exam for a course they are not enrolled in. In that case, the exam counts towards the two attempts.
Dissertation
For more details on the Qualifying Exam results, Dissertation Proposal Defense and committee formation, Proposal Defense results, Petition to Defend the Dissertation and committee formation, Dissertation Defense results, Dissertation document, and Dissertation archiving, please refer to the Policy page.