PhD Statistics and Operations Research at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Programme overview

The Ph.D. degree requires at least 45 semester hours of graduate coursework and the successful completion of a doctoral dissertation. Detailed information about specific courses, elective courses and allowable courses outside of the STOR department as well as potential course plans based on interests of accepted students are provided on the graduate admissions section of the program's website. A number of STOR courses in probability and statistics are of potential interest to students in other disciplines. At the advanced undergraduate/beginning graduate level, STOR 455 and STOR 556, provide an introduction to applied statistics, including regression, analysis of variance, and time series.

Faculty: The Graduate School | Department: Statistics and Operations Research | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chapel Hill, NC, United States

What you will study

The M.S. degree requires 30 credit hours of coursework and the completion of a master's project. The Ph.D. degree requires at least 45 semester hours of graduate coursework and the successful completion of a doctoral dissertation.

Career pathways

The M.S. program is intended for students who wish to pursue careers in data science and analytics or as a preparation for continuing on to further graduate studies in related areas. The Ph.D. degree in STOR is designed for students planning a career in teaching or research.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate School minimum (applies to all graduate programmes): a four-year bachelor's degree (or international equivalent) from an accredited institution completed before graduate study begins and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) or better; application via the Graduate School online application with transcripts, three recommendation letters, statement of purpose and CV, plus any programme-specific tests/materials; international applicants add a TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test score; admission decisions are made by each programme. Programme-specific: Upon approval of The Graduate School, at most six credit hours may be transferred from another accredited institution or from within UNC–Chapel Hill for courses taken before admission to the M.S. program. Admission to the department is highly competitive, and preference is given to applicants who have solid technical preparation. Although the department welcomes promising students from all disciplines, entering students must have a substantial mathematical background and applicants must satisfy the entrance requirements of The Graduate School.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applicants apply for a start term; fall is the main start term. Very few programmes admit new students for spring or summer terms.

Graduate applications and payment must be received by the deadline of the academic programme applied to, which varies by programme; the application closes at 11:59pm Eastern Time on the deadline date. The Graduate School recommends complete applications by December 15, 2026 for full fellowship consideration.

Apply through the official page: https://gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions/

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