APPLIED STATISTICS AND DATA SCIENCE ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Admissions Requirements

Applicants to the master’s program in Applied Statistics must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, with an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0, and must have completed undergraduate work in multivariable calculus (usually calculus III) and linear algebra.  Those with degrees in areas other than mathematics and statistics are encouraged to apply. 

Please contact the Graduate Director Dr. Paul Bernhardt to discuss your interest in doing graduate work and the specifics of the course of study you wish to pursue.   

See admissions requirements and begin your application.

Non-matriculated Students

Prospective students interested in taking up to six credits as a special (non-matriculated) student must submit the following. 

• Transcripts of previous undergraduate courses
• Submitted application and fees
• 3 letters of recommendation

Please contact the Office of Graduate Studies for additional information.

Transfer Credits

Students may transfer a maximum of six credits from other graduate programs toward their MS in Applied Statistics and Data Science degree, provided these courses correspond to existing courses in the program's curriculum and were taken within the previous six years.

The request for transfer must be presented and approved at the time of admission to the program as a matriculated student.  It should identify the courses to be transferred, including detailed course descriptions and syllabi.. A minimum grade of B in each course is required for such a transfer.  A student with non-matriculated status may not transfer credits at the time of admission.

Admissions Standards

To be accepted into the program of Applied Statistics at Villanova, it is most important that a student had a successful undergraduate career. The Graduate Studies office at Villanova notes that 3.0 is generally a minimum undergraduate GPA for acceptance. Letters of reference are also important, with most applicants having at least one reference from an academic professor.

While not required, students are welcome to provide CVs/resumes, personal statement, or other helpful documents when applying.

General GRE scores are important for international students and individuals interested in a funded position. However, the GRE may be waived with the permission of the Graduate Director. While we recognize that the GRE test is not a perfect measurement of success in our program, we expect applicants to have solid quantitive scores; verbal and writing scores are also considered, though to a much lesser extent.

International Students

Our program is made up of a diverse group of students, including local individuals employed in industry, recent undergraduates from around the United States, and international students from around the world.

The Fall application deadline for international students is earlier (May 1) to make sure that there is time to obtain a student visa. Additionally, it may be harder to accept international students for a Spring semester start due to the requirement that students on a student visa be enrolled full-time. We may ask for such applications to be deferred to a Fall semester start in some cases.

As part of the application process, international students need to demonstrate mastery of the English language.  Required test scores are given by Graduate Studies. Note that if an international student has previously attended an English-speaking school or has other evidence of proficiency, the language test may be waived the Graduate Director.  International students are also required to send an official credentials evaluation through the application portal.

Funding Opportunities

We do offer department funding, though it is very competitive. Each year, two students receive a graduate assistantship that includes tuition remission plus a modest stipend. We are also usually able to offer one student per year a tuition scholarship in which the tuition is fully covered. Except in very rare cases, assistantships and scholarships cover two years of coursework up to 30 credits.

To be eligible to receive funding, you must have a complete application (including references) before March 1. While funding is generally very competitive, we encourage you to apply. Both United States citizens and international students are welcome to apply for funding.

In many years, we also have students who are funded through other offices and programs at Villanova, such as the Graduate Studies, Campus Ministry, or Residence Life.

Application Material Waivers

In special cases, some application materials may be waived. If an applicant already has had success previously in a graduate program, if they attended Villanova as an undergraduate, or if their overall application is relatively strong, the Graduate Director may waive the GRE upon request.

If an international student has previously attended an English-speaking institution or has other evidence of proficiency in the English language, the Graduate Director may waive the GRE upon request.

For students applying to the Applied Statistics Certificate program, GREs are not required and only two reference letters are required.

Please contact the Director of the Applied Statistics and Data Science program if you have questions about waiving an application requirement.

Course Requirements

Please refer to the Program Curriculum page for information regarding course requirements, tracks, and the Comprehensive Exam.  Additional info is also available on the Applied Statistics and Data Science Sharepoint site.

Important Dates

The Graduate Academic Calendar lists several important dates on the calendar.  Additional department events will be advertised by the Program Director.  For 2023-2024, the Fall Comprehensive Exam date is November 11 whiel the Spring Comprehensive Exam date is April 6.

Occasionally, students need to withdraw from a course due to personal issues or a low grade in the course. While we usually do not encourage students to withdraw from courses, it may be better than going on academic probation (when a graduate student's GPA is below 3.0).

If a student chooses to withdraw within the first week or so of the semester, there is no paperwork needed. After the initial "drop/add deadline", students will need to fill out an official form to withdraw from a course (see the Director of the Applied Statistics and Data Science program). The drop/add deadline and the date for withdrawing from courses without an academic penality are given on the Graduate Academic Calendar.

Textbooks

While some faculty email students directly or wait until the first day of class inform students regarding textbook requirements, students can generally find course textbook information at the University bookstore site.

Internship and Job Opportunities

While we do not find internships or jobs for our students, we do send information throughout the year to students about a variety of local opportunities for internships and jobs. Alumni, local companies and nearby universities often reach out with internship and job opportunities. 

Recently, our students have obtained internships at GSK, Merck, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Comcast, the Montgomery County DA's office, the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, other local universities, and many other locations. Additionally, most of our students are employed in statistical and data science fields, usually by the time of graduation or soon after. However, while the success rate is still high, international students sometimes find it somewhat more challenging to find a position.

Applying to Graduate

The Graduate Academic Calendar lists the deadlines by which applications to graduate must be submitted to both the Office of Graduate Studies and the Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Information about how to apply is given through the Graduate Studies Office.

Director

Paul W. Bernhardt, PhD
Associate Professor

Full-Time Faculty

Ida Alcantara, PhD
Assistant Teaching Professor

Peter Chi, PhD
Associate Professor

Jesse Frey, PhD
Professor

Jiangtao Gou, PhD
Associate Professor

Michael L. Levitan, PhD
Associate Professor

Paul J. Lupinacci, PhD
Associate Professor

Bright Nsowaa, PhD
Associate Teaching Professor

Michael A. Posner, PhD, PStat
Professor

Yimin Zhang, PhD
Associate Professor

In 2019, U.S. News ranked “Statistician” as the second best job overall and the best business job. In the last several years, "Data Scientist" has continued to be ranked among the best jobs by U.S. News, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and others. In 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected “Statisticians” to be the seventh fastest-growing job before 2026, with a 10-year growth of 34% (about four times faster than the average job). 

Statisticians take on a variety of jobs in many different fields. Recent graduates from our program have accepted a variety of roles, such as:

• Predictive health analyst helping to correct misdiagnoses of rare diseases
• Fraud detection in large companies such as Comcast 
• Biostatistician working with doctors on medical research at the University of Pennsylvania, CHOP and Main Line Health
• Statistical programming at local pharmaceutical companies such as GSK and Merck
• Teacher or statistics professor at schools and universities
• Strategic marketing for a large travel company
• Financial analyst at a variety of large finance companies and banks
• Senior scientist at Johnson and Johnson
• Data analyst with the Educational Testing Service