Admissions for Graduate Studies in Statistics

Applying

To apply to study statistics with us at Boston University, you must submit an application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Application materials should be submitted directly to the Graduate School, not to our department. Within the application portal, please be sure to select the appropriate program. Options include:

Statistics – PhD
Statistics – MA
Statistical Practice – MS

Also, please note that the application fee must be paid in order for an application to be processed.

Deadlines

Fall semester admission for MSSP: March 15
Fall semester admission for MA: March 15
Fall semester admission for PhD: January 6
Spring semester admission: September 30*
- *By Invitation Only: Due to the nature of our course sequencing, spring admissions is typically only offered to students who have already have completed the fall coursework at Boston University or have exhibited a mastery of that material. We encourage all other applicants to apply for fall admissions.

All required materials must be received by the graduate school on or before the deadline.

Required Tests

GRE	General test required for all applicants (no specific minimum score required) NEW UPDATE FOR FALL 2022 ADMISSIONS: The GRE will not be required for the MA and PhD program. The mathematics subject test is encouraged for PhD applicants, but not required. It is not required for MA or MS applicants. (Please Note: If you intend to focus primarily on probability as a PhD student, then the GRE mathematics subject test is strongly encouraged in order to make your application competitive.)
TOEFL	Proof of English proficiency is required of all applicants by submitting official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The following minimums on the TOEFL IBT are as follows:– Reading: 21 — Listening: 21 — Speaking: 21 — Writing: 21 Scores can be sent to Boston University at institution code 3087. Only your most recent TOEFL test scores will be used to determine if you have met the English proficiency requirements. You may not combine sections from different test dates, and you must meet the minimum score set forth for each section of the test. A deficit in one area cannot be made up by a surplus in another. Moreover, an applicant would have to do better than most of these minimums to be considered for a teaching assistantship. This requirement is waived only if you have received, or expect to receive, an undergraduate or graduate degree from a college or university in any of the following countries prior to enrollment in GRS: the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, or Ireland. This waiver does not include undergraduate or graduate degrees earned from an institution in a country listed above while enrolled in a “dual degree” program with an institution in another country. There is no additional paperwork that needs to be submitted in order to waive the requirement. COVID-19 Update: For Spring 2022 & Fall 2022 MA admissions the Duolingo Test will be accepted with a minimum score of 105.

GRE

General test required for all applicants (no specific minimum score required)
- NEW UPDATE FOR FALL 2022 ADMISSIONS: The GRE will not be required for the MA and PhD program.
The mathematics subject test is encouraged for PhD applicants, but not required. It is not required for MA or MS applicants. (Please Note: If you intend to focus primarily on probability as a PhD student, then the GRE mathematics subject test is strongly encouraged in order to make your application competitive.)

TOEFL

Proof of English proficiency is required of all applicants by submitting official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The following minimums on the TOEFL IBT are as follows:– Reading: 21 — Listening: 21 — Speaking: 21 — Writing: 21 Scores can be sent to Boston University at institution code 3087. Only your most recent TOEFL test scores will be used to determine if you have met the English proficiency requirements. You may not combine sections from different test dates, and you must meet the minimum score set forth for each section of the test. A deficit in one area cannot be made up by a surplus in another. Moreover, an applicant would have to do better than most of these minimums to be considered for a teaching assistantship. This requirement is waived only if you have received, or expect to receive, an undergraduate or graduate degree from a college or university in any of the following countries prior to enrollment in GRS: the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, or Ireland. This waiver does not include undergraduate or graduate degrees earned from an institution in a country listed above while enrolled in a “dual degree” program with an institution in another country. There is no additional paperwork that needs to be submitted in order to waive the requirement.
COVID-19 Update: For Spring 2022 & Fall 2022 MA admissions the Duolingo Test will be accepted with a minimum score of 105.

Financial Aid

You may request Financial Aid from Boston University on the graduate application. Please note that almost all of our students begin their programs in the Fall semester and almost all of our financial aid is earmarked for applicants to the department’s PhD program. For US Citizens and Permanent Residents, information on additional possible federal sources of financial aid include the following.

Questions

Admissions decisions are typically completed by April 15 (Fall semester admission) and December 1 (Spring semester admission). Financial aid decisions are generally (but not always) made at the same time as admissions decisions. Due to the volume of applications received, we request that applicants do not inquire about their applications before these dates.
Other questions: email ma-phd-stats@bu.edu (for the MA and PhD programs) or mssp@bu.edu (for the MSSP program)