General Requirements | Application Procedures | Application Deadlines | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Thank you for your interest in the Department of Statistics and Applied Probability. We are excited to review your application! To the left, you may use the navigation bar to find links to resources about our Department and how to apply.
Admission decisions are made by the departmental Graduate Admissions Committee. Admission consideration is based on academic achievement, programmatic fit, and scholarly potential. Our graduate programs are open to those who hold a bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Mathematics, or other fields with strong quantitative requirements. The department is expecting that quantitative courses, particularly those regarding statistical theory, be passed with distinction.
There will be two virtual Q&A sessions hosted by the Chair of the Graduate Admissions Committee, Dr. Mengyang Gu. More details for the virtual Q&A sessions will be coming soon.
UCSB Ranking: The 2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities , which evaluated 2,500 institutions to determine the top 1,000 worldwide, rated UC Santa Barbara No. 14 among U.S. public universities to make the list, No. 32 among all U.S. universities in the ranking, and No. 57 globally among all universities included.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Special Notice Concerning the Global COVID-19 Pandemic
General Requirements for PSTAT Graduate Programs
Education
All applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in Statistics, Mathematics, or other strong quantitative fields
Coursework
Applicants must have the following coursework in the following areas:
- Calculus-based Probability, law of large numbers and central limit theorems.
- Theory of statistical inference, hypothesis tests and regressions.
- Linear algebra including vector spaces, bases in vector spaces, eigenvalues, and eigenvectors.
GPA
The minimum undergraduate GPA requirement for admission is an overall 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Meeting the requirement does not guarantee admission; the actual standard for admission is set by the current pool of applicants and is generally much higher.
Exams
Language proficiency exams: TOEFL or IELTS
International students from non-English speaking countries are required to submit either TOEFL or IELTS exam scores. Scores more than 2 years old will not be accepted. Students who have earned a degree from a U.S. institution or a formally recognized English-speaking instution will have this requirement waived. No waiver documentation is required; your transcripts will suffice.
The minimum scores required for the TOEFL and IELTS are:
TOEFL Internet Based Test (IBT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
TOEFL Computer Based Test (PBT): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550
IELTS Minimum Band Score: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
GRE
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will NOT require a GRE for applicants applying to the MA or PhD program in the Fall of 2023 (i.e. applying to be part of the entering class of Fall 2024).
Application Deadlines
PhD Application
Final Deadline (Fall quarter only): December 15
*PhD Applications are not accepted for Winter/Spring quarters.
MA Application
Fall Deadline: February 15
Winter Deadline: October 18
Spring Deadline: January 10
*Masters applicants are not considered for fellowships and are not guaranteed teaching assistantships. Many, however, are employed as teaching assistants or graders on a quarter-to-quarter basis. As an additional benefit, such employment opportunities award students with partial fee remission.
**Please apply for Fall 2024 quarter of admission. Applications for Winter and Spring quarters are considered only in special circumstances. In these cases, applicants should contact the Graduate Admissions Committee Chair
Other Admission Information:
Frequently Asked Questions – UCSB Graduate Division
Information for Newly Admitted Students
For further information about how to apply, please read the Graduate Division Website