Preparing Your Application

Admissions Information

The Statistics Department at Columbia University offers a Master of Arts Degree in Statistics designed to prepare students for professional positions in statistics.  It can also be a path to a doctoral program in statistics.

The M.A. in Statistics program may be taken either full-time or part-time.  The full-time program is designed to be completed in three semesters:  Fall/Spring—Year 1, Fall—Year 2. Students may also opt to take summer classes.  Part-time domestic students may complete the program within four years.

A student already enrolled at Columbia University for an undergraduate degree may consider the BA/MA option.  Please read the section that follows for more information. 

We also offer admissions info sessions. If you are interested in staying updated about info sessions, please fill out this link.

Click here for general Admissions Contacts

The BA/MA Option

A  current Columbia Undergraduate may consider pursuing the BA/MA Option in the Statistics Department, and should set up an appointment with the Director of the Undergraduate Program, Professor Ronald Neath, before the end of their sophomore year. During this meeting, applicable courses for transfer into the MA Program will be discussed and an overall strategy/application timeline will be reviewed.  The optimal time for an undergraduate student to apply is during the junior year. Once accepted into the BA/MA Program, a student will be provided with an MA Faculty Advisor to guide the process of transferring courses and finalizing the MA schedule.

Only upon enrollment in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS) can a BA/MA student receive transfer credit for up to three courses (9-12 credits) and up to 0.50 RU for graduate courses (4000-level and above) taken in excess of the 124-credit requirement for the Columbia or Barnard Bachelor’s Degree (i.e., courses that did not count toward the undergraduate major, concentration, or general education requirements). 

The GRE is optional for BA/MA applications.  Please read more about the BA/MA option on the GSAS Website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Prospective students are advised to visit the M.A. Statistics page on the GSAS Website and to review all the Frequently Asked Questions.

  • Admissions FAQs – MA Statistics Website.
  • GSAS Admissions FAQs – GSAS Website.

Admissions Information for International Students

Prospective students are advised to visit the ISSO COVID-19 FAQs. 

Information for international students:

The MA Statistics Program offers Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for International MA in Statistics Students. 

  • General information on OPT is here.
    • Summer employment after the second semester.
    • Employment after graduation.
  • General information on CPT is here. 
              Statistical Fieldwork GR5399

  • Statistics is a STEM subject. Details on the OPT extension for students with STEM degrees are here.
  • MA Statistics students receive details on how to apply for OPT through the MA Statistics Program Weekly Newsletter.

Application Procedures

To make the best application to our MA Statistics Program, please review ALL of the following before reaching out with questions:

Application for admission to the program is through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS):   Applying to GSAS.  All admissions materials must be sent to GSAS, not to the Statistics Department.  If you have a question about the application process (timing of exams, how to deliver GRE scores, etc.), please email those questions directly to the GSAS Admissions help desk.

Applicants who submitted an early application, but who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program, must upload an updated transcript or submit the Fall Term Grade Report, as soon as the Fall Term grades are available. The transcript is uploaded on the Application Status page, which is the main page upon logging in to SSOL.

Application status can be determined by logging online.

Application Deadlines

Application Deadlines

The Department of Statistics awards a limited number of scholarships to highly qualified applicants. Applicants who wish to be considered for the scholarship are strongly encouraged to apply by January 31st.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis using the same guidelines.  All applicants who submit applications that include all required supporting materials by the early deadline of January 31 are guaranteed to receive a decision by the end of March. 

All applications received after January 31st, as well as applicants that were waitlisted during the first round, will be reviewed during the second admissions review window.

The deadline to apply for Fall 2024 Admissions is May 2, 2024.   There are no spring admissions, only fall admissions.  

Admissions Contacts

If you have questions about:

Please visit:

Please email:

Any specific questions about:

  • your application materials
  • technical difficulties with application
  • adding items to application
  • the timing of exams
  • whether the application is complete or not
 GSAS Admissions

gsas-admissions@columbia.edu

Please include:

  • Your name
  • Date of birth
  • Application ID number
Application status Log into online application  
International applications and English Proficiency GSAS Website  
Tuition MA Website  
Funding GSAS Website,  MA Website  
Visas, I-20, OPT, STEM-OPT

ISSO. 

 isso@columbia.edu
Program Requirements, Immunization

MA Program Requirements,

Immunization Compliance

  
How to apply to multiple programs GSAS  
Exam scores, GPA, prerequisites, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose MA Statistics Checklist, FAQs  
To find out when you will receive an answer Admissions FAQs