Admittance into any course is not guaranteed.  All courses are subject to availability. 

The approved courses listed below are available for elective credit in the M.A. in Statistics Program.  The Columbia Course Directory lists the available courses for each semester. 

The MA Program requires the equivalent of six (3-pt) elective courses, of which at least three elective courses (9-pt total) must be offered by the Statistics Department.  Details of course requirements for graduation are HERE

All students should consult with their Faculty Adviser prior to selecting electives each semester. It is recommended to use the MA PROGRAM COURSE CHECKLIST to track your requirements and courses.  

Topics and seminar courses are generally not approved, although Topics in Modern Statistics GR5293 may be taken once as an approved elective.  Statistics courses offered in other departments, other than the ones listed below, are generally not approved.

Approved Electives

Statistics 

STATISTICS ELECTIVE COURSES (MUST COMPLETE A MINIMUM OF 3 TOTAL)

STAT # Course Title
STAT GR5206 Statistical Computing and Intro to Data Science
STAT GR5207 Elementary Stochastic Processes
STAT GR5221 Time Series Analysis
STAT GR5222 Nonparametric Statistics
STAT GR5223 Multivariate Stat Inference
STAT GR5224 Bayesian Statistics
STAT GR5231 Survival Analysis
STAT GR5232 Generalized Linear Models
STAT GR5233 Regression and Multi-Level Models
STAT GR5234 Sample Surveys
STAT GR5241 Statistical Machine Learning
STAT GR5242 Advanced Machine Learning
STAT GR5243 Applied Data Science
STAT GR5245 Introduction to TensorFlow with Python (1 pt)
STAT GR5261 Statistical Methods in Finance
STAT GR5262 Stochastic Processes for Finance
STAT GR5263 Stat Inf/Time-Series Modeling
STAT GR5264 Stochastic Processes Applications I
STAT GR5265 Stochastic Methods in Finance
STAT GR5399 Statistical Fieldwork
STAT GR5293* Topics in Modern Statistics
STAT GR5398** MA Mentored Research
*GR5293 may only count ONCE as an approved elective for the MA Program, unless approval is obtained from the academic advisor. 
**GR5398 will be counted as an elective towards graduation, only if taken for a letter grade.

PHD LEVEL COURSES IN STATISTICS

Selected PhD level statistics courses may be open to MA Statistics Students only through an application process. For more information on the process and how to apply, click HERE.

Statistics Electives by Interest Area 

Below are electives a student might select based on interest area. These courses are recommended as a guide in course selection; however, they are not required.

Admittance into any course below is not guaranteed.  All courses are subject to availability. 

FINANCE

GR5221 Time Series Analysis
GR5207 Elementary Stochastic Processes
GR5264 Stochastic Processes-Applications I
GR5263 Stat Inf/Time Series Modelling
GR5265 Stochastic Methods in Finance
GR5261 Statistical Methods in Finance

 

DATA SCIENCE SEQUENCE IN STATISTICS

GR5206 Stat Computing & Intro to Data Science (prerequisite for GR5241)
GR5241 Statistical Machine Learning (prerequisite for GR5242)
GR5242 Advanced Machine Learning

*Note: The Data Science sequence includes GR5206 offered in the fall which is a prerequisite for GR5241 offered in the spring. Both courses are a prerequisite for the course, GR5242: Advanced Machine Learning.

PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY OR PUBLIC HEALTH

GR5232 Generalized Linear Models
GR5222 Non-Parametric Statistics
GR5231 Survival Analysis

 

ACTUARIAL SCIENCE AND THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY

GR5231 Survival Analysis
PS5823 Actuarial Models
GR5207 Elementary Stochastic Processes

 

Actuarial Science 
Course Course Title
PS5821 Actuarial Methods I
(Must have demonstrated interest in AS)
PS5822 Actuarial Methods II 
PS5823 Actuarial Models
PS5830 Models for Financial Economics
(Formerly known as Stochastic Processes for Actuaries) 
PS5846 Quantitative Risk Management
Biostatistics 
Course Course Title
PUBH P8108 Survival Analysis (Prerequisites: PUBH P6103/4, STAT GR5203, GR5204 and GR5205)
PUBH P8116 Design of Medical Experiments (Prerequisites: PUBH P6103/4, STAT GR5203, 5204 and 5205)
PUBH P8121 Generalized Linear Models (Prerequisites: PUBH P6103/4, STAT GR5203, GR5204, and GR5205)
PUBH P8139 Theoretical Genetic Modeling (Prerequisites: PUBH P6103/4)
PUBH P8140 The randomized clinical trial I (Prerequisites: PUBH P6103/4)
PUBH P8142 The randomized clinical trial II (Prerequisites: PUBH P6103/4, P8140)

Important: 

Biostat 6000 level courses are not approved for graduate credit in the MA Program in Statistics. 

Instructions for cross-registration:

  1. Graduate students interested in taking Columbia Public Health courses must first complete the Cross-Registration Form.  

  2. Obtain permission from the Public Health department(s) that offers the course(s) for which you are cross-registering. It is important to note that the process of obtaining permission to enroll in a course as a cross-registrant is approved first by the department then by the Office of Enrollment Management (OEM).  

  3. Forward your completed Cross-Registration Form, as well as any other email correspondences used in lieu of signatures, to the Columbia Public Health OEM team(link sends e-mail). OEM will review and return approved forms to requesting students.   

  4. If allowed to take a course, the email from OEM will include your completed and approved form(s). Complete the registration for the course through your school’s primary office for registration. Any change thereafter (dropping the course etc.) would also be made through your school of primary registration

 

Columbia Business School – Finance & Business Economics Courses 
Course Course Title
ACCT B8008
Earnings Quality & Fundamental Analysis
FINC B8306 Capital Markets & Investments
FINC B8307 Advanced Corporate Finance
FINC B8308 Debt Markets
FINC B8318 Investment Banking Tax Factors
FINC B8323 Asset Management
FINC B8325 Mergers & Acquisitions
FINC B8326 Capital Markets Regulation
FINC B8333 Real Estate Capital Markets
FINC B8347 Financial Crises and Regulatory Responses
FINC B8348 Emerging Financial Markets
FINC B8362 Project Finance
FINC B8368 Security Analysis
FINC B8384 Equity Derivatives
FINC B8394 Private Equity: the asset class, its investments & its markets
FINC B8396 Institutional Investing: Alternative Assets in Pension Plans
FINC B8423 Investor Influence on Corporate Sustainability
FINC B8424 Competitive Advantage in Investing
BUEC B8250 Global Economic Environment II

 

Instructions for cross-registration:

Information about cross-registration can be found here. Questions? Email crossreg@gsb.columbia.edu

Economics 
Course Course Title
ECON GU4415 Game Theory
ECON GU4301 Economic Growth & Development
Industrial Engineering & Operations Research (IEOR) 
Course Course Title
IEOR E4403 Advanced Engineering and Corporate Economics
IEOR E4404 Simulation
IEOR E4407 Game-Theoretical Models of Operations
IEOR E4412 Quality Control and Management
IEOR E4700 Introduction to Financial Engineering
IEOR E4725 Networks: Formation, Contagion, and Epidemics

 

Instructions for cross-registration:

  1. The department will open up select courses each semester for cross-registration on the first Friday of the semester via the SSOL course waitlist system.
  2. All necessary pre-requisite requirements for the course must be satisfied.
  3. A list of available courses for non-IEOR students for cross registration will be provided closer to the term start. Courses not listed are closed and/or reserved for IEOR students in a degree program.

Questions? Please contact ieor-cross-reg@columbia.edu

 

Machine Learning/Data Science/Computer Science 

Important Note:  Students may take up to two courses from the list below to count toward graduation.  Students must consult with their Faculty Adviser about potential overlap in Data Science/Machine Learning courses when exploring courses not on the list below. 

Computer Science courses are not open to Statistics students until the first two weeks of classes.  COMS courses open to students in other departments during the Change of Program period. Enrollment is determined by the CS Department and are not guaranteed. 

Non-Data Science students will be able to join a waitlist via SSOL.  Space permitting, Non-DS students will be moved from the waitlist to the class roster during the first week of classes. Questions about Data Science courses? Email DataScience-Registration@columbia.edu

Course Course Title
U6506 Data Science & Public Policy
APMA E4990  Introduction to Data Science in Industry
BINF G4006 Translational Bioinformatics
COMS W4111 Introduction to Databases*
COMS W4121 Computer Systems for Data Science (Spring course only)
COMS 4705 Natural Language Processing
COMS 4775 Causal Inference 1
COMS 4995* Causal Inference for Data Science
COMS E 6998** Cloud Computing & Big Data
CSOR W4231 Analysis of Algorithms I
CSOR W4246 Algorithms for Data Science
CSEE W4119 Computer Networks
ECBM E4040 Neural Networks & Deep Learning
ECBM E6040 Neural Networks and Deep Learning (Research)
EECS E6720 Bayesian Mod Machine Learning
EECS E6893 Big Data Analytics
EECS E6895 Adv. Big Data Analytics
EECS E6894 Deep Learning for Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing

*COMS 4995 Sections (if not specifically included on the list above) must be individually approved by the Faculty Adviser

**Only COMS E 6998 Cloud Computing & Big Data counts, other topics do not count towards graduation and require Faculty Adviser’s approval

 

Mathematics 
Course Course Title
MATH GU4061 Introduction to Modern Analysis I
MATH GU4062 Introduction to Modern Analysis II
MATH GU4155 Probability Theory
MATH GR5010 Introduction to the Theory of Mathematical Finance
MATH GR5030 Numerical Methods in Finance
MATH GR5220 Quantitative Methods in Investment Management
MATH GR5280 Capital Markets & Invest
MATH GR5300 Hedge Funds Strategies & Risk
MATH GR5320 Financial Risk Management & Regulation
MATH GR5340 Fixed Income Portfolio Mgmt
MATH G5360 Math Mthds-Fin Price Analysis
MATH GR5380 Multi-Asset Portfolio Mgmt
MATH GR5400 Non-Linear Option Pricing
MATH GR6151 Analysis & Probability I
MATH GR6307 Algebraic Topology
MATH GR6308 Algebraic Topology II
Please review the cross-registration information for non-MAFN students: https://www.math.columbia.edu/mafn/cross-registration-for-non-mafn-students/

APPLIED MATHEMATICS COURSE

APMA 4300 – Introduction to Numerical Methods

Political Science 

Course

Course Title

POLS GU4720

Applied Regression and Causal Inference

POLS GU4724

Experimental Methods
Other 

INAF U6506 Data Science & Public Policy – A managed waitlist will become available to MA Statistics students up to seven days before the first week of classes.  SIPA students will receive priority, but if spaces are available, MA Statistics students will be admitted.  

 

Approval Request for courses not listed on this page 

For courses not listed:

  • The first step is to obtain the syllabus and share it with your Faculty Adviser for approval.  A Faculty Adviser may approve a course for a particular student’s schedule to count for graduation.  However, it is recommended that the faculty adviser seek input from the MA Program Faculty Directors. 
  • The second step is to fill out and submit the ELECTIVES APPROVAL FORM.  

NON-APPROVED COURSES

The following courses are NOT approved for the Statistics MA degree requirement:

  • 3000 level courses
  • Courses offered by the Applied Analytics Program in the School of Professional Studies
  • STAT GU4281 or K5281 – Theory of Interest
  • STAT GU4282 – Linear Regression and Time Series Models
  • Courses for Data Science Institute students only:  STAT GR5701, 5702, 5703
  • SIEO W4150 – Intro Prob & Stat Inference
  • IEOR E4106 – Stochastic Models
  • IEOR E4540 – Data Mining for Engineers
  • ECON W4412 – Ad Econometrics or other 4000-level Econometrics courses
  • ECON W4413 – Econometrics of Time Series
  • QMSS W5067 – Natural Language Processing
  • Finance 6000 – level courses
  • Biostat 6000 – level courses

Many topics and seminar courses are not approved to fulfill the MA degree requirement.