• Approved Courses
• Cross-Registration
• Electives by Interest Area
• PhD Level Statistics Courses
• Non-Approved Courses

Approved Courses

Admittance into any course below 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. (Please also review non-approved courses.)  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 must be offered by the Statistics Department.  Details of course requirements for graduation are HERE. 

Each student’s Faculty Adviser must approve all courses for graduation.  It is recommended to use the MA PROGRAM COURSE CHECKLIST to send to the Faculty Adviser.  All students should confer with their Faculty Adviser prior to selecting electives each semester.  

Since new courses are coming up all the time, the MA Program has a procedure to request approval: 

• 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.   

Entry into any course is not guaranteed, especially regarding courses in other Schools or Departments.  Please see information about Cross Registration below.  Check the Course Directory for up-to-date information on what courses are offered each semester. 

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.

Course Registration:  Statistics Elective Courses

Statistics Elective Courses (must complete a minimum of 3 total)

*The topics course GR5293 may only count ONCE as an approved elective for the MA Program, unless approval is obtained from the academic advisor. 

Cross Registration:  Approved Courses in other Departments

The Statistics Department does not have any influence on allowing you into a cross registered class. Cross Registration is always at the discretion of the specific School/Department/Instructor. 

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

Most schools/departments do not allow students to cross-register until the first week of classes. 

Schools and departments all have their own cross registration processes. Please review the links and information below. For schools/departments not listed, review each individual website and, if needed, reach out to their student affairs office to inquire about their cross registration options and processes. 

• Computer Science
• Industrial Engineering and Operations Research 
• Columbia Business School
  • Most courses have a prerequisite of Capital Markets “FINC B8306/ MATH G4076” or “waiver exam”.
  • Email crossreg@gsb.columbia.edu.  
• Data Science Institute
  • 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. 
  • Students are encouraged to attend the first day of class to get the syllabus and to get a pulse for the course.
  • Email:  DataScience-Registration@columbia.edu.
  • Students who want to take COMS 4995 must have provide the syllabus of the specific section to their Faculty Adviser for individual approval. 
• Math Finance  
  • All Math Finance courses have managed waitlists.  This means that everyone who registers is automatically added to a waitlist which is managed by the instructor. 
  • The first priority goes to Math Finance students.  After those students are given places, then spaces will be available for Statistics Students.  
  • Some Math Finance courses will not be available for cross registration until the first week of classes.

MA students may register for courses at Teachers College, as long as they get permission from TC and their adviser.

School of Public Health – Biostatistics

Important: 

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

Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IEOR) Courses

For information on how to cross-register for Industrial Engineering and Operations Research click here.

Mathematics Courses

Applied Mathematics Course

APMA 4300 – Introduction to Numerical Methods

Economics Courses

Finance and Business Economics Courses at Columbia Business School

For specific instructions on how to cross-register for classes at Columbia Business School click here (Most courses have a prerequisite of Capital Markets “FINC B8306/ MATH G4076” or “waiver exam”).

Note:  Most Business School courses have a prerequisite of Capital Markets (FINC B8306/ MATH GR5280 (formerly G4076) or waiver exam). Click here for more information.

Actuarial Science Courses

Machine Learning/Data Science/Computer Science Courses

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

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

Computer Science courses are not open to Statistics students until the first two weeks of classes.  They are restricted until then.  Enrollment is determined by the CS Department and not guaranteed. 

Political Science

• POLS GU4720:  Applied Regression and Causal Inference
• POLS GU4724:  Experimental Methods

Other

Statistics Electives by Interest Area

Below are some possible electives a student might select based upon interest area. Please note these courses are recommended as a helpful guide in course selection; however, they are not required.

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

FINANCE

In addition to approved courses from the Business School, Mathematics of Finance, & Related Programs.

DATA SCIENCE SEQUENCE IN STATISTICS

*Data Science Sequence – 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

In addition to approved courses from Biostatistics and Epidemiology.

ACTUARIAL SCIENCE and THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY

In addition to approved courses from Economics, Actuarial Science, & the Business School.

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.

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. 

For courses not listed above, students should confirm with their Faculty Adviser before registering and fill out the ELECTIVES APPROVAL FORM.