Graduate Certificate in Statistics and Data Science

University of Arizona

The GIDP in Statistics offers interdisciplinary courses of study leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Statistics (regular track or statistical informatics track), a 12-unit Graduate Certificate, and a Ph.D. minor for students already registered into a Ph.D. program other than Statistics at the UA. Our mission is to develop the next generation of data scientists, trained to meet the challenges of modern interdisciplinary data extraction, analysis, and interpretation.

Certificate students are often non-traditional students, several years removed from the university education and possessing considerable work experience. We have seen applications from those in the high-tech industries (largely Raytheon Missile Systems), technical staff involved in data intensive science looking to improve their knowledge of modern statistics, and former high school math/stat teacher looking for a change in career. With such an extensive and diverse set of backgrounds, the consideration for admission of these applicants requires an examination beyond the transcript to the nature of their work experience. The Certificate program may be completed either online or on campus.

The Graduate College sponsors several Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs (GIDPs) in addition to the many interdisciplinary possibilities available through regular graduate degree programs. GIDPs transcend departmental boundaries by facilitating cutting edge teaching and research at the nexus of traditional disciplines. The high value placed on interdisciplinary research and education is indicative of The University of Arizona's enthusiasm and commitment to fostering innovation and creativity among its faculty and students.