What a Statistics degree can do for you

Top employers from across the globe actively recruit graduates from our programs (undergraduate and graduate) and continue to search for the best and the brightest that we have to offer. Our graduates have found employment in a wide variety of fields, such as: insurance and financial sectors, market research firms, consumer product research, engineering and manufacturing, biotech and pharmaceutical, and multiple government agencies. 

Financial Support

FINANCIAL SUPPORT – MS: STATISTICS STUDENTS

The Department of Statistics is able to offer financial support to a limited number of MS students, this is typically by way of Graduate Opportunities in Statistics Scholarships, Teaching Assistantships, and Hourly Paid Positions. Additional funding opportunities external of the graduate program are available to a limited number of graduate students, including State Farm's MAGNet program. These opportunities are not controlled by the Statistics program, thus the Statistics Department is unable to provide additional details on these opportunities. 

Graduate Opportunities in Statistics Scholarship

The Department of Statistics at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign administers the Graduate Opportunities in Statistics Scholarship program  with the aim of increasing the enrollment of outstanding students from populations that are underrepresented in graduate studies in Statistics. There will be a limited number of awards granted each academic year, and all students from these populations who apply for the MS in Statistics and the MS in Statistics with concentration in analytics are considered for this award, and no separate application is required. Thus, deadlines for applying for the scholarship are the same as the deadlines for applying for admission.

• Eligibility: This competition is intended for students who are admitted with full status at the University of Illinois in either the MS in Statistics or the MS in Statistics with concentration in analytics. Consideration is given to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or approved domestic applicants.
• Selection Criteria: Awardees are selected based on the strength of their application for the chosen MS in Statistics program. This is determined by their academic performance in the most relevant mathematics and statistics courses, overall grade-point average, and the letters of recommendation included in the MS application. Scholarships may be offered before the application deadline based on ongoing application reviews. 
• Terms: A limited number of awards covering the student's full tuition fee each semester the award is held, whether the student is out of state or an Illinois resident, will be available to outstanding students from underrepresented populations. A number of partial tuition scholarships are also available for domestic applicants in general. It will be continued until graduation or a maximum of 4 semesters, provided the awardee maintains a grade point average of at least 3.00 in courses counting for their students MS program, and remains in full standing making adequate academic progress in every respect.

Teaching Assistantship 

The student will grade homework and exams, work in the computer lab tutoring introductory statistics students and/or more advanced undergraduates taking statistics courses. After the student has attended the Graduate Academy he/she may teach a stand-alone section of Statistics 100 or 200, or discussion sections of Statistics 107, 207, or 400. These positions within the department are offered on a competitive basis using the initial application for admission to the program to determine eligibility to hold an assistantship based on availability of appointments. No additional application or materials are required for consideration to these appointments. 

Hourly Paid Positions

Students are also eligible to apply for hourly grader positions. This position does not come with a tuition waiver. Student graders are expected to work no more than 20 hours a week and are responsible for reporting their hours for their course instructor approval.

Additional Funding Opportunities for MS Students in Statistics

State Farm Research Center's Modeling and Analytics Graduate Network (MAGNet) programDomestic students admitted to the Department of Statistics are eligible for an opportunity at the State Farm Research Center. Admitted MS students in our program who are interested in careers in the financial and insurance industries will be given the opportunity to apply and compete for the State Farm Research Center's Modeling and Analytics Graduate Network (MAGNet) program. Please consult with the Director of the MS program for further details. Successful applicants will be able to start their professional careers with tuition support for the MS degree and concurrent employment at the State Farm Research and Development Center , which is located in the University of Illinois Research Park . State Farm is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Assistantship Clearinghouse

Students are eligible to accept an assistantship with other departments if one is offered. MS students are encouraged to contact the department they desire to work with directly to seek information about available assistantships. The Statistics Department does not keep a database on available assistantships across campus nor does the department know of the application processes. Some departments do post their available assistantships to the Graduate College’s Assistantship Clearinghouse .

Graduate College Fellowship Office

The Graduate College offers services and resources to help graduate students pay for their education. For more information provided by the Graduate College's Fellowship Office, please see: https://grad.illinois.edu/fellowships/about

FINANCIAL SUPPORT – PHD STUDENTS

PhD applicants in Statistics are automatically considered for a tuition-waiver-generating assistantship. Departmental teaching and research assistantship support is available on a competitive basis. Applicants to the PhD program will be automatically considered for financial support as part of the evaluation unless they indicate in the application that they do not wish to be considered for support. Tuition and fees are waived for students with at least quarter-time assistantship support, except for approximately $1,150 of annual fees.

The Department of Statistics offers teaching and research assistantships.

Teaching Assistant: The student will grade homework and exams, work in the computer lab tutoring introductory statistics students and/or more advanced undergraduates taking statistics courses. After the student has attended the Graduate Academy he/she may teach a stand-alone section of Statistics 100 or 200, or discussion sections of Statistics 400.

Research Assistant: Advanced students often receive research assistantships working with one of the professors, typically closely related to their thesis topics. The duties of this assistantship include analyzing data, performing literature reviews, statistical computing and research methodology. In addition, students who have successfully completed Statistics 427, Statistical Consulting, are eligible for assistantships in the Illinois Statistics Office. These appointments give students experience with statistical consulting and applied research projects such as designing experiments, constructing survey plans, analyzing data, developing theoretical and empirical models, using computers for statistical computations, and preparing statistical sections of research proposals. Clients include members of the university community, government, and industry.