Admission to the UP School of Statistics Graduate Programs
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the regular application period?
The application period usually opens between February-March and ends between March-April. Successful applicants will be admitted into the program at the start of the next academic year.
How can I be updated about the next application period?
We announce the opening of the application period on the UPD Stat website (www.stat.upd.edu.ph) and official FB page (https://www.facebook.com/UPDStat) a few weeks before it starts. Please check the website or our social media pages at the start of February.
Where can I find more information about the different graduate programs?
For more information about our graduate programs, please check the UP School of Statistics website: www.stat.upd.edu.ph. Go to "Academics" and scroll down to your desired program. We also have some downloadable materials available on the website.
We are in the process of updating the "Academics" section of our website. You may be able to find more information about the programs in our temporary website here: Graduate Programs
Does the program accommodate part-time students?
Yes, all our graduate programs accommodate part-time students.
Number of units taken per semester can be adjusted based on the student's workload. However, note that core courses are seasonal. Deviating from the prescribed program of study may result in significant delays especially for those in the PMDSA and PhD Data Science - Straight PhD Tracks. Part time students are encouraged to map out their plan of study to project when they will graduate from the program. The checklist of courses per program may be found here: Graduate Programs .
When is the schedule of classes?
Most graduate classes are held from 6 PM to 9 PM on weekdays, while some classes are held on Saturdays from 9 AM to 5 PM. However, some PhD Stat and PhD DS courses are held during the day. For a sample of class schedules, kindly refer to this site: UP CRS - Schedule of Classes (upd.edu.ph)
Are classes held online, hybrid or in person?
Classes are currently conducted in hybrid mode. However, the percentage of classes that are held in person is left to the discretion of the instructor. Some classes (e.g., theoretical core courses) require more in person sessions than others. Exams may also be held in person even if all lectures and class activities are conducted remotely. Students who will have difficulty attending in person classes are discouraged from applying.
For a sample of class schedules, kindly refer to this site: UP CRS - Schedule of Classes (upd.edu.ph)
Where are in-person classes held?
In person classes for the Master of Statistics, MS Statistics, PhD Statistics programs are held at the School of Statistics (New) Building in UP Diliman. In person classes for the PMDSA program are held at the BGC campus. Those under the PhD Data Science regular PhD track (Option 2) and research track (Option 3) have their in-person classes in UP Diliman. Meanwhile, those under PhD Data Science straight PhD track (Option 1) will have some in person classes in UP Diliman and at the BGC campus. After which, their classes will be held at UP Diliman.
How much is the tuition fee per semester?
Currently, the tuition fees are as follows:
For the Master of Statistics, MS Statistics and PhD Statistics programs, the tuition fee is 2,500 PHP per unit.
For the PMDSA and PhD DS programs, the tuition fee per unit is 4,500 PHP.
The tuition fee for Stat 100, Stat 195 and Stat 280 is 2,500 PHP per unit.
The tuition fee for other undergraduate Math and Stat subjects is 1,500 PHP per unit.
Miscellaneous fees amounting to around 1,500.00 PHP are charged per semester. (The current breakdown (subject to change) is as follows: 1,200.00 Library Fee, 75.00 Athletic Fee, 50.00 Cultural Fee, 50.00 Medical and Dental, 78.50 Development Fund, and 40.00 Registration/Residence Fee)
For international students kindly refer to the fees found on pages 11-12 of this document: 1S-2024-SCHED-OF-FEES-GRAD.pdf
Can students avail of financial assistance?
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) offers scholarships for MS Stat, PhD Stat, PhD DS-Regular Track and PhD DS-Research Track. You may check the DOST website for more information.
Students of the MOS, MS Stat and PhD Stat programs who are government employees may also avail of discounted tuition set at 2000 PHP per unit instead of 2500 PHP per unit (subject to change).
Students may also avail of student loans and other financial assistance offered by UP Diliman. You may check the website of the UP Diliman Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs (https://ovcsa.upd.edu.ph/) for more information.
How can we contact the School of Statistics Office of Graduate Studies in case we have questions about the program?
You may email us at statgradadmissions.upd@up.edu.ph or call us at 89818500 loc 3502. Please note that the persons in charge of this email address and phone number also manages requests of current graduate students and may not be able to respond to you immediately.
Do you accept applicants for the second semester?
We currently only accept applicants for the first semester of the academic year.
What are the application requirements?
The current application requirements (subject to change) are as follows:
Accomplished application form
Official Transcript of Records (TOR)
Three (3) recommendations, at least one from a former employer/immediate superior and the rest must be from professors, teachers or professional contacts.
Photocopy of PSA Birth Certificate (original to be submitted once admitted)
Photocopy of PSA Marriage Certificate (for married women; original to be submitted once admitted)
Three (3) passport size photos (attach one photo in this form; to be submitted once admitted)
TOEFL score report (for foreign applicants whose medium of instruction in the schools they attended is not English)
For foreign students:
1. Submission of TOEFL or IELTS is not needed if the medium of instruction in the last school attended is English.
2. A copy of your passport will suffice in lieu of PSA Birth Certificate.
What educational background is required to be accepted into the program?
Graduates of any undergraduate degree may be admitted to the program. However, a solid grasp of mathematics (in particular, calculus and matrix algebra) and basic knowledge of statistics are imperative to do well in the program. In addition, those in the data science programs must have an aptitude for programming. Some applicants may be required to take a validation exam to test if they have the required knowledge and skills. Depending on the outcome of the validation exam, some applicants be recommended to take the midyear bridge program while some may be required to enroll in undergraduate back subjects before admission into the program.
Only graduates of MS Statistics from a recognized institution of higher learning may be admitted to the PhD Statistics-Regular Track. Those who are not MS Statistics graduates of the School of Statistics need to take the midyear qualifying exam (see: Office of Graduate Studies - Candidacy and Qualifying Exams). They may be required to take additional subjects, depending on the results of their qualifying exam. Those who do not have an MS Statistics degree may be admitted to the PhD Statistics-Straight PhD Track. They may be required to take some courses in the MS Statistics program before taking the qualifying exam and proceeding to the core courses of the PhD Statistics program.
PhD Data Science - Regular Track (Option 2) applicants must have an MS degree in science or engineering with at least 24 units of graduate courses from a recognized institution of higher learning. Those with another master's degree (e.g. professional master's) may still apply, but they may be required to take additional graduate courses.
PhD Data Science - Research Track (Option 3) applicants are also required to show evidence of research work, such as publications, in a related field related to data science. Option 3 applicants must submit a sample of their publications as part of their application requirements. Those do not have any publications should not apply for this option.
Note: All PMDSA and PhD Data Science - straight PhD applicants are required to take the validation exam.
If I have never taken formal courses in calculus, matrix algebra and/or statistics, may I skip the validation exam and just take the midyear bridge program?
The midyear bridge program is designed as a refresher course and is only offered to applicants who have taken the validation exam and complete the application process.
Those who have never taken any formal course in calculus, matrix algebra and statistics are recommended to enroll in courses offered by any reputable academic institution that cover the necessary topics (see STAT 100 Course Outline and STAT 195 Course Outline) before applying to any of the programs. If you are interested to take UP Diliman courses, you may enroll as a Special Student under the Office of the University Registrar. The recommended courses are: Math 20 (pre-calculus), Math 21, Math 30, and Stat 280 Research Methods and Statistical Analyses I. You may skip Math 20 if you were in the STEM track in HS or if you have already taken an equivalent college algebra, trigonometry and analytic geometry course. (The Math 20 course outline is available in the Institute of Mathematics website if you wish to refer to it.) Kindly note that these undergraduate courses are usually offered during the workday, between 7:00am-6:00pm. Also, nondegree and special students are last priority and so your enrollment is subject to the availability of slots.
Unless you are applying for the PMDSA or PhD DS-Option 1 program, you may submit your grades in these back subjects together with your other application documents. You may be exempted from the validation exam based on your grades in these subjects.
Is work experience required to get into the program?
At least one year of work experience is required for the PMDSA and PhD DS-Straight PhD (Option 1) programs. Work experience will be considered when evaluating applications to all programs.
What are the possible outcomes after an applicant takes the validation exam?
There are three possible outcomes:
An applicant who passes the validation exam will be admitted into the program.
An applicant whose score is not passing, but still above a specified mark, will be admitted conditionally. These applicants must take and pass the bridge program offered during the midyear before the start of the first semester. Applicants who do not pass the bridge program will not be admitted to the program.
Applicants whose validation exam score is below the specified mark are not admitted into the program.
Once accepted in the program, can I defer my admission?
We do not entertain deferring of admission. However, under special circumstances and subject to approval of the Dean of the School of Statistics, deferring of admission for one academic year may be allowed for the MoS, MS, and PhD Statistics and PhD Data Science Option 2 and Option 3 programs.
If I am not accepted the first time I apply, may I try again a second time?
Yes, you may apply again a second time, but your circumstances will be re-evaluated by the committee on graduate program admissions. An applicant who fails to be admitted into the program twice will not be allowed to apply a third time.
What is the scope of the validation exam?
The validation exam for the Master of Statistics, MS Statistics and PhD Statistics programs has two sections: (1) Mathematics (Calculus and Matrix Algebra) and (2) Statistics (Probability and Statistical Inference)
The validation exam for the PMDSA and PhD DS programs has three sections: (1) Mathematics (Calculus and Matrix Algebra), (2) Statistics (Probability and Statistical Inference), and (3) Programming Aptitude.
The scope of the Mathematics and Statistics Sections cover STAT 100 and STAT 195. A high-level course outline of the two subjects are linked below:
The Programming Aptitude Section tests an applicant’s aptitude for programming. It is similar to a logic or problem solving test and is not language specific. However, knowledge of how algorithms and psuedocodes are written would help.
May I enroll in Stat 100 and Stat 195 before submitting an application / taking the validation exam?
Due to a limited number of slots, only those who have applied and are conditionally admitted into one of the graduate programs will be allowed to enroll in Stat 100 and Stat 195.
Do you have any resources to help applicants prepare for the validation exam?
Any calculus or matrix/linear algebra book can serve as the reference for the math section. Some examples are The Calculus 7 by Leithold, Calculus: Early Transcendentals by Anton, Bivens and Davis, APEX Calculus (openintro.org), , Elementary Linear Algebra by Kolman, Matrix Algebra Useful for Statistics by Searle . The Math 21-23 and Math 40 modules of the Institute of Mathematics UP Diliman are also helpful if you have access to them.
For the statistics section, you may refer to Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists by Walpole et. al. and OpenIntro Statistics.
If you have never taken a calculus, linear algebra or statistics course, it is recommended that you look into the possibility of taking online courses to prepare for the exam. Coursera, edX and MITx provide such courses.
Since the programming section is an aptitude test, there is no need to prepare for it. However, if you have no exposure to programming, you may want to take an introductory programming course. Some options are Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) | Coursera and CS50 2020 - Lecture 0 - Scratch - YouTube (Lectures 1 to 6)