Returning to School with a M.A. in Statistics

[Bacaw]

After spending the last year working in the private sector following the completion of my M.A. in Statistics, I have found post-graduate life to be less satisfying than I originally anticipated.  I have started to consider the possibility of returning to the academic world and pursuing a PhD.  I miss being in a learning environment, and I find my professional work less fulfilling than the work in school.

I believe that if I choose to return to graduate school, I should be doing so soon.  If I wait too long, I fear that I may be too rusty to perform at the level of rigor necessary for a PhD program, or that I may become too content with my current professional income to revert back to frugal grad school living.

 

Could anyone offer some general pointers on how to approach the subject of applying for a statistics PhD program with a M.A. and prior work experience already in hand?  For reference, my master's was a traditional two year program with a one year sequence of math/stat coursework, a second year project, and a teaching assistantship, not one of those "applied track" self-funded programs.

 

Specifically,

-Given my background, is it necessary I have specific research in mind and find a professor willing to work with me prior to applying?  Or is it still acceptable for me to apply to a program that has multiple faculty members focusing on sub-areas of statistics that align with my interests, with the intention of forming a research idea upon my arrival?

-How would my application be perceived compared to undergraduate students?  Would I be held to a higher standard due to my lengthier experience, or would I have a "leg-up" due to my experience?

[Stat Assistant Professor]

I returned to do my PhD in Statistics just over two years after getting a Masters degree (in Applied Math). I think you'll be fine if you do decide to go through with returning to academia. You have already taken the math-stat sequence before, and learning something a second time is *always* easier, even if it's been awhile since you've seen it (you'd be surprised at how quickly it comes back... it's all buried in the back of your head somewhere).

You do not need to have specific research in mind or a professor to work with before applying. For Statistics, PhD students are accepted by the *department*, not into a PI's lab or research group. You can mention some topics that you are potentially interested in researching in your statement of purpose, but don't make it too specific. 

Your application should be given the same consideration as those entering with only a Bachelor's. Actually, the fact that you did a Masters will probably make you more attractive to adcoms and make them more comfortable with admitting you -- since they know you will already know what to expect in terms of rigor. Domestic students who enter Statistics PhD programs straight out of undergrad or without a Masters degree in Stat or Math tend to have higher attrition than those entering with a Masters (or previous graduate-level coursework).

Edited October 22, 2018 by Stat PhD Now Postdoc