University of Iowa
Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science
Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Overview
Approximately 28,000 students are enrolled at the University. Iowa is known for its fine arts, and a variety of touring dance, musical, and theatrical groups perform on campus. As a member of the Big Ten Conference, Iowa hosts many outstanding athletic events.

Degree programs are designed to be career oriented and to provide a good balance between theory and practice. High-quality teaching has been a hallmark of the department since it was formed in 1965. Several faculty members have won teaching awards and research awards, and at least eighteen texts have been authored by department faculty members.

Iowa students are well educated and in high demand. Graduates from the statistics program find employment in a variety of industrial fields, such as medical, pharmaceutical, electronics, manufacturing, and software. Others select academic careers. A few employers of recent statistics graduates include Syntex Development Research, Harvard University, Statistical Analysis System Inc., University of Nebraska, Abbott Laboratories, Lawrence University, East Carolina University, University of Iowa, and Portland State University.

The demand for actuarial science students is exceptionally high, and the University of Iowa produces excellent actuarial graduates. As an example, 16 Iowa students passed the Society of Actuaries/Casualty Actuarial Society challenging exam 3 in November 2000 and 14 passed exam 4 in May 2001. Twenty-five Iowa actuarial students had internships during the 2001 summer, and 29 of the actuarial graduates in 2001 accepted permanent actuarial employment in insurance or consulting companies.

The department has a diverse group of 90 graduate students, split about evenly between statistics majors and actuarial majors. Approximately 30 percent are women, and 65 percent are international students. The camaraderie is excellent, and GSSAS (Graduate Students in Statistics and Actuarial Science) meet periodically for parties, pizza, and picnics. A team of Iowa Ph.D. students won the Statistics College Bowl in 1997 and 1998. The College Bowl is a national competition among students in university statistics departments. It is held each year in conjunction with the annual Joint Statistical Meetings. Ph.D. students are allocated funds for travel to professional meetings.

The Community
The University of Iowa is nestled in the rolling hills of eastern Iowa along the banks of the Iowa River. Iowa City is a clean, attractive community of approximately 70,000 people. It is noted for its public schools, medical and athletic facilities, attractive business district, parks, and excellent mass transit system. Iowa City is within 300 miles of Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Minneapolis. In 1999, Editor & Market Guide rated Iowa City as the best metropolitan area to live in the United States.

Programs of study and degree requirements
The department offers graduate programs leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in statistics, which may include an emphasis in actuarial science; a Master of Science (M.S.) in statistics; and a Master of Science in actuarial science. Most students earn a master's degree before continuing to the Ph.D. Students usually complete the master's degree in two years; however, well-prepared actuarial science students sometimes finish in three semesters.

The M.S. in actuarial science prepares students for actuarial careers in insurance or consulting companies or other financial institutions. Course work greatly aids students in preparing for the professional exams given by the Society of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society. The program is designed for graduate students to complete SOA/CAS exams 1 through 4 and also learn the mathematical portions for SOA exam 6 and the finance track of exam 8. The department reimburses exam fees for students who pass professional exams.

The M.S. program in statistics includes a solid foundation in statistical computing, regression analysis, experimental design, and mathematical statistics, plus electives in statistical applications and/or theory. All students gain experience in statistical consulting. This degree is a stepping stone for either a career as an applied statistician or for entry into a Ph.D. program.

The Ph.D. program prepares students for careers in research, applications, and teaching. In addition to required core courses, students take courses in one of four possible areas of concentration: biostatistics, statistical modeling, probability/mathematical statistics, or actuarial science/financial mathematics. The Ph.D. comprehensive exam is usually taken after 21&Mac218;2 years of graduate study.

Facilities & Resources
The department is housed in the recently remodeled Schaeffer Hall, adjacent to the Old Capitol Building, a national historic landmark and the academic center of campus. All graduate teaching assistants enjoy modern offices in Schaeffer Hall, which are equipped with PCs. The department operates the Statistical Consulting Center, which provides students with important experience in data analysis, consulting, and interdisciplinary research. Two computer labs are managed by the department. One lab, which is also used as an electronic classroom, contains thirty IBM PCs. The second lab houses eighteen high-end UNIX workstations. All of these facilities are located in Schaeffer Hall.

Expenses and Aid
Costs: Tuition and fees for one semester of full-time graduate study totals $2,954 for Iowa residents and $7,465 for nonresidents. Teaching and research assistants who are supported at least quarter-time pay the same tuition as Iowa residents.

Financial Aid: Most qualified graduate students are appointed as either teaching or research assistants. Beginning teaching assistants earned an academic-year salary of $17,946. In many cases these awards were further enhanced by a full- or partial-tuition scholarship.

Housing/Living Expenses: Graduate students may request accommodations in University residence halls; however, nearly all choose to live in private apartments or University-owned family housing. For information on University residence halls, students should call 319-335-3000. For information on University apartments, students should call 319-335-9199. There is a wide array of off-campus housing. Many affordable apartments are within walking distance of the campus.

How to Apply
Application deadlines for fall admission are April 15 for international students and July 15 for domestic students. For spring admission, the corresponding dates are October 1 and December 1. For electronic applications, students should go to the Web site at http://www.uiowa.edu/admissions/applications/graduate.html. The Graduate Record Examinations (verbal, quantitative, analytic) are required. International students must have TOEFL scores of at least 550 (or 213 for the computer-based exam).

James D. Broffitt, Professor and Chair; Ph.D., Colorado State, 1969; Associate, Society of Actuaries. Actuarial science, mathematical statistics.

Grace Chan, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Australian National, 1995. Stochastic simulation and modeling fractal surfaces.

Kung-Sik Chan, Professor; Ph.D., Princeton, 1986. Fellow, American Statistical Association; elected member, International Statistical Institute. Time-series analysis, sampling-based inference, stochastic processes, chaos, statistical ecology.

Mary Kathryn Cowles, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Minnesota, 1994. Bayesian statistics, computational statistics, clinical trials, spatial and environmental statistics.

Richard L. Dykstra, Professor; Ph.D., Iowa, 1968; Fellow, American Statistical Association; Fellow, Institute of Mathematical Statistics; elected member, International Statistical Institute. Constrained optimization, order-restricted inference, statistical duality, inequalities, mathematical statistics.

John Geweke, Professor; Ph.D., Minnesota, 1975; Harlan E. McGregor Chair in Economic Theory; Fellow, Econometric Society; Fellow, American Statistical Association. Bayesian statistics, econometrics, time-series analysis.

Stephen L. Hillis, Director, Statistical Consulting Center; Ph.D., Iowa, 1987. Robust statistics, survival data, longitudinal data.

Jian Huang, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Washington (Seattle), 1994. Statistical genetics, empirical processes, nonparametrics and semiparametrics, survival analysis.

Michael P. Jones, Professor; Ph.D., Washington (Seattle), 1986. Survival analysis.

Joseph B. Lang, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Florida, 1992. Categorical data analysis.

Johannes Ledolter, Professor; Ph.D., Wisconsin–Madison, 1975. Time-series analysis, statistical applications in business and engineering.

Russell V. Lenth, Associate Professor; Ph.D., New Mexico, 1975. Experimental design, statistical computing, power and sample size, quality improvement.

Paul Muhly, Professor; Ph.D., Michigan, 1969. Functional analysis and operator theory.

Tim Robertson, Professor; Ph.D., Missouri–Columbia, 1966; Fellow, American Statistical Association; Fellow, Institute of Mathematical Statistics; elected member, International Statistical Institute. Order-restricted inference, mathematical statistics.

Ralph P. Russo, Professor; Ph.D., SUNY at Binghamton, 1980. Probability theory and stochastic processes.

Elias S. W. Shiu, Professor; Ph.D., Caltech, 1975; Principal Financial Group Foundation Professor of Actuarial Science; Associate, Society of Actuaries. Actuarial science, mathematical finance.

Osnat Stramer, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Colorado State, 1993. Time series, probability, stochastic processes.

George G. Woodworth, Professor; Ph.D., Minnesota, 1966. Law and justice statistics, multivariate analysis, statistical computing, choice modeling.

Robert F. Woolson, Professor; Ph.D., North Carolina, 1972; Fellow, American Statistical Association. Survival models, categorical data analysis.

Dale L. Zimmerman, Professor; Ph.D., Iowa State, 1986. Linear models, experimental design, spatial statistics.

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