Do all graduate programs require some form of math?

Even Criminology or Criminal Justice graduate degrees?

I never took statistics and it looks like a lot of graduate programs require statistics.

I only took college algebra. Thanks

 

Some graduate degrees include a statistics course, especially at the doctorate level. You can learn the fundamentals of statistics from any college-level statistics textbook or by enrolling in a course. The reason graduate programmes require knowledge of statistics is the ability to interpret and present data in support or rebuttal of an argument. College algebra is sufficient mathematical background to learn about statistics on your own or through a course.

 

I don't believe so, though most programs (if you're interested in a particular program...) will list their pre-req's if you're concerned about what they require from already-completed coursework.

I'm in the M.S. Strategic Leadership program at Mountain State University, and they don't require coursework related to math in the actual program.

Hope this helps.

Mike

 

I'd bet that you could get through a Masters/PhD program in English Lit or History or some such degree without any real math background or coursework. However, I think that Sentinel is right when he says that stats is a part of many/most grad degree programs.

 

My MSEd from Walden did not require me to take a stats course. However, my knowledge of stats helped quite a bit when writing my research paper for my Action Research course. Even if a program doesn't require stats, I'd recommend taking a course in it anyway. It's always good to know, and the course isn't that difficult.

-Matt

 

The following is a generalization and does not hold true for all degrees because schools can vary by institution, state or region.

Some graduate degrees specifically do not prepare students for research or for pursuing a doctorate and, as such, they may not require any math or statistics courses. Click here to see an example of one such MS program and please note that it has no math or statistics requirements.

However, if a program is going to prepare graduate students for any kinds of research, then it will probably require some sort of statistics and math. Classes may be titled as "quantitative" measures or quantitative analysis or research methods or any such similar names.

 

I do not want to hijack this thread but I couldn't help but think about the fact that there are specific programs (Masters, certs, etc.) that can help a person fill in the blanks if they need stats/research credits in order to get into a PhD program. I've linked to one I know. There are quite a few others.

http://prospectus.ulster.ac.uk/course/?id=6756

 

What about Master of Liberal Studies degrees? I can't really see these programs requiring math...

 

Well, if you know of one or two that have caught your interest then you can easily check to see if there are any math/stats requirements.

 

Of course each program varies, but if you can add, subtract, multiply, divide, and raise a number to a power, you can do a majority of the graduate programs out there, even MBAs.

You will most likely have to take a statistics class as part of your program, but don't let the fact that you didn't take one before stand in your way. Even the GRE doesn't require knowledge of anything more than high school algebra.

 

My graduate CJ program required statistics; I positively suck at math, but you're allowed to use a scientific calculator.

Stats to me is more paying attention to the procedure and the order of the procedure than pure math ability, so I wouldn't sweat it too much. If I can pull a B out of stats, there's hope for anyone.

 

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The HES program (master liberal arts) I'll be working through does require stats, however, it is an elementary-type stats, and it depends on your concentration. If I concentrated in any other social science or humanity, I wouldn't need stats. www.harvard.edu

 

I think that statistics is most prevalent in the Social Sciences where research often involves lots of surveys and sampling. You often see Biological Sciences students taking statistics as well, depending on what their specialties are. But I don't recall ever seeing statistics required in the History/Philosophy/Religious-Studies areas that interest me. These subjects do often require languages though. History typically requires its graduate students to take historiography or a theory and methods class, but that's not statistics.

I disagree with the idea that all masters programs that prepare students for research or for doctoral work will require statistics. As Kizmet suggests, there are many academic subjects out there where statistics doesn't necessarily play a huge role in the research process.

Here's the stat-less History requirements at one nevertheless rather research-prominent university. They do have the inevitable theory and methods class though, a pedagogy class to prepare students for their mandatory time as TAs (graduate students receive up to five years of free tuition plus a living allowance) and they are expected to become reasonably proficient in one to four ancient or modern foreign languages, depending on choice of specializations.

 

The Western New Mexico University MA in IS does not require math as far as I can determine.
http://www.wnmu.edu/VirtualCampus/InterdisciplinaryMasters.htm

Nor does the CSUDH MA in Humanities.
http://csudh.edu/hux/

or the AMU Masters in History
http://www.amu.apus.edu/Academics/Degree-Programs/plan.htm?progid=4737&concid=4617
There is a research methods course (HIST500) but description does not mention math.
or Humanities http://www.amu.apus.edu/Academics/Degree-Programs/plan.htm?progid=4516&concid=-1

I am sure there are others.

 

Ashford University MA in Organizational Mgt

http://www.ashford.edu/online/degrees/maomcourses.php

and looks like this one doesn't require it either

http://www.ashford.edu/online/degrees/maedcourses.php

 

CJ/Crim requiring stats makes sense because you're referring to and using statistical data a lot.

I think it depends... I see some programs that don't require stats, but most psyc programs do because Stats comes up a bit. I'd imagine most social science and business programs do require it, but something like english or geology may not.

If you need it at the undergrad level, you can see if your college awards credit for ACE courses -- Aleks has a couple of different Stat options.