t usually take 1.5 years (3 semesters) to complete the program, although some students have completed it in one year. The program offers a strong mixture of theory and applications that provides an excellent background for a career in statistics, and also for PhD studies. Most of our graduating MS students accept offers of employment, but around one-third of them go on to PhD studies. Our MS students are welcome to apply for admission to our PhD program. They apply in the same way that applicants from outside UIUC apply, and their applications are considered in the same pool with all other applicants. The ability of our MS students to register for courses in another department depends on the policies of the other department. As long as the student is taking the courses needed to fulfill the requirements for the Statistics MS degree, he or she is welcome to take courses in another department if the other department allows this. The possibility of applying for another MS program also would depend on the other department's policies and on the relevant Graduate College policies.