Master of Science (MSc) in Statistics

Summary

The Master of Science (MSc) is a two-year degree which encompasses both coursework and research. The first year involves mainly coursework and preliminary research preparation. Students will have the opportunity to contribute to existing fields of research, or to begin to develop new areas.

Why study Statistics?

Statistics is a discipline concerned with understanding patterns and relationships in data in the presence of variation and uncertainty.

How do we discover the “truth” or signal hidden in the noise?

You can use statistics to solve real world problems.

You work with researchers from many disciplines.

Statisticians are key contributors to decision-making in business and government.

You examine problems and work with researchers from many disciplines.

Statistics will help you understand your chosen area of study. If you specialise in chemistry, psychology, health sciences, or economics and finance you will need to collect and interpret data.

Statisticians are in short supply. You will improve your employment opportunities.

Statistics at Otago

The Department offers several pathways for studying statistics. Many students take a single paper in statistics, others include statistics in their degree as either a major or minor subject. We encourage all students majoring in statistics to also take papers in another field of interest to them, be it arts, science or commerce. Having knowledge of an area of application is extremely useful, and data are virtually everywhere!

In the statistics programme you learn:

how to design research studies and collect reliable data;

how to build thoughtful statistical models which allow us to understand the key features in a complex system;

how to use the statistical models to answer research questions;

how to produce informative and engaging graphical representations of data;

the mathematical underpinnings of statistics;

the computation skills necessary to do all these things; and

skills in communicating statistical concepts and analyses to a range of audiences.

Duration of the Programme

A candidate achieving the degree by papers and a thesis shall normally follow a programme for the equivalent of not less than two years of full-time study and not more than three years of full-time study, and a candidate achieving the degree by thesis alone shall normally follow a programme of study for the equivalent of not less than one year of full-time study and not more than two years of full-time study. Exceptions shall be permitted only with the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences).

Intake: Anytime for thesis-only option

Note: July commencement may be possible, although the duration of the qualification may be longer, or paper selection may be limited.