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Statistics (MSc) 2020 entry

The MSc in Statistics prepares students with a strong quantitative background for further postgraduate studies or a future career in the private sector.

Applications for 2020 entry for this course have now closed, see which courses are available for the upcoming academic year.

Course type

Postgraduate; leading to a Master of Science (MSc)

Course dates

  • Start date: 7 September 2020
  • End date: 30 September 2021

Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.

Course duration

One year full time

Entry requirements

The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.

Tuition fees

UK and EU: £9,450
Overseas: £19,400

Application deadline

Wednesday 12 August 2020. Applicants should apply as early as possible to be eligible for certain scholarships and for international visa purposes.

Application requirements

  • CV
  • personal statement (optional)
  • two original signed academic references
  • academic transcripts and degree certificates 
  • evidence of English language proficiency (required if English is not your first language).

For more guidance, see supporting documents and references for postgraduate taught programmes.

Course information

The MSc in Statistics is a one-year taught programme run by the School of Mathematics and Statistics, which is well equipped with personal computers and laptops, a parallel computer and an on-site library.

Highlights

  • Provides students with a broader skill set for entry into the commercial analysis market.
  • Covers various theoretical and applied statistical areas at an advanced level.
  • Provides opportunities for students to put their statistical knowledge into practice.
  • Continual assessments and the dissertation enable students to apply their statistics knowledge.
  • Students are prepared such that they may go onto to pursue research in statistics.

Teaching format

The course consists of two semesters of taught courses followed by a dissertation undertaken over the summer months. The available statistics modules consist of a mixture of traditional lecture courses with end-of-semester exams and short intense courses with a large proportion of continuous assessment.

Further particulars regarding curriculum development.

Modules

For an MSc in Statistics, a total of 180 credits are needed, with 150 credits from level 5000 (typically postgraduate level). 60 of the level-5000 credits come from the dissertation, so the remaining 120 credits must contain at least 90 from level 5000. The remaining 30 credits may be from level 3000 or above (typically undergraduate level).

The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue which is for the 2019-2020 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2020 entry.

Modules can be chosen from across the School's undergraduate and postgraduate-level modules.

  • Bayesian Inference
  • Classical Statistical Inference
  • Computing in Statistics
  • Computing in Mathematics
  • Design of Experiments
  • Financial Mathematics
  • Markov Chains and Processes
  • Mathematical Biology 1
  • Population Genetics
  • Quantitative Risk Management
  • Sampling Theory
  • Time Series Analysis

Optional modules are subject to change each year, and some may only allow limited numbers of students (see the University's position on curriculum development).

  • Advanced Combinatorics
  • Advanced Data Analysis
  • Applied Statistical Modelling using GLMs
  • Ergodic Theory and Dynamical Systems
  • Estimating Animal Abundance and Biodiversity
  • Independent Study Module 
  • Knowledge Discovery and Datamining
  • Mathematical Biology 2
  • Mathematical Oncology
  • Measure and Probability Theory
  • Medical Statistics
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Professional Skills for Mathematical Scientists
  • Semigroups 
  • Software for Data Analysis

Optional modules are subject to change each year, and some may only allow limited numbers of students (see the University's position on curriculum development).

During the final three months of the course, students complete a dissertation to be submitted by the end of August. Dissertations are supervised by members of teaching staff who will advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the progress of the dissertation.

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MSc, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MSc.


The modules listed here are indicative, and there is no guarantee they will run for 2020 entry. Take a look at the most up-to-date modules in the module catalogue

Conferences and events

There are a number of different seminars held each week in the School of Mathematics and Statistics. These include:

Pure Mathematics

Applied Mathematics

Statistics

Funding

There are many potential scholarships or support schemes available to postgraduates.

Recent Graduate Discount
The University of St Andrews offers a 10% discount in postgraduate tuition fees to students who are eligible to graduate or who have graduated from St Andrews within the last three academic years and are starting a postgraduate programme with the University of St Andrews.

Find out more about postgraduate scholarships.

After the MSc

Research degrees

The MSc in Statistics prepares students for further postgraduate studies in statistical research, and many graduates of the programme continue their education by enrolling in PhD programmes at St Andrews or elsewhere.

The School of Mathematics and Statistics has active research groups in:

  • Pure Mathematics (Analysis Group, Algebra and Combinatorics Group)
  • Applied Mathematics (Vortex Dynamics Group, Solar and Magnetospheric Theory Group, Mathematical Biology Group)
  • Statistics (Statistical Ecology Group, Statistical Inference Group).

PhD in Mathematics and Statistics

Careers

MSc in Statistics graduates hold positions at leading universities or companies in areas as diverse as business administration, financial markets, biomedical research, fisheries laboratories, wildlife conservation and many more.

Recent graduates at Masters level have found employment in:

  • large consulting firms and major financial institutions including Scottish and Southern Energy, RBS, Aviva, Lloyds, TSB, PwC, Capital One, Vodafone, American Express, Goldman Sachs, Tesco Bank and many others.
  • biomedical research, clinical trials and pharmaceuticals.
  • wildlife and conservation managers including the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students on a taught postgraduate course and offers a programme of events to assist students in building their employability skills.

Contact

School of Mathematics and Statistics
University of St Andrews
Mathematical Institute
North Haugh
St Andrews
KY16 9SS

Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 2344
Email:
maths-pgstats@st-andrews.ac.uk

Mathematics and Statistics website

Policies

Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our admissions policy.

Curriculum development

As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online (PDF, 72 KB).

Tuition fees

The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online (PDF, 84 KB).

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