Leiden University

MSc Statistics and Data Science

This two-year master’s programme provides you with a thorough introduction to the general philosophy and methodology of statistical modelling, data analysis, and data science, with a focus on applications in the life and behavioural sciences.

How can we model the spread of a virus? How do global events affect people's well-being? How effective is a vaccine? What is the uncertainty of that estimate? These are pertinent questions in today's society that you can answer with statistics, but the applications are much broader than that: How does your phone recognize your face? How can an algorithm better diagnose cancer than a doctor? How can you draw conclusions from the expression of thousands of genes? A formal education in Statistics & Data Science will equip you with the skills to answer complicated questions like these, both in industry and academia.

What does this master’s programme entail?

The two-year master’s programme in Statistics & Data Science provides you with a thorough introduction to the general philosophy and methodology of statistical modelling and data analysis, with a focus on applications in the life and behavioural sciences. It is open to students with a variety of backgrounds, both in the applied domains (e.g., psychology, biology, medicine) and in more fundamental domains like mathematics and statistics. Our programme aims to educate multidisciplinary researchers and professionals who can combine theory and practice. The programme consists of a core programme shared by all students, elective courses, and a thesis project. Ultimately, the electives allow you to specialize in a research or application domain.

Why study Statistics & Data Science at Leiden University?

• This programme is a joint collaboration between three faculties of Leiden University: the Faculty of Science (FWN), the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Science (FSW), and the Biometris institute of Wageningen University & Research (WUR).
• We are a certified master's programme. If you choose the European Master in Official Statistics (EMOS) core module elective, you can obtain an internationally recognized certification as a statistician, on top of your master's degree.
• Specialized electives offer you a unique combination of knowledge and expertise. These provide for a thorough preparation for a career as a data scientist, researcher, or statistician anywhere, be it in industry, government, or academia.
• The focus of this master's is on applications in life sciences and behavioural sciences, such as biology, agriculture, medicine, biomedical sciences, psychology, and other social sciences.
• Job perspectives are great: statisticians and data scientists are highly sought after in various fields, including health care, industry, universities, marketing, government, official statistics, bioinformatics, and more.
• We welcome students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Not only is our programme accessible to students with a bachelor's degree in sciences like statistics or mathematics, but also to students with a bachelor’s degree in application domains such as psychology, biology, or biomedical sciences, as long as you have a sufficient basis in quantitative methods.