Saint Andrews, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
07 Aug 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 25,880 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* overseas / home: £11,680
Key Summary
Introduction
The MSc in Statistics prepares students with a strong quantitative background for further postgraduate studies or a future career in the private sector.
Course details
The MSc in Statistics is a one-year program 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 on to pursue research in statistics.
Admissions
Curriculum
The modules published below are examples of what has been taught in previous academic years and may be subject to change before you start your program.
Modules can be chosen from across the School's undergraduate and postgraduate-level modules. At least three-quarters of your credits must come from postgraduate-level modules.
Undergraduate-level modules
- Bayesian Inference
- Classical Statistical Inference
- Computational Numerical Analysis
- Computing in Statistics
- Computing in Mathematics
- Design of Experiments
- Financial Mathematics
- Markov Chains and Processes
- Population Dynamics Models in Mathematical Biology
- Population Genetics
- Quantitative Risk Management
- Sampling Theory
- Spatial Statistics
- Time Series Analysis
Postgraduate-level modules
- Advanced Bayesian Inference
- 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 Oncology
- Measure Theory
- Medical Statistics
- Modelling Wildlife Population Dynamics
- Multivariate Analysis
- Professional Skills for Mathematical Scientists
- Semigroups
- Software for Data Analysis
- Spatial Models and Pattern Formation in Mathematical Biology
Dissertation
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 the 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.
Teaching
Teaching format
The course consists of two semesters of taught courses followed by a dissertation undertaken over the summer months.
Assessment
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.
Scholarships and Funding
The University of St Andrews is committed to attracting the very best students, regardless of financial circumstances.
The University of St Andrews offers postgraduate scholarships and other financial awards. These may be held in addition to external funding or awards from a government body. These may also cover (fully or partially) tuition fees, maintenance (living costs including accommodation), or both.
Scholarships are available based on academic merit and financial need. There are scholarships available for both home and overseas fee status. The scholarship team recommends reading the terms of each award carefully and applying to a range of funding sources.
Postgraduate scholarships
Postgraduate study is an investment in your intellectual development and career potential. The University of St Andrews provides scholarships to help as many students as possible continue in higher education.
Scholarship availability may depend on your area of study or fee status (for example, whether you are a 'Home' or 'Overseas' student).
Career Opportunities
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
- American Express
- Aviva
- Capital One
- Goldman Sachs
- Lloyds
- PwC
- RBS
- Scottish and Southern Energy
- Tesco Bank
- TSB
- Vodafone
- American Express
- Aviva
- Capital One
- Goldman Sachs
- Lloyds
- PwC
- RBS
- Scottish and Southern Energy
- Tesco Bank
- TSB
- Vodafone
- Biomedical research, clinical trials, and pharmaceuticals.
- Wildlife and conservation managers including the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
Further study
The MSc in Statistics prepares students for further postgraduate studies in statistical research, and many graduates of the program continue their education by enrolling in PhD programs at St Andrews or elsewhere.
The School of Mathematics and Statistics has active research groups in:
- Applied Mathematics (Vortex Dynamics Group, Solar and Magnetospheric Theory Group)
- Pure Mathematics (Analysis Group, Algebra and Combinatorics Group)
- Mathematical Biology (Mathematical Oncology, Cell Migration and Tissue Growth)
- Statistics (Statistical Ecology, Statistical Medicine and Molecular Biology, and Statistical Methodology).