MSc Statistics Courses
All three of our MSc Statistics courses are accredited by the Royal Statistical Society. For all students who pass the course, the Society accords GradStat status along with one year's relevant experience towards CStat status. All three MSc courses in Statistics provide both a practically based professional statistical training and a foundation for those wishing to pursue further research. They are all available via distance learning (2 or 3 years, part-time) as well as residential study (1 year full-time). The courses run from late September of the first year to late September of the final year of study.
Why take one of our MSc courses?
In common with many other statistics MSc courses in the UK, our MSc courses cover the theory underpinning common statistical techniques and demonstrate the application of the theory. The two aspects that make our MSc courses different are:
- the focus in the Data Analysis module on the development of professional skills including report writing; effective groupworking and presentation skills;
- the opportunity to take a statistics MSc as a distance learner.
Royal Statistical Society Accreditation
This course is accredited by the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) as being of the appropriate breadth and depth to provide a foundation for a career as a professional statistician. Success on this course (achieving a second class honours or better) automatically qualifies you for the RSS Graduate Statistician (GradStat) award. This award is a stepping stone to full professional membership of the RSS and the Chartered Statistician (CStat) award. More details can be found at
www.rss.org.uk/professionalmembership
Career prospects
Students completing the course will be equipped to enter the statistical profession in any of a wide range of application areas, including finance (e.g. credit scoring), manufacturing companies, pharmaceutical companies, contract agencies, emerging industries, government agencies and research institutes. MSc graduates already working in these fields may find their promotion prospects enhanced. Employment prospects for competent statisticians are good. On past experience, at least 80% of UK graduates will go on to careers in statistics.
Some recent destinations of Sheffield MSc graduates are AXESS, Cooperative Insurance Services, First Direct, GlaxoSmithKline, Government Statistical Service, Great Universal Stores, Marks and Spencer, Medical Research Council Units, Parexel, Quintiles and AstraZeneca.
Course structure
For more information on course structure, methods of assessment and examples of dissertations titles follow the link below
More information on course structure
Information for distant learning students
For more information about the distance learning versions of our MSc courses follow the link below
More information about distance learning courses
Communication between students and staff
The main method for providing course material and discussion is through our on-line system called MOLE (my on-line learning environment). MOLE has the following advantages:
- copies of all course-related material is placed on it
- enables staff to update students regularly
- has a discussion facility which we strongly encourage students to use (some modules get nearly 400 messages posted per year)
- both staff and students can respond to messages
- leads to quick responses to messages
- everyone gets to see the questions asked
- reduces the sense of isolation that is a potential drawback of studying by distance learning
Entrance requirements for the MSc courses
Follow the link below for information about what qualifications or professional training you will need to be offered a place on one ofour MSc courses
More information about MSc entrance requirements
English language requirements
For details of English language requirements follow the link below.
MSc course fees
The fees for 2013/14 are different for the one, two or three year versions and depend upon whether you are classed as an EU national or not.
For EU nationals, the fees for 2013/14 are:
- £5890 for full-time residential students
- £3395 per year for part-time two-year distance learning students
- £2263 per year for part-time three-year distance learning students
For non-EU nationals, the fees for 2013/14 are:
- £14,680 for full-time residential students
- £8240 per year for part-time two-year distance learning students
- £5493 per year for part-time three-year distance learning students
Funding available
We hope to have several studentships available for UK students taking the MSc in Statistics with Medical Applications. If you are applying for this MSc and wish to be considered for a bursary you should apply by the end of February and email Caitlin Buck, the MSc Admissions Tutor, to say you wish to be considered for funding. The School of Mathematics and Statistics currently has no funding for non-EU nationals or those studying part-time. However the University has various scholarships available for students from some countries. Follow the link below for more information about these scholarships.
International student scholarship information
Application deadline
The closing date for receipt of completed applications, references and supporting documents for our Statistics MSc courses is as follows:
- MSc courses for students requiring visas - August 1st
- MSc courses for students not requiring visas - applicants wanting to apply after August 1st should email Caitlin Buck (MSc Admissions Tutor) to discuss the possibility. Applications received after August 1st without the agreement of the Admissions Tutor will not be processed.
What past and present students have to say
Follow the link below to find out what our past and present students have to say about our MSc courses
Frequently asked questions
Follow the link below for frequently asked questions relating to our MSc courses
Open afternoons
If you are interested in applying for one of our MSc courses then you may want to come to one of our open afternoons. Admissions staff and current residential MSc students will be available to talk to you about the MSc courses. Follow the link below for open day dates.
Course-specific information
Follow the links below to find out more about the three MSc courses including information on course-specific modules and which modules distance learners take in which years
MSc in Statistics with Medical Applications
MSc in Statistics with Financial Mathematics
How to apply
Follow the link below for details of how to apply and information about what happens after you've applied