Core modules
The choice of Pathway is made after you start the course. You begin the MSc by taking a Statistics Refresher (pre-term in Welcome Week), and the module Statistical Methods and Practice. The programme then features different core modules depending on the chosen Pathway:
- for Data Science, the module Theory of Data Science;
- for Finance and Probability, the module Introduction to Applied Probability.
In Term 2 you take the module Advanced Topics in Statistics & Probability, which provides an introduction to current topics through case studies in Statistics, Data Science, Finance and Probability, exploring potential research topics for your dissertation. Each two-week case study is led by an expert lecturer in the fields and will make use of lectures, presentation, practicals, summary and discussion as appropriate to the area.
Regardless of the chosen Pathway, all students can choose approximately a third of their modules from any of those offered on the MSc, with the remainder dependent on the chosen Pathway.
The programme concludes with the dissertation project which you work on under the supervision of a faculty member over the summer with submission in September.
Optional modules
The general Statistics Pathway offers you a free choice of almost all Master's-level modules offered by the Statistics Department including modules available to all the pathways as well as further specialised modules in areas such in Medical statistics, Designed experiments and Statistical genetics.
For the MSc in Statistics with Data Science your optional modules are geared towards covering themes in Bayesian statistics, Machine learning, Statistical learning, Topics in Data Science, Monte Carlo methods, Data Visualisation. Subject to availability, you will have access to a varying selection of Computer Science modules with themes such as High performance computing, Image and Video analysis and Language processing.
Optional modules on the Finance Pathway cover themes in Mathematical finance, Stochastic methods, Statistical learning, Financial time series, Trading strategies and Risk theory.
The MSc in Statistics with Probability pathway features modules from probability and applied probability from the Statistics Department. Themes cover Stochastic processes, Brownian motion, Stochastic control, Monte Carlo methods, Stochastic methods. Subject to availability, you will have access to a varying selection of Mathematics modules with themes covering topics in Rare events, Random graphs, Statistical mechanics or High dimensional probability.
