Probability plays a key role in everything from financial markets to scientific discovery. Our MSc combines advanced statistical training with a rigorous exploration of probability theory and stochastic processes - helping you understand and model uncertainty in complex systems. Ideal for mathematically-minded students, our course develops highly sought-after skills for careers such as finance, insurance, pharmaceuticals and banking, as well as providing a strong foundation for PhD study.
Modules
Build your knowledge and skills in the theoretical underpinnings of uncertainty and randomness.
Core skills: an in-depth understanding of statistical theory and methods
Stochastic modelling expertise: explore modules such as Brownian motion, applied stochastic processes and dynamic stochastic control
Focus on your area of interest: specialise with optional modules in areas such as the theory of random graphs, statistical mechanics, Bayesian forecasting and multivariate statistics
Note that information found by following the links to the module catalogue is subject to change for future years of study, as we evolve our courses in response to the latest developments in academia and industry.
Further to the core modules students on the MSc in Statistics with Probability choose 5 optional modules. At least 2 of these modules must be chosen from a list that covers themes in probability and applied probability. In addition, you may choose up to 3 modules from a broad range of further modules which may include optional modules to deepen pure/applied probability knowledge via modules offered by the Mathematics Institute or to strengthen complementary statistical knowledge via modules from the Statistics list.
Availability of optional modules can change from year to year but may include the following examples:
Teaching and learning
Develop the mathematical tools to analyse uncertainty with confidence.
Theoretical understanding: build a strong foundation in modern probability theory
Problem-solving skills: tackle challenging mathematical and statistical questions
Research preparation: gain the analytical and technical expertise for industry roles or doctoral study
The class sizes for this course vary between 30 and 70 students.
Contact hours for this course will vary between 12 and 16 hours each week.
Assessment is initially made for each module separately: some modules have an element of continuous assessment through coursework, but the majority of modules are assessed through written examinations in January, April and summer exam period.
Your performance in the core and optional modules combined is then examined by an examinations board consisting of academic staff plus an External Examiner appointed from another university. Dissertations are examined in the Department and then by the External Examiner.
The MSc degree is awarded subject to satisfactory standard in the dissertation and the taught modules. Students who do outstandingly well in both taught modules and the dissertation may be awarded the MSc with Distinction or Merit.
Entry requirements
2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in Statistics, Mathematics or a science with sufficiently high mathematical content.
IELTS overall score of 6.5, minimum component scores not below 6.0
Please adjust your country as required:
We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications. For more information, please visit the international entry requirements page.
We typically ask for one academic reference for taught courses.
You will be asked to include an email address for your referee(s) when submitting your application and we will contact them for you.
Students taking modules in probability and/or finance will be exposed to measure theory and must have a solid foundation in real analysis.
All Students are expected to have pre-existing standard undergraduate knowledge in statistics covering probability, random variables, expectations and important inequalities (see, for example, Part 1 in “All of Statistics: A Concise Course in Statistical Inference” by Larry Wasserman, Springer Texts in Statistics).
If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platformLink opens in a new window.
You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogue.
Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department.
Fees and scholarships
Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and assessment and some student amenities.
We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.
Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?
If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.
As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.
For departmental specific costs, please see the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue, where module-related costs are detailed. Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2026/27 year of study).
Information about module specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:
Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony
Dissertations and Assignments are only submitted digitally. However, students may wish to print and bind their dissertation for their own purposes. Students on some courses will have a final poster presentation as part of their project and the printing of posters may be at the students’ expense.
Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.
Go beyond the numbers to unlock the potential of data.
Why study with us?
Here, you’ll uncover how data, risk and uncertainty shape the world around us. From science and medicine, to finance and social research, statistics gives you the tools to understand patterns and probability.
Internationally-recognised for forward-thinking teaching and world-leading statistical research, we’ve been delivering innovative undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes since 1972.
Join one of the world’s most research-active Statistics departments, with global collaborations and particular strengths in foundational statistical theory and methodology, probability, computational statistics, finance and interdisciplinary applications.
Based in our purpose-built Mathematical Sciences Building, the Department of Statistics offers modern teaching and research spaces at the heart of campus. Shared with Mathematics and Computer Science, this hub offers you excellent lecture theatres, collaborative work areas and well-equipped computer laboratories designed to foster analytical learning and collaboration.
Careers
Our degrees equip you with the skills and experiences needed to excel in your career. With access to exceptional career services, industry connections, and global opportunities, we’ll inspire and help you to aim high and achieve your goals. Our guidance ensures you graduate as a well-rounded professional ready for lifelong success.
Previous graduates from the Department of Statistics have gone on to work for employers worldwide such as*:
Alliance Healthcare
Barclays
BNP Paribas
Citibank
GSK
LCH
McKinsey
Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD)
PKF Littlejohn
Candidates with high distinction marks have gone on to pursue PhD degrees at prestigious universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, LSE, etc. or in the US*.
They have pursued occupations such as the following*:
Actuaries, economists and statisticians
Business and related research professionals
Chartered and certified accountants
Data analysts
Engineering professionals
Finance and investment analysts and advisers
IT business analysts, architects and systems designers
Natural and social science professionals
Programmers and software development professionals
*Derived from the Graduate Outcomes survey, 2021/22, carried out approximately 15 months after completion of studies.
Conducted annually, Graduate Outcomes Link opens in a new window collects information on the activities and perspectives of graduates. Contains HESA data: Copyright Jisc 2024. Jisc cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data.
Your career path is unique to you. Our university careers team offer personalised support to help you develop your skills, plan your career path, and get experience at any point during your time at Warwick, and after graduation.
Our department also has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant. They offer impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:
While this course does not offer a formal work placement, postgraduate taught students at Warwick can self-source internships and work experience to complete alongside their studies, subject to visa conditions and the 20‑hour weekly limit for full‑time students.
Opportunities can vary in length and location, including in the UK, online and internationally. Postgraduate students find that shorter, remote and/or flexible opportunities work best around their studies, often seeking opportunities over the summer when teaching decreases and the focus moves to final dissertations and projects - although this can vary depending on the nature of the course and personal preference.
Support available:
The Internships, Placements and Work Experience team provide workshops to help you to source and prepare for work opportunities, and organise peer-to-peer support so you can hear about other students’ placement experiences.
The WorkReady Toolkit guides you through the whole process, from sourcing to completing work placements.
Our Work Experience Bursary can help you cover costs if undertaking unpaid work experience.
Part-time work allows you to gain experience and additional financial support, with opportunities advertised on Warwick’s careers portal, myAdvantage and Unitemps.
Warwick students worked 286,295 paid hours via Unitemps in 25/26.
Access short-term international study, work or volunteering abroad experiences, without extending the length of your studies (duration is typically between 3 days and 12 weeks), with opportunity to apply for funding.
Students can apply to TeamWork, a four-week part-time online international experience programme, helping them to gain work experience and improve their employability skills.
Volunteer for projects which support the local community through the award-winning Warwick Volunteers.
Getting involved in societies and sports teams, especially on exec teams.
In 25/26 our jobs portal advertised 1577 12-month placements, work experience opportunities, vacation employment and volunteering from 564 employers.
Whilst there is lots of support available at the University to help, students themselves are responsible for finding and securing a suitable internship or work experience. You will also be responsible for ensuring opportunities meet visa requirements, do not exceed the universities advised 20 hours per week for full-time students and for balancing extra-curricular activity with your studies.
This is where your journey begins. Our campus is the heart of it all. It’s more than just a campus - it's the places you visit, the people you meet, the fun that you have; the experiences you have here will be transformative.
Within a close-knit community of staff and students from all over the world, discover a campus alive with possibilities.
Our campus is where all the elements of your student experience come together in one place. You won't be short of ways to spend your time on campus - whether it's visiting Warwick Arts Centre, using our incredible sports facilities, socialising in our bars, nightclub and cafés, or enjoying an open-air event. Or if you need some peace and quiet, you can explore lakes, woodland and green spaces just a few minutes’ walk from central campus.
Follow our students around campus on our social channels to see their experiences first-hand.
Teaching facilities
Our campus is designed to cater for all of your learning needs. You will benefit from a variety of flexible, well-equipped study spaces and teaching facilities across the University.
Oculus, our outstanding learning hub, houses state-of-the-art lecture theatres and innovative social learning and network areas
Different study spaces offering you flexible individual and group study spaces, computers, printing and scanning facilities, multimedia resources and more
Supporting you
Our continuous support network is here to help you adjust to student life and to ensure you can easily access advice on many different issues. These may include managing your finances and workload, and settling into shared accommodation. We also have specialist disability and mental health support teams.
Whether you live on campus or off campus, in private accommodation in the well-serviced local area, you’ll be part of a community to get the most from your experience at Warwick.
Societies and sports play a huge part in community life at Warwick. With over 300 to choose from, getting involved is one of the easiest ways to make friends and share in experiences. Whether you’re into films, martial arts, astronomy, gaming or musical theatre, you can instantly connect with people with similar interests.
Your university experience is defined by far more than your course or the career path you follow. At Warwick, it’s where you discover who you could become.
68th
Warwick is ranked 68th in the world and top 10 in all major UK league tables
Our alumni community still call Warwick home. From a few hundred in 1965 to more than 310,000 alumni, and it's ever-growing.
As Warwick graduates, our students have access to employability support for two years after graduation, including access to careers appointments, job vacancies and professional networks.
Applications for courses starting in September and October 2027 are now open.
The on-time deadline for taught postgraduate courses starting in September/October 2027 is 2 August 2027.
We will still accept late applications, however cannot guarantee that the application will be processed in time to complete the admissions process if received in September or there are a number of conditions to meet.
If applying late please include your degree certificates and transcripts, English proficiency evidence (if needed) and ensure referees can submit references promptly to allow time for CAS and visa processing (if applicable).
This information is applicable for 2027 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our web page 'Important information to consider before making an application' in advance of applying to Warwick.
Next steps
Explore your future university further at an upcoming event, online or in-person. Can't join? Receive regular email updates or ask current students and staff questions about life at Warwick.
