To enter the Master of Statistics program, students must have

A formal application must be made using by applying on-line.

Qualifying programs are available for students who do not meet the standard entry requirements. Prospective students should note that all these programs have English language requirements.

Entry to this program is available in March (Semester 1) or July (Semester 2).

All coursework masters programs at UNSW are fee-paying. For sources of postgraduate course funding for local students please go to Commonwealth Supported Assistance.

For international students please refer to International Fees.

The program is intended for students who have completed a Mathematics or Statistics degree in a Science and/or Mathematics program, or a degree in a related area, and who wish to further their knowledge of statistics. The Master of Statistics program is the longest running program of its kind in Australia. It covers a wide range of statistical theory and practice and provides advanced training for those who are currently or are aiming to become, practicing statisticians.

The program consists of ten lecture courses worth 6 units of credit (UOC) each, and a supervised project worth 12 UOC. The project is compulsory and full-time students are enrolled in it in the last two semesters of the program. Part-time students are expected to complete the project in two consecutive semesters.

There are two compulsory courses in addition to the project:

Students may choose the remaining 8 courses from a wide variety of courses within the School of Mathematics and Statistics, or elsewhere within the University. A list of elective graduate level courses is given here, but in any given year only a subset of these courses is offered.

Up to 24 UOC may be taken in graduate courses offered by other Departments or Schools within the University Each candidate's proposed program of study requires the approval of Postgraduate Coursework Coordinator.

Examples include areas such as econometrics, theory of finance, market research, optimization, operations research, transportation planning, business forecasting, total quality management, population genetics.

External Courses: With the permission of the Postgraduate Coursework Coordinatoror orHead of School Coordinator, a student may take courses from other disciplines at UNSW, other mathematics schools (for example, at University of Sydney), and external courses such as those taught at the AMSI Summer School.

Please refer to the timetable for Semester 1
Semester 1 Timetable

Please refer to the timetable for Semester 2
Semester 2 Timetable

For the convenience of part-time and full-time students, classes are typically taught from 5:30pm to 8:00pm on weekdays during semester.

Students will have a 12 units of credit (UOC) project as a compulsory part of any master coursework program. The project involves writing a thesis on the chosen topic. The project could include a literature survey and a critical analysis of the topic area; or could be a small research project. This should prepare you for the problem-solving and report-writing aspects of future employment, or for progression to a research degree. Each student works under the supervision of one or more members of the School. Members of the School are flexible about the range of areas in which they will supervise students. Prospective students should start talking to staff members about possible topics well before they start on the project. An early decision about a topic will facilitate an early start with the project. Supervision by individual staff members is dependent on staff agreement and availability.

The project will be assessed for quality in four major areas (see below), each of which is important. The written thesis will be assessed by two or three markers, one of which may be the supervisor, and each marker will provide a written assessment and grade(s) based on the following.

The project provides an opportunity to specialise in a particular area of Statistics to develop research capability and to understand, interpret and use in practice results published in scientific journals. The candidate presents a typed project report, in the layout of an article along with an oral presentation summarising the main points. Typical projects require analysis of a substantial data set using advanced statistical software. A convenient room is available for the students where they can work on their projects. The room is equipped with modern computing facilities.

Contact:
Dr Donna Salopek
PG Coursework Co-ordinator
School of Mathematics and Statistics
University of New South Wales
Sydney 2052 Australia

Phone: (02) 9385 7030
Fax: (02) 9385 7123

Inquiries via e-mail must be sent to pg.MathsStats@unsw.edu.au

The academic staff of the Department of Statistics covers a wide range of teaching, research and consulting interests. All academic staff are active in research. They also have extensive consulting experience within the research community at UNSW as well as for leading commercial clients in areas such as financial mathematics, expert witnessing in legal cases, meteorological modelling, epidemiology and market research. International visitors to the Department may lecture in current topics to the Masters students.

Our graduates find employment very quickly after graduation. Prospective employment opportunities exist in the area of Finance and Insurance, Industry, the Public Sector, in Computing Companies and other Private Companies. The starting salaries are quite good. Many overseas students attend the course. An incomplete list of our graduates from recent years includes students from Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Lebanon, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka and other countries around the globe.

"The Master of Statistics degree has provided me with a much greater understanding of how to value and think about complex financial products. The selection of courses has been highly relevant to my career in financial markets and has provided me with a solid base from which to move (should I so desire) into a diverse range of job functions. As a part-time student with full-time work commitments I have been particularly impressed with the level of support provided by academic staff-both in terms of the quality of teaching and in their willingness to discuss subject material outside of designated hours. I would recommend the degree to anyone with an interest in probability and statistics and a desire to enhance their knowledge, understanding and career potential".
Gordon Browne, Equity Derivatives Trader, BNP Equities, Sydney.

"Three years ago, when I first enrolled in my Masters of Statistics, it was clear that another qualification was necessary to further my career. The number of choices was enormous. Should I take a course in Finance or Management would be more to my taste? Research revealed that the Mstat at UNSW contained 3 courses in Financial Mathematics, from Stochastic Calculus to the Heath-Jarrow-Morton Model. This made up my mind. Statistics was it! The course proved to be much more interesting (and better taught) than I expected. It was also obvious that the skills I was learning were adding significantly to my worth as a financial statistician. Competition in the Australian finance industry is intense, especially for technical staff, and the UNSW Mstat is an invaluable career edge".
Edmund Bosworth, Assistant Group Treasurer, Credit Union Services Corporation, Australia, NSW Branch Secretary of the Statistical Society of Australia