Statistics

About the Department

The Department has an international reputation for the development of statistical methodology which has grown from its long and distinguished history of active contributions to research and teaching in statistics. LSE staff and students, past and present, have made significant contributions to the development of statistics. We continue to offer expert teaching and supervision.

Our core areas of research are social statistics, time series and risk and stochastics in insurance and finance. We enjoy close links with other departments and offer regular seminars and other departmental activities that help to create a vibrant environment for study and research. The Centre for the Analysis of Time Series (CATS) is closely linked to the Department and the Risk and Stochastics Group (RSG) has close links with the Institute of Actuaries and industrial partners.

Graduate study of statistics is often vocational, though no progress can be made without a lively intellectual interest in both the methodological principles of statistical modelling and practical applications. The Department provides a thriving, hardworking, friendly and supportive environment in which these interests can be pursued.

Employment opportunities for our graduates are excellent. Students can expect careers in finance and applied statistics in the private and public sectors, as well as research and teaching in universities and colleges throughout the world. Many graduates are employed by their national governments.

Opportunities for research

Prospective research students should already have studied or be close to completing a taught MSc with a large statistics content or have equivalent experience. Our entry requirement is a distinction. You will be registered initially for the MPhil with transfer to PhD dependent on your successful progression in years one and two. Competition for places is fierce and we strongly advise early applications.

If you are accepted to undertake research in the Department you will have two supervisors who will monitor your work closely and provide detailed guidance on your choice of research topic. We expect research students to present their work in seminars and at an annual presentation event. We encourage students to produce research posters for display in the Department and presentation at conferences and workshops. Each year you will have a formal assessment of your progress. You may be advised to take courses from the MSc Statistics and take exams in these at the end of your first year of registration, as well as courses from other appropriate programmes, such as the London Taught Course Centre and the London Graduate School in Mathematical Finance.

The most important resource for statisticians is a computer. In addition to LSE's computing resources, we have networked departmental workstations exclusively for the use of research students. There is an extensive collection of software available; both commercial packages and in-house products.

The LSE Library has a good collection of research monographs and journals and you may access databases of research information. There is a comprehensive assembly of worldwide official statistics. The Department has a dedicated library with statistical journals and books, which is available to research students.

Taught master's programmes

• MSc Risk and Stochastics
• MSc Statistics
• MSc Statistics (Financial Statistics)
• Statistics is also available as a specialist field in MSc Social Research Methods