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| Statistics - Measuring the UncertainWe are constantly faced with questions about which we have limited, imprecise information. Which genes are determinants of asthma? Will bank stocks outperform the market over the next six months? Will New Zealand win the Rugby World Cup next year? The discipline of Statistics is concerned with extracting as much information as possible from the data that we do have in order to come up with the best possible answers.
Studies in statistics can be at different levels depending on your interests. You can study the basics (at 100 and perhaps 200 level) to support studies in other areas, or you can major in Statistics. For some students, a statistics major will provide a stepping stone to a job in statistics, or to further study in Statistics at Honours and even PhD levels. For other students, Statistics will be their second major, intended to support studies in another area. Combining a science or business major with a major in Statistics is a great idea, because the extra quantitative skills that you get from the Statistics qualification can set you apart from other graduates when applying for jobs. Would you like a job with Statistics?Statisticians are in demand all over the place! A student
leaving Massey with a major in Statistics might get a job using their
statistical skills with any of the following types of employer:
To get an idea of the number and variety of openings for statisticians, you might like to take a look at: Graduates with a Statistics training are so highly sought after internationally that you may well find job opportunities overseas. Even if you don't end up working as a statistician, a major in Statistics will give you a range of strong quantitative generic skills which will be attractive to a huge variety of employers. Major in StatisticsYou can major in Statistics at Massey University in the BA, BInfSci or BSc degree. Students who achieve a B+ average or better in their third year Statistics papers may be invited to continue for an extra year for a BInfSci(Hons) or BSc (Hons) degree. In this, the fourth year includes a project in which students carry out their own research. Regulations for the different bachelor degree options:
Structure of the MajorIn the first year of your course you should include a 100-level Statistics paper and at least one Mathematics paper, preferably 160.101 Calculus I, as it is a prerequisite for one of the 200-level majoring papers. A paper in programming such as 159.101 Programming Fundamentals is useful especially if you intend to go on to honours or postgraduate study. You should also include relevant 100-level papers in any applications subject you may wish to study as well. In the second and third years of the major you can study a wide variety of topics in Statistics. You need a total of 8 papers from the list below at 200 or 300 level. As Mathematics is needed to understand and appreciate much of the theory behind the techniques and methods, it is recommended that you include more than one Mathematics paper in your course to ensure that you have some familiarity with calculus and linear algebra. In particular, if you plan to go on to Honours then you need to include one (or both) of 160.203 Calculus II and 160.211 Applied Linear Algebra. One of these papers (but not both) can be counted toward your Statistics major. List of Statistics Papers offered by the Institute of Fundamental Sciences
Honours degreesAt the end of 300 level study, you may wish to consider a further year of study to complete an Honours degree. Honours students do a research project (30 credits) and a further six papers. More information about Honours degrees. Want to know more?Contact Martin Hazelton for more information on study in statistics at Massey University. If studying Statistics is for you, then go to the enrolment page. |
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The need to interpret data is so widespread that statistical
methods can be found in just about every imaginable area of study. You
might have expected to find statistics in science and medicine (where
there is a constant need to analyze experimental and observational
data), and also in economics and business (where, for example,
many sophisticated financial forecasting methods use statistical
techniques). However, you may be a little more surprised to learn
that statistics is used in English literature (to help answer questions of
uncertain authorship) and law.
