Statistics
About Statistics
Statistics is a science that deals with collecting, organizing and analyzing data, and the theory for statistical methods involves mathematics and probability. Statisticians extract information from data. Nowadays, due to increased computer use, massive amounts of data are collected and, thus, statistics has become one of the most pervasive of all disciplines. Statisticians work in almost all areas of science, engineering, business, government and industry. Their expertise is required in practical projects such as the design of clinical trials to test a new drug, economic model-building to value financial instruments, assessment of risk factors to determine insurance premiums, predicting the outcome of a national election, conducting market research and estimating animal populations. The average citizen now requires some familiarity with statistical analysis in order to critically assess the steady flow of information in society.
Program Details
The undergraduate programs emphasize the role of statistics within the general framework of problem solving. Thus, the programs help students develop critical statistical reasoning, with emphasis on the development of computational, mathematical and communication skills. Such an education enables a better understanding of the role of chance in all aspects of life today.
Skills
- Organization of data to facilitate interpretation and application
- Complex pattern recognition
- Data preparation (validation) and processing (modeling)
- Probabilistic reasoning
- Survey and experimental design
- Statistical and data analysis
- Logical and critical reasoning
- Numerical computation
- Technical skills in statistical concepts, logic, and specialized software
Programs offered
- Major or Honours, Statistics
- Combined, Major Statistics and Economics
- Combined Major or Combined Honours, Computer Science and Statistics
- Combined Honours Mathematics and Statistics
- Co-op
Resources
Career Options
With an undergraduate degree
- Budget analyst
- Bank manager
- Clinical trial statistician
- Data analyst/scientist
- Financial manager Information scientist
- Investment adviser
- Mathematical statistician
- Operations researcher
- Public health statistician
- Risk analyst
- Statistician
- Survey researcher
- Systems operation analyst
With additional study
- Bioinformatics scientist
- Biostatistician
- Economist
- Engineer
- Machine learning developer
- Staff engineer
- Teacher/Professor
- Trader
- Venture capitalist
UBC Science Statistics Graduates Work As
- PhD Student in Economics, Stanford University
- Institutional Portfolio Risk Analyst, RBC Global Asset Management
- Statistical Analyst, BC Cancer Agency
- Research Assistant, Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences
- Data Scientist, Environment Canada