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Getting a Degree in Statistics

Getting a Degree in Statistics

The official page of Wright State University says the field of statistics, "...is distinct from mathematics as a field of study, yet is founded upon the theory of probability—the mathematics of chance."

When seeking a degree in statistics, you may find this subject is covered "both as a science unto itself and as a service science, with powerful applications in such disciplines as biology, medicine, sociology, chemistry, agriculture, education, engineering, economics, psychology, and quality control."

Graduates with statistics degrees are prepared to work for "corporations and government agencies for which statisticians design experiments, conduct surveys, and analyze data."

Statistics is a discipline about collecting, organizing, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting data. Statistics is commonly taught in university mathematics departments, and some overlap with majors such as economics, sociology, accounting, and finance.

Related Majors

Scholarships for Statistics Majors

The Ellis R. Ott Scholarship For Applied Statistics and Quality Management

This scholarship is for a student planning to enroll or who is already enrolled in a master’s degree or higher-level US or Canadian program that has a concentration in applied statistics and quality management.

Scholarship awards are based on demonstrated ability, academic achievement, career objectives, faculty recommendations, student involvement in campus activities, and industrial exposure, including part-time work and internships. There will be one award for those pursuing a master’s degree, and two for those who are pursuing doctorate degrees. The award is $7,500.

For more Statistics scholarships, please go here.  For more scholarships for veterans and military, please go here.
Those who want to become statisticians need at least a bachelor’s degree in statistics. You can also go on to get your master’s degree or Ph.D. in statistics. Many people with a statistics degree get jobs for the government or other businesses.

Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics

When you go for your bachelor’s degree in statistics, you most likely would study probability, introductory statistical methods, and the ideas of likelihood and regression modeling. You would learn about the methods involved in statistics to collect, organize, interpret, and analyze numerical information for various settings and industries.

A bachelor’s degree in statistics would take you around four years, and you may take classes such as applied statistics, probability and statistics, experiments and sampling, applied regression analysis, discrete data analysis, and linear algebra.

For in-person programs, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University all have highly rated programs. For online programs, Chadron State College, American Public University, and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell all have highly rated programs.

Jobs with a Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics

Master’s Degree in Statistics

Getting your master’s degree in statistics will allow you to define your career in statistics. It would take about 1-3 years, depending on many different factors. You would also focus on a specialization such as biostatistics, survey statistics, and statistical genetics. Students typically need a bachelor’s degree in statistics or mathematics or a similar degree.

RELATED: Getting Your Master’s Degree in Statistics

Students in a master’s program would conduct research and gain first-hand experience through internships. Some of the classes you might take would be qualitative data analysis, statistical consulting, mathematical probability, or regression analysis.

For in-person programs, Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Washington University in St. Louis all have highly rated programs. For online programs, Texas A&M University-College Station, Oklahoma State University, and Colorado State University all have highly rated programs.

Jobs with a Master’s Degree in Statistics

Doctorate Degrees in Statistics

While you don’t necessarily need a Ph.D. in statistics, it can help you advance to higher researcher positions and/or become postsecondary teachers or even serve as professors in the field. Generally, the degree would take you between 4-5 years. The University of Arizona, Colorado State University, and the Wharton School all have highly rated programs.