Statistics

Statistics deals with being able to handle and control uncertainty. Not in the sense that you make uncertainty disappear, but by incorporating uncertainty into your way of dealing with the world.

The programme is offered in English.

Uncertainty can come from not knowing very much about the phenomenon being studied, but it can also be more fundamental: Regardless of how much we know, it is not possible to say which cancer patients will develop metastases - nor is it possible to say whether tossing a coin will end up heads or tails.

Surprisingly enough, randomness produces very stable structures when looked at from the right perspective. And it is the statistician's job to utilise these stable structures to understand how the world functions.

Complex statistical problems arise in almost all types of research, and advanced statistical methodologies are widely used. Consequently, statisticians are in high demand as partners and team members in many projects.

Profile and Career

In practice, statistics is a combination of three different disciplines:

• Probability theory, which is the field of mathematics that describes uncertainty.
• Theoretical statistics, which comprises philosophical considerations about how best to translate between mathematics and reality.
• Practical data processing, which is an area of applied computer science.

You will often also need to acquire significant insights into the field which the study in question deals with.

Competence Description

Graduating in statistics give the competences to:

• Conduct independent statistic analysis and complex experiments and observational research.
• Research contemporary topics with probabilistic methods.
• Develop new statistical solution models
• Independently take responsibility for his or hers own professional development and specialization.

Career Opportunities

There is high demand for statisticians and there is zero unemployment. Statisticians find jobs in, for instance:

• The pharmaceutical industry
• The public health insurance sector
• The financial sector
• Agricultural research

Some statisticians are employed at universities as scientists or teachers. This requires you to get a PhD. Others work as consultants or as private entrepreneurs.

The structure of the programme is very free, and you can compose your course of study as you choose. The courses offered seek to couple mathematical, statistical and practical aspects, usually with a focus on a special type of study and the theoretical and practical problems it entails.

You may choose to specialise in one of the programme's three tracks and become, for example, a probability theoretician or obtain skills in statistical computing.
There are good opportunities for participating in external projects and for having credit for them transferred as part of your studies.

Master's thesis

The programme concludes with a thesis, where you work in depth with an academic problem. Often, the thesis has a practical point of departure, where the solution to the problem may of importance to many people.

Possible thesis topics:

• Survival analysis - analysis of waiting times
• Ruin problems
• Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods
• Cointegration - stable correlations in explosive processes
• Missing data - when it is informative that data is missing

Study Abroad

It is also possible to study abroad during your degree. You can choose to study abroad for one or two semesters or for a shorter period of time, for instance attend a summer school course.

(1) Applicants with a Bachelor's degree in mathematics sciences with a specialisation in statistics, mathematics, actuarial mathematics or mathematics-economics from the University of Copenhagen may be admitted to the MSc Programme in Statistics.(2) Applicants with a Bachelor's degree in science may be admitted as long as their Bachelor's programme included the following:courses in mathematical analysis, incl. measure theory, min. 22.5 ECTS creditscourses in linear algebra, min. 7.5 ECTS creditscourses in statistics based on measure theory, min. 15 ECTS credits(3) In addition, the Faculty may admit applicants who, after a thorough assessment, are deemed to possess educational qualifications equivalent to those required in (1)–(2).Prioritisation criteriaApplicants with Bachelor's degrees in mathematics with specialisation in statistics from the University of Copenhagen are guaranteed admission on the first MSc intake after graduation.Second priority will be accorded to applicants with a Bachelor's degree in mathematics, actuarial mathematics or mathematics-economics from the University of Copenhagen.Subsequent priority will be given to applicants with a Bachelor's degree in science, as per(2).Language RequirementsTo gain admission to an MSc in the English language, non-Danish applicants must document qualifications on par with the Danish secondary school ‘English level B'. The Faculty of Science accepts the following 3 ways of documenting this:English is your native language. The Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen, accepts The University of Purdue view that citizens of the following countries are exempted from taking an English Language Proficiency exam: Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Canada (except Quebec), Dominica, Grand Cayman Islands, Grenada, Guyana, Irish Republic, Jamaica, Montserrat, New Zealand, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, United Kingdom: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, & Wales and United States of AmericaIf you are citizen of one of the above countries, you are not required to submit any proof of English proficiency. Your copy of your passport will suffice as sufficient proof.Prior studies completed in the English language/in an English speaking country. For example, if you have studied your Bachelor degree in England you are not required to complete an English language proficiency exam. We ask such students to provide a signed statement from the Educational institution (with the institution's stamp on it) stating that English is the main language of instruction. Furthermore, applicants from Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland) do not need to provide proof of English language proficiency.Applicants with English as their second language (except Scandinavians) must pass an IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge Advanced English test before being admitted. The Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, accepts the following tests and scores:IELTS-test (British Council) with a minimum score of 6.5Computer-based TOEFL-test with a minimum score of 213 pointsPaper-based TOEFL-test with a minimum score of 560 pointsInternet-based TOEFL-test with a min score of 83 pointsLanguage tests older than 2 years are not accepted (from the application deadline) English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6 TOEFL paper-based test score : 560 TOEFL iBT® test: 83

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Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

The Faculty of Science will not be awarding any scholarships for the academic year 2014/2015.

Please note that many scholarships are offered by companies or organisations, it can be worthwhile to research your particular options from your home country