Statistics – Master of Science

Learn from experts the key theories of statistics and the quantitative skills to conduct robust statistical analyses that are effective in the real world.

Where you can study

Auckland campus
Distance and online
Manawatū campus (Palmerston North)

International students

International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.

Definition of New Zealand citizens and residents

Open to international students on campus in New Zealand

Specialise in Statistics for your Master of Science at Massey

The Master of Science (Statistics) will teach you the key theories of statistics and the quantitative skills to conduct robust statistical analyses that are effective in the real world. It is most appropriate if you are passionate about statistics and wish to move on to further in-depth research.

Science of evidence

Statistics is the science of evidence. It allows us to quantify risk and make effective decisions even when we are uncertain about the world around us. Is this new treatment effective against breast cancer? What advertisements should my website display in order to increase my revenue? How can I better interpret that weak distress signal coming from a vessel far out at sea?

Learn from the experts

Your lecturers in the Master of Science (Statistics) are experts in their field, leading international statistical research in areas such as statistical quality control, geophysical hazard modelling, systems biology and transportation science.

Friendly environment - passionate scientists

There is a well-established community of fundamental scientists and students at Massey. We have large active student groups where we work together to share discoveries and research and provide peer support.

A multi-disciplinary environment

When you study statistics at Massey, you’ll benefit from the multi-disciplinary environment, and a world-leading science faculty with expertise in all the fundamental sciences.

Applied statistics

If you are already in the workforce and are looking for skills to directly apply to your role, or you are interested in a more applied master’s, you may be interested in the Master of Applied Statistics. This programme includes a ‘statistical consulting’ course.

A Master of Science in Statistics is a good fit if you:

  • have an undergraduate major in statistics, or equivalent
  • are particularly interested in the research aspects of statistics
  • are interested in progressing to further research such as a PhD.

Planning information

If you study full-time, you’ll take 120 credits per year or 60 credits per semester.

The Master of Science (Statistics) is available by thesis only.

Official regulations

To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.

You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, and Postgraduate Certificates.

Returning students

For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.

In some cases the qualification or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.

Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.

Courses you can enrol in

Course planning key

Prerequisites
Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
Corequisites
Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
Restrictions
Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.
Choose 120 credits from
Course code: 161897 Thesis 120 Credit Part 1 60 credits

A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.

View full course details
Course code: 161898 Thesis 120 Credit Part 2 60 credits

A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.

Corequisites: 161897

View full course details
Course code: 161899 Thesis 120 credits

A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.

View full course details

Entry requirements

Admission to Massey

All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.

Specific requirements

To enter the Master of Science (Statistics) you will have been awarded or qualified for:

  • the Bachelor of Science with Honours in Statistics, having achieved a B grade average over the contributing courses, or
  • the Postgraduate Diploma in Science and Technology in Statistics, having achieved a B grade average over the contributing courses.

You must submit an approved research supervision plan with your application. This means you need to secure the agreement of a suitable supervisor for your agreed research topic. 

You will need to provide copies of all official academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.

English language requirements

To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.

English language skills

If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

Fees and scholarships

Fees, student loans and free fees scheme

Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.

There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.

Already know which courses you're going to choose?

You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.

Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme

You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.

The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.

Current and returning Massey students can find their National Student Number in the student portal.

Fees disclaimer

This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice.

Careers and job opportunities

It’s a great time to be a statistician. ‘Big data’ has opened up a huge range of career opportunities for those who are talented in working with figures. Statistics skills can be applied in almost any industry.

Some key industries include:

  • business - economics, engineering, marketing, computer science, data mining, business analytics
  • physical sciences - astronomy, chemistry, physics
  • health and medicine - genetics, clinical trials, epidemiology, pharmacology
  • government - census, law, national defence
  • environment - agriculture, ecology, forestry, animal populations.

The extra quantitative skills that you get from the statistics qualification can set you apart from other graduates when applying for jobs.

Sought-after by employers

International trends are for employers to reward postgraduate study well, especially in larger enterprises. The skills you learn are increasingly recognised as setting you apart from other potential employees.

Earn more

A 2017 Ministry of Education publication, The post-study earnings and destinations of young domestic graduates, found that in New Zealand:

  • young master’s graduates earn more than one and a half times more than the national median (five years after study)
  • earnings and employment rates increase with the level of qualification completed
  • five years after completion, the median earnings of young master’s graduates are 15% higher than for those with a bachelor’s degree.

International students

New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.

Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.

As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.

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