Statistics
Introduction
All statistics courses aim to teach useful tools as well as
the concepts underlying them. You can make intelligent use
of these tools without understanding their underlying mathematics,
so a large part of the statistics programme is designed to
introduce non-statistics students to as many statistical tools
as possible with few prerequisites. The second-year paper
161.220 Data Analysis is a sufficient prerequisite for five
third-year papers, making it possible to include a substantial
statistics minor to support a major in any other subject.
Mathematics is the language used to develop and explain new
statistical tools, so ultimately your progress in statistics
will be limited by the amount of mathematics you have learnt.
Students intending to become statisticians should include
at least a year of calculus and algebra. For an honours degree
in statistics you need 160.203 Calculus 2 and 160.211 Applied
Linear Algebra. The statistics papers 161.200 Statistical
Models (required for a major in Statistics) and 161.301 Statistical
Theory require first year calculus.
Apart from theory, there are two strands within the statistics
program. Papers numbered 161.x2y are broadly about collecting
and analysing data, and are of general interest across a wide
range of application areas. Papers numbered 161.x4y are broadly
about processes with an unpredictable element, arrivals at
queues, production quality or stock market prices for example.
These are likely to be of interest in industry or business.
Statisticians can take papers from both groups, and at second
year both 161.220 and 161.240 are required for the major.
The second group is also available within the Decision Science
major.
Career Opportunities
There are few large groups of statisticians outside
Statistics New Zealand and the universities, because statisticians
are usually employed as associates. The ease with which computers
capture data means that most organisations find they need
someone able to organise and interpret it intelligently. Jobs
might not always be advertised specifically for a statistician,
but very often the small print under a research officer advertisement
will mention statistics as a prime requirement. Recent statistics
graduates have found employment in a remarkably wide variety
of areas: research science, environmental management, commerce
(particularly finance and marketing), social sciences, quality
improvement, technology and industry.
More Information
Bachelor
of Information Sciences (BInfSc)
Bachelor
of Science (BSc)
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