Statistics
Degree Programs

Students wishing to follow a career as a professional statistician should enrol in either the Bachelor of Mathematics (BMath) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) undergraduate programs.

Students interested primarily in the application of statistics to scientific research might find the Bachelor of Science program most appropriate. Other students who move to statistics from an initial interest in mathematics, or who want a very flexible program may find the Bachelor of Mathematics program more suitable.

Bachelor of Mathematics

The Bachelor of Mathematics (BMath) provides a strong mathematical and statistical education, within a program that is flexible enough to include sustained study of other disciplines.

The BMath does not currently have named majors. However, interested students may choose courses according to the statistics specialisation sample program listed as part of the BMath program description. The sequence of statistics courses is essentially the same as for the BSc but additional mathematics courses must be completed to meet the BMath program requirements. The BMath is a very flexible program. Depending on interests and career aspirations, a BMath student should consider electives which might complement their statistics specialisation. This could be additional mathematics and statistics courses, or courses in computer science, or courses in a potential application area. For example, a student taking elective courses in marketing as part of a BMath would have an advantage in seeking jobs which are about the application of statistics to market research.

Bachelor of Science

In the Bachelor of Science (BSc) students combine a statistics major with another science major, giving you the training to be a quantitatively strong scientist in your chosen field.

The statistics pathways diagrams outline the typical program structure. As statistics is fundamental to all sciences, students will find that a co-major in statistics enriches the study of their other major discipline, particularly in courses involving laboratory/field work or research projects. It also gives you a competitive edge over other BSc graduates within a particular field as the quantitative problem solving skills developed are in strong demand by industry and government employers. As well as enhancing your career as a scientist however, a co-major in statistics opens up additional career options as a professional statistician.

Statistics is available as a co-major in the BSc. This means that students must study another scientific discipline as their first major, with statistics as the second discipline within a double major.

Combined Degrees

The Bachelor of Mathematics can also be combined with a number of other programs to obtain a double degree:

Many other degrees include some statistics courses. In most of these programs, students have the option of improving their data analytical skills by adding additional statistics courses.