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Postgraduate opportunities in probability and statistics

You will join a probability and statistics group that has been ranked joint fourth in the UK by the The Times Higher Education Supplement, based on the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

Statistics and probability are the complementary disciplines of the science of uncertainty. Research in these areas gives you the opportunity to develop practical, mathematical and computing skills, while working on challenging and important problems arising in real-world applications.

The probability and statistics group at Bristol is in the middle of an exciting period of expansion, funded by a multi-million pound grant - one of the largest ever awarded to a UK statistics department. The SuSTaIn initiative brings numerous benefits to the group, including a new Chair of Statistics, several Lectureships, Postdocs and PhD studentships, as well as activities including workshops, visitor support, an international conference and research training for graduate students.

Statistics, Actually!


A video on postgraduate opportunities and a day in the life of a postgraduate student in Statistics.

This section of the website provides you with an overview of postgraduate degrees in the probability and statistics group at Bristol. For further information please explore the links from this page, download our admissions booklet, or email the Postgraduate Coordinator at the address from the side bar.

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Detailed information about postgraduate study in the probability and statistics group, including how to apply, is in the statistics postgraduate booklet.

Degrees offered

PhD in Mathematics or Statistics and MSc by Research in Statistics
The probability and statistics group offers two postgraduate research degrees - the PhD and the MSc by Research. A student would be expected to undertake research in an area of interest to one of the staff here. Our sample research topics give an idea of the type of project you might work on. The period of study is usually three years for a PhD and one year for an MSc.
Master of Research (MRes) in Statistics
The MRes is a full one-year taught postgraduate programme, consisting of two semesters of coursework followed by a substantial project dissertation. It is designed to provide high quality postgraduate training in the methods and practice of research. It can in principle be taken as a stand alone programme, but we envisage that the majority of students will take the MRes as the first year of a 1+3 yr MRes/PhD programme. Funding is available through the SuSTaIn initiative.
PhD in Complexity Sciences
The Mathematics department is part of the Bristol Centre for Complexity Sciences. This Doctoral Training Centre will recruit 10-15 students a year into a multidisciplinary PhD programme which involves Applied Mathematics and Statistics in partnership with Engineering Mathematics and Computer Science. The period of study is four years, the first year being based around taught courses.

APTS

As part of their training, research students will normally take courses provided by the Academy for PhD Training in Statistics. This collaboration between nine major UK statistics research groups (at Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, Glasgow, Lancaster, Nottingham, Oxford, Southampton and Warwick) organises courses for first-year PhD students in statistics and applied probability nationally, and delivers a basic core of first-year training for statistics PhD students across the UK.

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It provides a yearly programme of 8 modules, each of 10 lectures plus tutorials and substantial additional preparatory material, to cover the majority of the core statistical knowledge which should form the first year training for UK statistics PhD students.


Collaborative research programmes

Research in the statistics group is funded by a wide range of public and commercial organisations, including:

  • BAE Systems
  • The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
  • The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
  • Government Communications Headquarters
  • The Ministry of Defence (Data and Information Fusion Consortium)
  • The Natural Environment Research Council
  • The Nuffield Foundation
  • The Royal Society
  • Toshiba Research Europe
  • The Wellcome Trust