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Statistics

MA (NFQ Level 9)

This course is available through the following application route(s)

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The goal of the MA Statistics is to train the new generation of data scientists, by empowering them with a broad range of skills in statistics and machine learning. Once completed, the MA Statistics brings students to the same level as the MSc Statistical Data Science: the degrees are equivalent. However, differently from the 1-year MSc Statistical Data Science, the MA Statistics is 16 months long, and it includes several fundamental statistics modules in its core structure. These modules cover the fundamentals of statistics and data science, and prepare students for more advanced modules.

The MA Statistics programme is aimed at students who have an undergraduate degree in a discipline with numerate skills, and who have covered some basic topics of statistics.

The MA Statistics is an EMOS (European Master in Official Statistics) labelled programme, which means that some students may have the opportunity to take modules and a project on official statistics, and potentially receive the EMOS certification of their degree. The EMOS MA Statistics also includes a research module, which is provided in the form of an internship at an institution whose work involves official statistics. The MA Statistics is the only EMOS accredited programme in Ireland and it is ideal for students that are interested in pursuing a career in official statistics, in Ireland or abroad.

The MA Statistics is ideal for students interested in data science careers in industry, business, government, and to those interested in pursuing a subsequent PhD in statistics or other areas related to data science.

Download the UCD Science Graduate Taught Courses brochure (pdf)

  • Ranked in the top 200 in the world in the QS World University Ranking, and is the only statistics group in Ireland to appear in this ranking.
  • EMOS (European Master in Official Statistics) labelled programme
  • Exposure to cutting-edge modern statistical applications

About This Course

-    Approach data science problems in an analytical, precise and rigorous way.

-    Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the key skills required by a practicing statistician or data scientist, including data collection methods, statistical method development, analysis of statistical output, communication of the results.

-    Demonstrate strong proficiency in computational methods, including computer programming and scientific visualization.

-    Give oral presentations of technical mathematical material at a level appropriate for the audience.

-    Model real-world problems in a statistical framework.

-    Prepare a written report on technical statistical content in clear and precise language.

-    Undertake excellent research at an appropriate level, using the statistical research skills developed throughout the programme.

-    Use the language of logic to reason correctly and make deductions.

-    Work independently and be able to pursue a research agenda.

Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.

Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.

Module Type Module   Trimester Credits
Stage 1 Core Modules
 STAT20230 Modern Regression Analysis Autumn  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
 STAT20180 Introduction to Bayesian Analysis Spring  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
 STAT30270 Statistical Machine Learning Spring  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
 STAT40510 Applied Statistical Modelling Spring  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
 STAT40770 Adv Pred Analytics (online) Spring  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
 STAT40710 Dissertation Summer  25
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 ACM40290 Numerical Algorithms Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 COMP40370 Data Mining Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 MATH40550 Applied Matrix Theory Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT30340 Data Programming with R Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40020 Actuarial Statistics I Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40250 Survival Models Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40400 Monte Carlo Inference Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40680 Stochastic Models Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40700 Time Series Analysis - Act App Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40800 Data Prog with Python (online) Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT41020 Survey Sampling Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT41070 Bayesian Data Analysis Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 COMP47750 Machine Learning with Python Autumn and Spring (separate)  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 COMP40400 Bioinformatics Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 COMP47790 Optimisation Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 MEEN40670 Technical Communication Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40070 Actuarial Statistics II Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40080 Nonparametric Statistics Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40150 Multivariate Analysis Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40970 Machine Learning & AI (online) Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT41010 Stat Network Analysis Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT41080 Mathematical Statistics Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40780 Data Prog with C (online) Summer  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40830 Adv Data Prog with R (online) Summer  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40840 Data Prog with SAS (online) Summer  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with the Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete. NOTE : STAT41070 can only be taken in trimester 4
 STAT40950 Adv Bayesian Analysis (online) Summer  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
ACM40290 Numerical Algorithms Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
COMP40370 Data Mining Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
MATH40550 Applied Matrix Theory Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
STAT30340 Data Programming with R Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
STAT40020 Actuarial Statistics I Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
STAT40250 Survival Models Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
STAT40400 Monte Carlo Inference Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
STAT40680 Stochastic Models Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
STAT40700 Time Series Analysis - Act App Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
STAT40800 Data Prog with Python (online) Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
STAT41020 Survey Sampling Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
STAT41070 Bayesian Data Analysis Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Option modules to be selected in consultation with Programme Director. A minimum of 70 credits of option modules are required throughout the course of the programme to successfully complete.
COMP47750 Machine Learning with Python Autumn and Spring (separate)  5

Faculty Profile
Dr Michelle Carey, UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics

The ever-increasing rise of automated measurements allows us an unprecedented view of the world around us. Traditional statistical methodology is challenged by this more complex and high-dimensional data. My research advances statistical and numerical methods for the analysis of high-dimensional functional data in climatology, finance and medicine.

MA Statistics (F043) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 12500
nonEU    fee per year - € 22530

MA Statistics (F044) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 4280
nonEU    fee per year - € 7520

***Fees are subject to change
Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

  • This programme is intended for applicants with a degree in Mathematics, Economics, Finance, certain Engineering degrees or similar quantitative disciplines where statistics has formed some component of the degree. An upper second class honours, or international equivalent is required.
  • Applicants who do not meet these requirements but can demonstrate an interest and ability in statistics may be considered.
  • Alternatively students may qualify for enrolment to the Higher Diploma Statistics from which they can gain entry to the 1-year MSc in Statistics.
  • Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0 in each element), or equivalent.

School of Mathematics and Statistics Application Process FAQ

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes 

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No


The MA Statistics is aimed at students who have an undergraduate degree in a discipline with numerate skills, and a basic knowledge of probability and statistics.


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General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to Statistics:

ROWCLASS Apply to   Application Type  
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt F043
Statistics
Master of Arts		 Full-Time
Commencing 2024/2025 September		 Graduate Taught Apply
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt F044
Statistics
Master of Arts		 Part-Time
Commencing 2024/2025 September		 Graduate Taught Apply
* you can change options at the top of the page
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