Why Statistics?

Statistics is concerned with the interrelationships between observation and theory.  Thus statistics deals with the formulation and application of the scientific method. Important components of statistical studies include probability, mathematical statistics, model building, statistical computing, quality and process control, time series analysis, regression theory, nonparametric function estimation, experimental design, Bayesian analysis, stochastic processes, sampling theory, and simulation.

Why M.Stat?

Statisticians make critical contributions in business, medicine, economics, defense, and engineering. The demand for statisticians at all education levels is one of the highest for any professional group. Rice's Professional Master in Statistics (M.Stat) Program prepares students for careers as professional statisticians. It includes a solid foundation in statistical computing, statistical modeling, experimental design, and mathematical statistics, plus electives in statistical methods and/or theory. Students have the opportunity to concentrate on theory, applications, or a combination of the two.  It is a bridge to industry, designed to provide advanced learning and training in the applied aspects of statistics theory, methodology and techniques beyond the typical undergraduate program.

The program is oriented towards strong students with degrees in the Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences who wish to develop strong analytic skill in preparation for a career in business, industry, non-profit, or government statistical work, and other quantitative fields.

Why Rice?

At Rice University you will be exposed to faculty which are world-class leaders in their fields, with research areas comprising nonparametric function estimation, stochastic processes including branching processes, biomathematics, time series and spatial-temporal processes, survival analysis, computational statistics, simulation, and Bayesian methods. Our current key application areas include model building, bioinformatics and statistical genetics, biostatistics, bio-imaging, graphical analysis of high-dimensional data, computational finance, risk management, environmental statistics, massive data sets, multivariate methods, quality control, spatial and spatial-temporal processes, and homeland defense.

The Department of Statistics at Rice is a community of fifteen core faculty, nine joint faculty, twenty-two adjunct faculty, forty-five Ph.D. students, thirty professional master's students, and dozens of undergraduate students. We regularly host visitors from all over the world and we maintain an active post-doctoral program through NSF and NIH sponsorship. We are a member of the George R. Brown School of Engineering and reside in the computational engineering building, Duncan Hall.