Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • 100% of our research impact is ranked outstanding (1st in the UK) (Research Excellence Framework 2021)

  • RSS Graduate Statistician status awarded upon graduation

  • Contemporary statistics brought to life by our enthusiastic subject experts

Taught by world-leading experts in this field, the MSc Statistics programme is the perfect blend of mathematical theory with real-world applications. Develop an advanced understanding of the application of statistical models to find solutions to scientific, industrial and social challenges. You will become proficient in analysis, understanding the performance of algorithms via coding and the machine learning approaches applied in both synthetic and real-world studies.

Who is This Programme For?

Statistics, alongside its close cousins data science and AI, is core to operational, research and development, and strategic activities of many industrial sectors, from, psychology to neuroscience, from risk management to climate science, from energy production to engineering, and from quality control to finance and economics. A career as a statistician is never dull. Completion of this Master’s will prepare you for roles in industry, or to progress to a PhD programme, confident in your mathematical understanding and in the analytical, computing and critical-thinking skills required.

This programme is suited to those with an undergraduate degree in mathematics, statistics, physics or econometrics.

Looking ahead to employability

Graduates with a strong grasp of the implementation of contemporary statistical methods are widely sought after to work in operational, research and development, and decision making roles. To prepare you for your career, our teaching and learning strategy involves a variety of techniques that cascade from the lecture theatre and include practical sessions with hands-on problem-solving, online quizzes and computing lab sessions. These develop:

  • Your technical and mathematical aptitude
  • Confidence in your computing expertise through application to data analysis and manipulation, problem-solving and quantitative reasoning
  • Critical thinking and statistical modelling skills through individual and group project work
  • Communication and collaboration skills through oral and written exercises

What to expect

There are three phases to your learning. You will begin by developing and strengthening your core knowledge and skills in classical and modern statistical methods and inference. Topics covered include frequentist and Bayesian inference, generalised linear models, statistical programming and communication. In phase two you will choose your specialist optional modules to suit your interests. These modules, which vary in their balance between theory, methods and application, cover a wide variety of statistical topics. The final phase is your dissertation project where you work under the guidance of an experienced statistical researcher. These projects are tailored to your interests – you might wish to progress your understanding of a topic covered in a taught module, or you may opt to investigate a methodological topic not covered by one of the taught modules.

Three things we would like you to know

  • We make sure you have a strong understanding of the challenges facing the modern statistician: from ethical issues to big data to working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
  • You will become proficient in coding in R and Python
  • Many of our graduates are now leaders in their fields

You might also be interested in..

Our other statistics based Master’s degrees. We offer an MSc Medical Statistics for those interested in medical research and the development of new treatments. You will be taught by renowned experts in this particular field and receive specialist training in areas such as clinical trials, and the cause and risk factor of diseases. We also offer an MSc Statistics and Artificial Intelligence for those wishing to gain an understanding of the statistical foundations behind AI models and machine learning.

Course accreditation

Royal Statistical Society logo

Graduate Statistician status is awarded by the Royal Statistical Society to successful graduates of accredited degrees.

Learn more about the Royal Statistical Society accreditation

Careers

Our MSc Statistics graduates are highly employable and are valued by employers for their in-depth specialist knowledge and wealth of technical and transferable skills. You will graduate from this degree with a comprehensive skill set, including data analysis and manipulation, logical thinking, problem-solving and quantitative reasoning, as well as advanced knowledge of the discipline. The starting salary for many graduate statistical roles is highly competitive, and popular career options include:

  • Statistician
  • Medical Statistician
  • Biostatistician
  • Epidemiologist
  • Data Scientist
  • Actuary
  • Financial Analyst
  • Statistical Consultant
  • University lecturer (contingent on first successfully completing a PhD)

Our graduates are also well-placed to enrol in a PhD programme, either in Statistics or a related discipline. A PhD programme provides training in independent research and can be undertaken either as a route into an academic research career, or as an advanced qualification for a specialist technical role in either the private or public sector.

Entry requirements

Academic Requirements

2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in Mathematics or Statistics.

We may also consider non-standard applications where you have studied a degree in other quantitative subjects that include courses in probability, statistics, linear algebra, and calculus, or you have a 2:2 honours degree equivalent result combined with extensive relevant experience.

You should clearly be able to demonstrate how your skills have prepared you for relevant discussions and assessments during postgraduate study.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

English Language Requirements

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Pre-master’s programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master’s pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master’s degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Course structure

You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

Core

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Optional

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Fees and funding

Location Full Time (per year) Part Time (per year)
Home £14,140 n/a
International £30,310 n/a

General fees and funding information

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Scholarships and bursaries

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

Scheme Based on Amount
Lancaster Master's ScholarshipBased on Entry grades Amount Up to £5,000
Lancaster Global Scholarship - Master'sBased on Entry grades Amount £5,000 in your first year of study.
Management School MBA ScholarshipBased on Entry grades and interview Amount Up to £16,000
Alumni Loyalty ScholarshipBased on Lancaster alumni status Amount 10% fee discount
Management School Master's ScholarshipBased on Entry grades Amount Up to £8,300 in your first year of study
Master’s Scholarship for Black British StudentsBased on Ethnicity, household income, academic performance, and Lancaster alumni status Amount Full fees and £9,000 living costs

We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Important Information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.