Master in Statistics : General

MA-STATorganized by the faculty of Sciences during academic year 2017-2018

Job opportunities and intended professions

Statisticians can be found in all economics sectors.

Many statistics jobs are available in the pharmaceutical industry, clinical trials, and agribusiness, but also in banks, insurance companies, and official statistics institutes.

Research (both theoretical and applied) also offers numerous jobs in statistics. This is particularly true for the academic sector.

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Programme objectives

The Master in Statistics aims at teaching students the difficult art of (i) transforming data into information and (ii) helping decision-makers or researchers from other fields to analyze this information most efficiently. The program offers three tracks, with specific learning outcomes and objectives :

  • The track statistique théorique

  • The track statistique appliquée

  • The Economics and Statistics

  • The track statistique théorique brings students the methodological knowledge that is needed to design new statistical procedures and/or to start doctoral studies in probability or in statistics;

  • The track statistique appliquée aims at preparing students for a statistics career (in experimental sciences, human sciences, or in the industry) or for doctoral studies in applied statistics;

  • The Economics and Statistics track offers first-class education in statistics, quantitave economics and econometrics. This program, that is unique in French-speaking Belgium (Communauté Française), is taught in English, and attracts foreign students from all over the world.

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Structure of curriculum and disciplines taught

The Master in Statistics is a two-year program, organised in two "blocks", block 1 and block 2. The program of the block 1 is made of (i) some compulsary courses, (ii) some courses that are track-specific (statistique théorique, statistique appliquée, or economics and statistics; see above), and (iii) possibly of some optional courses. The program of the block 2 is more flexible, and is made of the Master thesis (that may involve an internship), participation to seminars, a course about statistical softwares, and several optional courses.

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Benefits of the ULB training

Statistics finds its origin both in mathematics and in applications, and it is virtually present in all domains of human activity. This explains that statistics courses can be found in the program of all faculties - exact sciences, human sciences, medicine, engineering. This diversity, that can be seen in the program of the Master in Statistics, is one of the most attractive characteristics of statistics careers.

The track « economics and statistics » is organized in collaboration with ECARES (European Center for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics - www.ecares.org). This track offers first-class education in statistics, quantitative economics and econometrics. This program, that is unique in French-speaking Belgium (Communauté Française), is taught in English, and attracts foreign students from all over the world.

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Teaching methods

Most courses are taught « ex cathedra ». The small number of students in the program, however, allows to get rid of the usual drawbacks of this teaching method, which makes interactivity possible.

Of course, the program of the master in statistics also involves courses where homeworks and reports have to be made.

Finally, computers will play an important role in the program. Clearly, this will not only be the case in courses dedicated to statistical softwares or computational statistics, but also in other courses where the computer will be used to illustrate theory and to put in practice the methods taught.

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International/Openness

Besides the traditional exchanges programmes, that allow students to spend in block 1 or 2 in a foreign university, strong links exist with the Université Pierre-et-Marie Curie (Paris 6), that offers one of the best statistics programs in France.

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Progression per curriculum unit

Our program is traditionally research oriented and provides hence an excellent basis and training for a subsequent PhD.

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Progression per curriculum unit

The concept of a year of studies gives way to a system of accumulation of credits based on the student's individual programme. The cycle programme is offered in units of 60 credits. The units of 60 credits are proposed as an "ideal" course of study for students enrolled in this programme.

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Contacts

Faculté des Sciences : www.ulb.ac.be/facs/sciences/

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