Statistics and Actuarial Science

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for students admitted into the MMath Statistics Regular program are as follows:

• a four-year honour's Bachelor's degree with a significant statistics or/and actuarial science component;
• an overall B+ (78%) average from a Canadian university (or its equivalent);
• three letters of reference, normally from academic sources;
• proof of competency in English (if applicable), including a TOEFL score of at least 600 and TWE of at least 4.5 for students required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language. (A score of at least 250 is required on the computer version of the TOEFL.) (See Academic Regulations-English Language Proficiency Certification for other acceptable tests of English)

Application deadlines for all MMath programs are:

• Fall term (September): February 1 of the same year
• Spring term (May): December 1 of the previous year

Applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of Canada and who are not already in Canada on a student visa should apply at least two months earlier than the above dates, to allow time for a visa application.

An applicant who has completed a program of studies where the major discipline or prior study is not directly applicable to the field of Statistics, such that the department feels that this constitutes a significant deficiency in the applicant's preparation, may be considered for admission to the Master's program as a transitional student subject to approval of the admissions committee. (See Graduate Studies Calendar - Categories of Admission)

Degree Requirements

MMath in Statistics (Regular Program)

The requirements for the MMath degree in Statistics include either a course work with research paper or thesis option as outlined below. A student can select which of these two options to follow after registering.

Course Work Option:

The required total of eight one-term courses should include STAT 830 or 835, 850, 854. Exemptions can be made to these required courses at the discretion of the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.

Thesis Option:

Four (4) one-term courses (0.50 unit weight) with an overall average of at least 70%, satisfactory completion of the research and teaching seminar, and a thesis. The four one-term courses should include STAT 850 and at least two 900-level Statistics courses. 

MMath in Statistics (Co-op Option)

Students with a strong interest in applied statistics are encouraged to consider the co-operative option.

Participants gain valuable experience as practising statisticians through employment in business, industry, government or a research laboratory for a period of eight months (normally, two consecutive work terms). The usual pattern of study and work consists of two academic terms, two work terms, and a final academic term.

The degree requirements are the same as for the regular MMath degree program in Statistics with the course work option except that one of the eight one-term course credits is obtained by writing a report which describes some aspect of the student's work term experience. Credit for the Master's Co-op Project can only be obtained by submitting a report to the Department Graduate Office.

An extension of the co-op project report may be submitted in order to satisfy the research paper requirement of the MMath degree.