Statistics and Actuarial Science

Collaborative Master's Program in Statistics and Computing
(Regular Student)

The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science and the Department of Computer Science offer a Collaborative Master's Program in Statistics and Computing. This program is intended for students with an outstanding background and interest in quantitative or computational methods. Typically the student will have an honours bachelor's degree either in Computer Science or Statistics, or in a related technical area such as engineering or mathematics. Students are registered in one of the collaborating departments and, upon successful completion of the program, will obtain an MMath degree with the designated specialty (Statistics - Computing).

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for students admitted into the Collaborative MMath Program in Statistics and Computing are as follows:

• a four-year honour's Bachelor's degree with a significant statistics component. Students should have completed courses at the third-year level equivalent to University of Waterloo courses covering the following topic areas: numerical methods, data structures, algorithm design and analysis, softwre systems, statistical theory and methods, and applied linear regressin analysis with intermediate programming and mathematical skills.
• an overall B+ (78%) average from a Canadian university (or its equivalent);
• three letters of reference, at least two 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 Academc Regulations-English Language Proficiency Certification for other acceptable tests of English.)

The degree requirements for the MMath degree in Statistics-Computing are as follows:

• Eight (8) one-term (0.50 unit weight) courses,
• satisfactory completion of the research and teaching seminar,
• a master's research paper,
• and presentation of the research paper topic in a publicly announced seminar

Students must maintain an average of 75% in order to remain in good standing. The required total of eight one-term courses should include STAT 840,841, CS 648, and CS 686 or CS 657. Four optional courses, normally split evenly between CS and Statistics, must be taken. At least one of the CS courses must be a 700-level course.