Master of Arts Program in Statistics

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers a professionally oriented Master of Arts degree program in Statistics. The lively and versatile curriculum focuses on training that is applicable in the real world, and the program aims to prepare skillful statisticians and data scientists for professional careers in industry. The track includes an integral lab component that emphasizes the practice of contemporary data analysis and exposes students to methods, software and theory commonly used in applications of statistics.

The program requires courses specific to the area of statistics, and the student is required to finish ten 4-credit courses and two 1-credit capstone seminars for a total of 42 credits, to be finished in two years. An exit exam or final thesis is not required. See the Curriculum page for a sample schedule and the course catalog.

Professional Development

The MA in Statistics program provides students with a solid foundation of practical knowledge to work with applied statistics in depth, preparing them for future careers in the public and private sectors as data scientists, consultants and engineers who manage and analyze data. The department emphasizes faculty guidance and support; there are frequent seminars in different fields, as well as the annual Peter Hilton Memorial Lecture, where distinguished mathematicians and scholars are invited to discuss their research.

After You Graduate

Driven by the ever-greater reliance of businesses and governments on data, the demand for professionals with strong quantitative analytical skills is now higher than ever. In a recent study, the McKinsey Global Institute projects that by 2018 the United States will need 140,000 to 190,000 professional statisticians. The United States Department of Labor also estimates the employment prospects in the field of statistics as growing much faster than average for all occupations. Program graduates will be trained to pursue careers in a variety of fields that require data-crunching and quantitative analysis. Well-trained statisticians and data scientists are employed in the following roles in a wide spectrum of industries:

  • statistical consultants
  • risk managers
  • insurance actuaries
  • quants (and traders)
  • production/manufacturing quality control managers
  • market researchers
  • sports statisticians
  • economists
  • biomedical, biometrics, bioinformatics researchers
  • sociology researchers
  • psychology researchers
  • biostatisticians in pharmaceutical industry
  • government statisticians (census)

Why Binghamton's MA in Statistics Program?

  • Binghamton University is rated a Best Buy and one of the premier public universities in the Northeast by Fiske Guide to Colleges, 2014.
  • We have a rigorous core curriculum, which spans two years. Courses are taught by tenured and tenure-track faculty. Students receive personalized attention and assistance.
  • We focus on hands-on experience analyzing real-world data sets with state-of-the-art statistical methods. Students are immersed with statistical computing, software and practical training throughout the entire course of study. Moreover, students will have the opportunity to sharpen their comprehension of the statistical methods and improve their communication skills.
  • Working with the faculty and department, make connections with local industry and government.
  • Students receive an affordable education in one of the top public universities. The cost of attendance is highly competitive, even for out-of-state and international students (#4 as a best value among the nation's public colleges for out-of-state students and #15 overall - Kiplinger's Personal Finance, 2014.)
  • The beautiful upstate New York campus is welcoming and diversified. We attract outstanding students and faculty from all over the world who are partners in active discovery.

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Who Should Apply?

Individuals wishing to improve their quantitative, data analytic and data mining skills in order to advance their careers are welcome to apply. Applicants should have a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) background or a background in a quantitative-oriented field such as finance, accounting, business or management. Learn more about program prerequisites and how to apply.