The Graduate Level courses in the Department of Statistics will be guided by the following Departmental Special Regulations:
1.2.1 Unless otherwise stated, each course is normally 3 credits.
1.2.2 The Project Report (STA 691) is a no taught one semester course, where the student does a project under a supervisor from the Department. The topic shall be finalised at the start of the semester. There will be no formal final examination. The course shall be assessed by 2 research exercises and a project report. The 2 research exercises shall constitute 40 per cent and the project report shall constitute 60 per cent of the final marks. The project report shall be submitted before the last day of the semester. However, a request for a one-month extension may be allowed by the Head of the Department under special circumstances, if so recommended by the supervisor. This course is open to PGD Statistics students only.
1.2.3 For Advanced Statistical Computing (STA 671) the final examination will be a practical exam of 4 hours and the final assessment grade will be based on the continuous assessment and the examination in the ratio 1:1.
1.2.4 The Statistical Consultancy (STA 681) course is centred around consultancy projects which are assigned in the first 2 weeks of the semester. Some informal lectures accompany these projects to explain specific technicalities. The final grade is based on 3 minor projects and a major project. The minor projects shall account for 50 per cent of the final mark and the major project will account for 50 per cent of the final mark. There will be no formal final examination.
1.2.5 In the Selected Special Topics (STA 783) course, the student undertakes up to date reviews of 2 or 3 statistical techniques. Assessment is based on the review reports on the techniques selected, a presentation of at least one of the reports at a Departmental seminar, and a 3-hour open-book examination on the journal articles chosen for the report. The report presentation and the examination carry equal weight for the final grade.
1.2.6 The Research Treatise (STA 790) shall be taken over a period of 2 semesters totalling 6credits; the student will work under a supervisor. The student is expected to demonstrate the ability to master and critically analyse a prescribed area of advanced statistical literature by making 2 presentations and finally presenting a Research Treatise Report. At the end of STA 791 the student should have made the first presentation and the second presentation will be at the end of STA 792. The last date of submission of the Report shall be the last day of lectures of the second semester. In exceptional cases, it may be ex-tended by not more than 2 months, if a request is made through the Head of the Department, supported by the supervisor, at least 2 weeks before the due date. The length of the report shall be around 60 typed, A4 pages (1.5 line spacing). The report will be internally evaluated and will further be externalised. The final assessment grade for the course will be based on the 2 presentations (20 per cent) and the report (80 per cent).
The written examination for all courses, unless otherwise specified in the course template, will normally be of 3 hours’ duration. The continuous assessment and the examination shall be weighted in the ratio of 1:1. The cumulative GPA shall be computed in accordance with General Academic Regulation 00.86.
General Academic Regulations and the following Departmental Special Regulations shall apply:
The normal entrance requirement is a Bachelor’s Degree with at least 40 per cent of the courses in Statistics, from any recognized University. Other applicants may be considered in exceptional cases on the recommendation of the Department; however they may be required to take some undergraduate courses as specified by the Department.
The normal duration of the Programme on a fulltime basis is 2 semesters. However a maximum of 6 semesters is allowed for part-time students to complete the Programme.
STA 621 Probability (2, Sem 1)
STA 631 Statistical Inference I (Sem 1)
STA 641 Statistical Analysis I (Sem 1)
STA 642 Statistical Analysis II (Sem 2)
STA 672 Multivariate Analysis (Sem 2)
STA 681 Statistical Consultancy (Sem 2)
STA 691 Project Report (Sem 2)
Optional Courses (3 courses, 9 Credits)
STA501 Mathematical Methods for Statistics
(Sem 1)
STA 632 Non-parametric Inference (Sem 2)
STA 651 Advanced Survey Sampling (Sem 2)
STA 661 Time Series Analysis and Forecasting
(Sem 2)
STA 671 Advanced Statistical Computing (Sem1)
STA682 Categorical Data Analysis (Sem 1)
STA 683 Medical Statistics (Sem 2)
STA 684 Econometrics (Sem 2)
STA 685 Agricultural Statistics (Sem 1)
STA 686 Economic Statistics and
National Accounting (Sem 1)
STA 687 Education Statistics (Sem 2)
The Postgraduate Diploma is done by course work that includes 7 core courses at Levels 5 and 6 totalling 19 credits and at least 2 optional courses totalling 6 credits. One of the core courses is the Project Report STA691. This is a 2- semester Programme for fulltime students.
Students shall be assessed on their coursework in accordance with General Academic Regulations and the Department of Statistics Special Regulations 6.2.
2.5.1 A student who has passed the core and optional courses and has received 25 hours of credits shall be eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Statistics.
2.5.2 Classification
The award of diploma shall be classified as per General Academic Regulation 40.73.9.
The Master’s Degree in Statistics Programme shall be offered to those having a Bachelor’s Degree with Statistics as a Major. At the end of the Programme the candidate is expected to have the ability:
a) To organise census, market surveys, opinion polls, etc;
b) To analyse and interpret data and write reports for projects;
c) To provide advisory and consultancy se vices, including the use of Statistical Software packages; and
d) To adopt and/or innovate statistical tools and techniques to suit special problems. The Programme is done by coursework and a Research Treatise Report. It will be governed by University General Academic Regulations 40.0, and the Department of Statistics Special Regulations as follows:
3.1.1 Applicants should have a Bachelor’s Degree with at least a second class (second division) pass from a recognised University or an equivalent institution, with Statistics as a Major subject. With the approval of the Department equivalent qualifications and experiences may be considered.
3.1.2 Students with a pass in the Postgraduate Diploma in Statistics or its equivalent of this University or an equivalent institution can be admitted to the Programme at Level 2 in Semester 4 and get credits for the passed courses.
3.1.3 Candidates having a pass in the Bachelor’s Degree with Statistics as a Major subject can be considered for admission provided they have at least 2 years relevant work experience.
The Programme consists of 11 core courses in Statistics, including the two-semester Research Treatise course totalling 31 credits. In addition there are 6 optional courses in Statistics totalling 18 credits. The Programme requires a total of 49 credits through the courses listed below. The Department will Endeavour to offer optional courses subject to sufficient demand. This is a four semester programme for full-time students run at Levels 1 and 2. A student shall take 700nLevel courses only at Level 2.
STA 621 Probability (Sem 1)
STA 631 Statistical Inference I (Sem 1)
STA 641 Statistical Analysis I (Sem 1)
STA 642 Statistical Analysis II (Sem 2)
STA 672 Multivariate Analysis (Sem 2)
STA 681 Statistical Consultancy (Sem 2)
STA 721 Probability Theory (Sem 1)
STA 731 Statistical Inference II (Sem 2)
STA 732 Bayesian Inference and Decision Theory I (Sem 2)
STA 791 Research Treatise I (3 credits)
STA 792 Research Treatise II (3 credits)
Optional Courses (6 courses, 18 credits)
STA601 Mathematical Methods for Statistics
(Sem 1)
STA632 Non-Parametric Inference (Sem 2)
STA651 Advanced Survey Sampling (Sem 2)
STA661 Time Series Analysis and Forecasting
(Sem 2)
STA671 Advanced Statistical Computing (Sem 2)
STA682 Categorical Data Analysis (Sem 1)
STA683 Medical Statistics (Sem 2)
STA684 Econometrics (Sem 2)
STA685 Agricultural Statistics (Sem 1)
STA686 Economic Statistics and National Accounting (Sem 1)
STA687 Education Statistics (Sem 2)
STA722 Advanced Probability Theory (Sem 2)
STA761 Advanced Stochastic Process (Sem 2)
STA781 Reliability and Life Testing (Sem 1)
STA782 Advanced Operations Research (Sem 2)
STA783 Selected Special Topics (Sem 1 and 2)
The normal duration of the Programmed is 4 semesters of full-time study; it can be extended to 8 semesters for part-time study.
All the taught courses, unless otherwise specified in the course templates, shall have a final examination. The continuous assessment and the examination are weighted in the ratio of 1:1, subject to the Departmental Special Regulations 7.0.
3.5.1 In order to be awarded the Master of Arts in Statistics Degree a student must have passed all the required courses and received 49 hours of credits.