Directors of the statistics study track: Petteri Piiroinen, Jarno Vanhatalo and Sangita Kulathinal
Please note that the up-to-date list of courses and mandatory courses for 2020-2021 are in the Studies page. Choose statistics as the Study track to see the list of courses.
Structure for 2017-2019:
The advanced module 85-120 cr
MAST32001 Computational statistics I (5 cr), mandatory course
Optional courses 45-80 cr
MAST32004 Advanced course in Bayesian statistics (5 cr)
MAST32002 Computational statistics II (5 cr)
MAST33001 Generalized linear models II (5 cr)
MAST32006 High dimensional statistics (5 cr)
MAST33003 Nonparametric and robust methods (5 cr)
MAST32014 Regression and regularisation (5 cr)
MAST33004 Robust regression (5 cr)
MAST32005 Spatial modelling and Bayesian inference (5 cr)
MAST32012 Survival and event history analysis I (5 cr)
MAST32013 Survival and event history analysis II (5 cr)
MAST32007 Time series analysis I (5 cr)
MAST32008 Time series analysis II (5 cr)
Courses from social statistics, mathematics, applied mathematics study tracks. See the list of all courses.
MAST30001 Master's thesis seminar (5 cr), mandatory
MAST32000 Master's thesis (30 cr) (the link includes grading scale and criteria), mandatory
Other studies 0-35 cr
Courses from Life Science Informatics, Computer science, Data science and Economics master's programmes, as approved in personal study plan.
This module can include, for example, bachelor's level statistics and/or mathematics (NB this link leads to a Finnish website), or other discipline courses.
Schedule and instructions of statistics studies
Directors of the study track and PSP-information
Petteri Piiroinen, Jarno Vanhatalo (on leave till September 2019) and Sangita Kulathinal.
In addition, contact teachers for example on master's thesis supervision and PSP: Jyrki Möttönen, Leena Kalliovirta, Matti Pirinen.
Note that if your study right is in the Faculty of science, your contact teachers also in topics related to social statistics are teachers mentioned above. Your graduation from the social statistics study track is from the Faculty of science, not from the Faculty of social sciences.
The studies begin by contacting one of the directors of the statistics study track in order to form a personal study plan. The plan works as a guide for the student when choosing courses and timing the studies.
Apart from the statistics courses listed, it is highly recommended to take courses from mathematics and applied mathematics in this MAST-programme, especially stochastics.
In addition to taking courses from an annual teaching curriculum, it is possible to negotiate about book exams to specific topics. A book exam can include home-work, such as essays and solving problems from the book, etc.
In addition, certain Master's programmes include courses that are advanced statistics, or can be regarded so useful in this context so that they can be included in statistics advanced module:
The studies can be bachelor's level studies in mathematics and/or statistics and the need for such studies will be discussed during the first HOPS / PSP meeting.
The studies can be bachelor's level studies from another discipline and a very typical situation is that a student has studied computer science basic studies during bachelor's studies as they a very strongly recommended. Other studies in MAST is recommended to be filled by computer science intermediate studies.
The studies can be a module from some other master's programme. See here links to optional study modules in other programmes. The link also includes information about the JOO-system: flexible study rights between universities.
A student graduating from local bachelor's programme:
It is possible to start with master's thesis at the beginning of master's studies and there are no requirements for taking courses before starting master's thesis (cf. mathematics and applied mathematics which have strict rules: first a certain amount of courses).
The master's thesis can be tailored from working in a research group in Kumpula campus or other UH campuses. Statistics is needed virtually everywhere, and a student may get a working opportunity (for example as a summer trainee) already during bachelor's level studies, or after the first year of master's studies, and continuing by master's thesis is a natural outcome. Also working in research institutes and in private sector companies are suitable platforms for master's theses. See here about commissions.
A student entering MAST through the admission procedure: The same master's thesis general guidelines as above. However, as studies start in Autumn, it is necessary to take the compulsory course Computational statistics, and other courses in curriculum so that 30 cr studies during the first Autumn become fulfilled. The same is, of course, true for local students (in case studies start in Autumn), the difference being the possibility that a local student may already have the thesis project worked out during the end of bachelor's studies. For a local student, MAST being one of the optional programmes without an application procedure, studies in MAST start when bachelor´s degree is ready, at any time during the calendar year.
Both local students and international students: You always have the possibility to go to meet one of the study track directors and tell that you need a thesis topic. A good idea is to discuss about thesis is already in the first HOPS/PSP discussion event.
Your own choice. The essential content of statistics courses is virtually identical, irrespective of the programme. The difference is in the context. In MAST the highlighted context is statistics + mathematics, especially stochastics. This does not mean that a student couldn't take, for example a biostatistics topic thesis, or for example a machine learning topic thesis also in MAST. Note that graduating from the formal discipline statistics is only possible from MAST.