Degrees and diplomas in statistics

England is perhaps the first country where Statistics has been taught as a distinct University subject. There are as many as 37 institutions in different universities in the UK having one or more courses in Statistics. This number excludes the post-graduate medical schools where some Statistics is taught and university institutes and research institutions where no regular teaching is provided. The 37 institutions are distributed as follows: London University post-graduate schools,2; other colleges and schools,8; Oxford and Cambridge universities,2; other English universities,13; English university colleges,2; University of Wales,5; Scottish universities,4; Northern Ireland universities,1.

London University is the only university which awards a full degree (B. Sc. Special) in Statistics. Courses for the degree are given by University College. In all other universities, Statistics can be taken as an ancillary or minor subject for the first degree in Mathematics, Economics, Biology, Education, Engineering, or Agriculture. At Cambridge University Statistics appears as a “whole subject” in Mathematics. There are two courses in Mathematical Statistics plus two Probability courses for a group for part III of the mathematical tripos. The faculty of Economics offers a course for part II of the Economics tripos. In Manchester University Statistics is offered as a subsidiary subject for honours in Mathematics, and there is an advanced theoretical course intended primarily for third- year undergraduates of Mathematics who have taken the subsidiary courses. Economic Statistics is included in the Economics courses.

Post-graduate and research facilities are available at University College (London), the London School of Economics, Imperial College (London), the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester and Edinburgh and also the University College of South Wales (Swansea). The duration of study is one or two years. Statistics also forms a part of the curricula for the diplomas in agriculture and agricultural sciences at Cambridge and the post-graduate diploma in public health given by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Some general observation can be made with regard to the content of the courses in Statistics for undergraduates in Mathematics. Courses for students of Mathematics concentrate on Mathematical Statistics, usually of a fairly high level, concentrating on subjects such as Probability, Multivariate Correlation and Regression, Sampling Theory, Estimation, Tests of Significance, Analysis of Variance. The aim of post-graduate courses in Statistics is to give an advanced knowledge through lectures, seminars and research work. London University arranges regularly advanced courses by the professors in the constituent colleges as well as visiting professors. The curricula for the post-graduate diplomas in Statistics are fairly uniform in different universities. At one or two universities there is a practical work in fields of application; but no dissertation or thesis is required.