This course trains you to use statistical tools that are central to many areas of medicine: from clinical trials, to disease modelling, to measuring patient outcomes.
You’ll develop a detailed working knowledge of essential statistical techniques and concepts, including linear and generalised linear modelling, Bayesian statistics and computational methods and build up your programming and data analysis skills using the statistical computing software R.
You’ll study how these skills are applied in clinical trials and choose from a range of optional modules that focus on the role of statistics in other areas of medicine, such as epidemiology and evaluating healthcare interventions.
There are also optional modules on other topics in statistics, including time series analysis and machine learning.
Around one-third of the course is devoted to your dissertation on a medical or healthcare related topic. This may focus on investigating a data set or a more theoretical or methodological topic. The aim is to give you skills to include on your CV, such as planning and researching a project, data acquisition, problem specification, analysis and reporting your findings. Distance learning students often come with projects designed by their employer.
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it’s up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we’ll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption. We are no longer offering unrestricted module choice. If your course included unrestricted modules, your department will provide a list of modules from their own and other subject areas that you can choose from.
Duration
- 1 year, full-time
- 2-3 years, part-time
Teaching
There are lectures, tutorials, computing sessions and group work. Most statistics lectures are recorded so you can watch them again later.
Distance learning option
This is taught online with support via email and an online forum.
You’ll need to be in Sheffield for a few days between late May and early June each year for your exams. You’re expected to spend around 20 hours each week on your studies if you’re doing the two-year version of the course and around 12 to 15 hours each week if you’re doing the three-year version.
Assessment
Some modules may be continuously assessed through ongoing project work with no examination, but most taught modules are assessed by a mixture of examinations and coursework. The assessment of the dissertation module is based entirely on your submitted dissertation.
Your career
This course is great training for statistician roles across medicine and healthcare. The skills students develop can be used to help bring new drugs to market in the pharmaceutical industry, design public health interventions to tackle national and international healthcare challenges or support clinicians on the frontline in the NHS.
This degree satisfies the eligibility criteria for the Royal Statistical Society’s Graduate Statistician award – a stepping-stone to full professional membership of the RSS and Chartered Statistician status.
Entry requirements
We ask for a 2:1 honours degree, or equivalent, with substantial mathematical and statistical components. In particular, you should have studied the following topics and performed well in assessments on them (for example, a score of at least 60 per cent).
- Mathematical Methods for Statistics: ideas and techniques from real analysis and linear algebra, including multiple integration, differentiation, matrix algebra, the theory of quadratic forms.
- Probability and Probability Distributions: the laws of probability and of conditional probability, the concepts of random variables and random vectors and their distributions, the methodology for calculating with them; laws of large numbers and central limit phenomena.
- Basic Statistics: hypothesis testing; point estimation and confidence intervals; likelihood methods; linear modelling; use of statistical software, for example, R.
If you are not sure whether you are qualified for this course, download these sample exam papers. You should be able to answer most questions with a small amount of revision.
- Sample exam paper in Mathematical Methods for Statistics
- Sample exam paper in Probability and Probability Distributions
- Sample exam paper in Basic Statistics
If you do not meet these entry requirements, we offer a Graduate Certificate in Statistics, which covers the topics listed above. Students who perform well on the Graduate Certificate can progress to the Statistics MSc or Statistics with Medical Applications MSc.
POSTGRADUATE TAUGHT
Statistics Graduate Certificate
The Graduate Certificate in Statistics is ideal if you don’t have all the background knowledge for a masters degree in statistics. This part-time distance learning programme runs from late September until early June. Students who perform well on the programme can progress on to the MSc in Statistics or Statistics with Medical Applications..
Overall IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.
Pathway programme for international students
If you’re an international student who does not meet the entry requirements for this course, you have the opportunity to apply for an International Foundation Year in Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield International College. This course is designed to develop your English language and academic skills. Upon successful completion, you can progress to degree level study at the University of Sheffield.
Fees and funding
- Home (2022 annual fee) : £11,500
- Overseas (2022 annual fee) : £23,250
The fee listed is for the advertised mode of study. If you’re studying for an alternative qualification or via a different mode of study (eg full-time, part-time) then the fee could be different. Due to inflation, the fee for Home students could also increase after your first year of study.
key dates
September start
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Monday 29 August 2022
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Last date to request a deferral to September 2023 entry. You can request a deferral via your online application. We’re not able to consider deferral requests for applications to courses using our staged admissions process.
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Friday 9 September 2022 (17:00 British Summer Time)
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Applications close for September 2022 entry
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Monday 17 October 2022
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Last date to register for most courses
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