This project provides Master's-level students in Statistics with an opportunity to carry out a placement in another organisation (industry, government, etc.), and to present their investigation in the form of a dissertation.

Supervisory meetings to be arranged at certain fixed points, typically, weeks 2, 5/6 and 8/9, with additional weekly support sessions.

Statistics Project and Dissertation (STATS5029P)

Advanced Statistics Project and Dissertation (STATS5XXXP)

Interim assessment (20%, including a presentation and mini-viva) + dissertation (80%).

This course aims to provide students with an opportunity to practice their data-analytic skills acquired on the programme. It is intended that most project focus on the analysis of a complex real-world data set using advanced data analytic methods and/or on the development of software to carry out complex data-analytic tasks. The course also aims to train students in discussing their work with others, presenting it to an audience and synthesising conclusions in a report.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. design and execute a project plan for an appropriate data analysis or software development project;

2. investigate and discuss the merits and risks involved in the approach taken as well as other strategies that could have been employed;

3. integrate and consolidate the knowledge and skills they have gained from other components of their degree programme;

4. implement and/or use both standard and advanced data analytic methods in a real-world context;

5. critically reflect upon their work discussing assumptions and limitations;

6. present key results and conclusions to both technical and non technical audiences; and

7. document their work and synthesise and write up results and conclusions in a concise report.

8. defend their analysis and conclusions in a mini-viva.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.