MSc Statistics (Financial Statistics) (Research)

The Financial Statistics stream of the MSc Statistics programme is mainly intended for students wishing to pursue careers in the finance industry or as a stepping stone towards PhD study in statistics for finance.

It provides high-level training in statistics with applications in finance. You'll learn to analyse and critically interpret data, build statistical models of real situations, and use statistical software packages.

The compulsory courses consolidate your understanding of fundamental ideas in probability and statistics and introduce advanced topics. You can choose options to focus on various topics, including those in statistics (with applications in finance or social science), data science, or approved courses from other departments.

The research stream is similar to the MSc Statistics (Financial Statistics) nine-month programme but involves a compulsory dissertation which replaces one unit's worth of optional courses and extends the length of the programme to 12 months.

• R J Larsen and M L Marx, Introduction to Mathematical Statistics and its Applications (5th edition, Pearson 2012)
• W N Venables, D M Smith, and the R Core Team, An Introduction to R. Notes on R: A Programming Environment for Data Analysis and Graphics (2016)

You'll take three compulsory courses, which will consolidate your understanding of fundamental ideas in probability and statistics and their applications in finance. You'll also complete a dissertation on a topic of your choice. In addition, you'll take courses to the value of one unit from a range of options, choosing from options in statistics, finance, mathematics and methodology.

The Department of Statistics at LSE is one of the oldest and most distinguished in the UK.

The department has an international reputation for the development of statistical methodology and a long history of pioneering contributions to research and teaching. Many of the world’s most famous and innovative statisticians have been associated with LSE.

Our research spans four main areas – data science, probability in finance and insurance, social statistics, and time series and statistical learning. The department has close links with the Data Science Institute at LSE – an interdisciplinary institute that fosters the study of data science, with a particular emphasis on the social, economic and political contexts.

All aspects of our research were ranked world-leading or internationally excellent in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (2021), submitted jointly with the Department of Mathematics.

The department’s research strengths are reflected in our teaching curriculum. We have a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and doctoral research opportunities – hosted in a vibrant department with a supportive and friendly community of staff and students.

Our alumni enjoy successful careers in diverse areas, such as banking, accounting, finance, statistics, government and business consulting while others pursue postgraduate study or research. Our alumni frequently return to LSE to share their career experiences with current students.

Learn more about our programmes and research.

Department of Statistics

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified prospective students. At LSE, we want to recruit students with the best academic merit, potential and motivation, irrespective of background.

We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your application form, such as your:

• academic achievement (including predicted and achieved grades)
• statement of academic purpose
• two academic references
• CV.

See further information on supporting documents.

You may need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. See our English language requirements.

Personal statement requirements

Your personal statement should state why you want to do the programme applied for and why you have chosen LSE. Brief details of your academic background and aspirations are also useful. If your background is outside of mathematics or statistics then you should provide further explanation of how your experience is relevant to the programme applied for; as well as further details of your current studies.

If you're applying to study on a part-time basis, please ensure that you address the following in your statement of academic purpose:

• your motivations to study part-time
• how you'll balance the demands of studying with part-time work (if applicable)
• confirmation that you have the support of your employer (if applicable).

Your personal statement should be concise and should not exceed 500 words.

If you're applying for more than one choice in the Department of Statistics, it's recommended that you submit two separate personal statements. If the two programmes for which you are applying are very similar and you'd prefer to combine the information in one statement then you may do so; however, please ensure that your statement clearly addresses your motivations for applying for each separate programme.

Please note: The applications, intake and ratio values below include the MSc in Statistics (Financial Statistics).

Applications for this programme are considered on a rolling basis. This means that applications will close once the programme is full.

There is no fixed deadline. However, if you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section below for more details.

For this programme, the tuition fee is different for home and overseas students depending on their fee status.

For this programme, the tuition fee is different for home and overseas students depending on their fee status.

All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. It's designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award. LSE uses a range of formative assessment, such as essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes, mock exams and many others. Most courses are summatively assessed by a two-hour exam in the Spring Term, although some contain an element of course work. The dissertation is an independent piece of research on a subject of your choice.

An indication of the formative coursework and summative assessment for each course can be found in the relevant course guide.

The programme provides excellent opportunities for employment and further study.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.

Many of the UK’s top employers give careers presentations at the School during the year and there are numerous workshops covering topics such as job hunting, managing interviews, writing a cover letter and using LinkedIn.

See LSE Careers for further details.