Graduate
FALL ORIENTATION 2023-24 (SLIDESHOW)
Future Students
Introduction
This information has been provided to welcome new students and to provide information about the graduate program of the Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences at Western. Our department offers MSc and PhD degrees in Statistics with the following fields plus a collaborative program in Biostatistics:
For all three areas of study, students should apply to Statistics. Those who wish to be considered for the collaborative program must apply to the statistics field and indicate their interest in the program where indicated in the application site.
A Focus on Research
The critical ingredient requisite for successful graduate programs is a faculty complement that is both active in research and interested in supervising graduate students. Western's statisticians are active in the following research areas: stochastic modelling (including actuarial/financial, environmental and health), statistical computing, methods for data exploration, and risk theory.
The Department has undertaken the task of providing excellent computing facilities for its graduate programs. Each PhD student in the Department has a Windows-based workstation at his or her desk as part of a distributed departmental computing network. The Department runs an internal Beowulf cluster and has access to the SHARCNET Beowulf cluster that is a consortium of colleges and universities with Western as one of the lead partners. It runs a cluster of high-performance computers linked by advanced fibre optics.
The Department has taken seriously the observation that the newest and most fruitful lines of statistical research have been opened by the participation of statisticians in applied research. Consequently, many faculty members have engaged in collaborative research projects covering several subject matter specialties.
For individual faculty members' research interests and research programs, you can refer to their webpages at Faculty - Statistical and Actuarial Sciences - Western University (uwo.ca)
A Brief History
Western's graduate programs in the statistical and actuarial sciences began in the early 1960s when the statisticians and actuaries were part of the Department of Mathematics. The programs were transferred to the Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences when it was founded on September 1, 1980. Since that time, considerable effort has been expended and abundant resources have been solicited or developed to provide a milieu for sound graduate education in those areas of statistical and actuarial sciences as well as finance, in which the department specializes.
Our Context
Western is situated on an all-contained campus of over 155 hectares of park-like land along the bank of the Thames River, at the north end of London, Ontario. While London is a modern urban centre (population: 340,000), its charming Victorian architecture is still visible today. Well-known for its parks, theatres, and galleries, London also has the advantage of being less than an hour's drive from Stratford, home of the Shakespeare Festival, and two hours from Toronto and Detroit. Regular flights through London International Airport connect the city directly and indirectly with other centres in Canada, the United States, and elsewhere.
In its size, cohesiveness, and diversity, Western boasts many of the best features of both a small town and cosmopolitan city. There are 75 buildings on campus that house lecture rooms, laboratories, theatres, restaurants, pubs, snack bars, a concert hall, an art gallery, and a large number of recreational facilities. At the centre of the campus is the University Community Centre, and nearby are all other buildings and facilities - the research centres, the residences, the colleges, the stadium, and the libraries.
Although Western is a large university, we have not forgotten what's important to you: a quality educational experience. In teaching and research, Western is committed to making a difference. The single most important issue facing Canadians is sustaining quality in education because it is critical for Canada to maintain its high standard of living and to leave a legacy of wealth and prosperity and a healthy planet to the next generation of Canadians.
Contact Information
Graduate Chair
Dr. Jiandong Ren
jren6@uwo.ca
Academic Program Coordinator
stats-grad-inquiry@uwo.ca
519-661-2098 x88252
