Skills you’ll develop
While studying Statistics, you’re learning methods for organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data to identify patterns that will help solve real-world problems. You’ll develop important skills to apply your statistical knowledge to a diverse range of scenarios.
These skills may include:
- Organization of data to facilitate interpretation and application
- Complex pattern recognition
- Data preparation (validation) and processing (modeling)
- Probabilistic reasoning
- Survey and experimental design
- Statistical and data analysis
- Logical and critical reasoning
- Numerical computation
- Technical skills in statistical concepts, logic, and specialized software (SQL, R)
Career possibilities
Career opportunities vary widely across a range of fields including biotechnology, data management, aerospace, telecommunications, human resources, financial services, software engineering, public policy, health and pharmaceuticals, and others.
There are many career paths that can combine your academics, skills, and experience with your different interests. Read through the job titles below for ideas. Some career options may require further education or training.
Visit the National Occupational Classification website to research basic requirements and responsibilities of jobs in your field.
- Actuary
- Algorithm designer
- Big data analyst
- Bioinformatics scientist
- Biostatistician
- Chartered financial analyst
- Computer programmer
- Cryptanalyst
- Data/Information scientist
- Data mining analyst
- Demographer
- Economist
- Epidemiologist
- Insurance underwriter
- Investment manager
- Marketing consultant
- Market researcher
- Operations researcher
- Quantitative analyst
- Software engineer
- Sports statistician
- Statistical consultant
- Statistical engineer
- Systems/Research analyst
- Systems auditor
- Teacher/Professor
- Technical analyst – statistics
Make the most of your specialization
Your experiences will open doors to new opportunities and help clarify your values and interests.
- UBC Science Co-op
Gain work experience in statistics between study terms. - Departmental research opportunities
Reach out directly to faculty members to ask about potential research positions. - UBC Department of Statistics events
Check out departmental events and network with students and faculty. - Mitacs funding
Apply for up to $15,000 to fund a 4-month internship in your specific area of study. - UBC Mathematics outreach initiatives
Interact with elementary and high school students through workshops and sessions.
Build your network
Employers often hire people they know, so help them get to know you. You can build your network through clubs, classes, informational interviews, and more. There are so many ways to make connections and find mentors.
The professional associations below are also great resources for meeting people, learning about specific industries, and finding job and volunteer opportunities. Most have reduced membership rates for students and new grads.
- American Statistical Association
- Association for Women in Mathematics
- Canadian Applied and Industrial Mathematics Society
- Canadian Institute of Actuaries
- Canadian Mathematical Society
- Canadian Operations Research Society
- Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute
- Computing Research Association
- Data Science Association
- Fields Institute of Research in Mathematical Sciences
- International Association of Survey Statisticians
- Mathematical Association of America
- Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
- Royal Statistical Society
- Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
- Society of Actuaries
- Society of Actuaries – Casualty Actuarial Society
- Statistical Society of Canada
- Statistics Canada
Connect with alumni on LinkedIn
Find UBC Statistics graduates on LinkedIn to learn about where they’re working, and their career and academic paths.
More information
From your Science degree, you’ll develop skills and experiences that can translate into many career paths. Check out other things you can do with your Science degree.