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Research degrees (PhD)

Atrium Statistics Building


Warwick Centre for Doctoral Training in Mathematics and Statistics

The Warwick Centre of Doctoral Training (CDT) in Mathematics and Statistics is a collaboration between the Mathematics Institute and the Department of Statistics which started in 2019. General information about this CDT can be found here.

In October 2023, the Department of Statistics launched a new training programme, building on the experience of the past few years, which aims to provide appropriate training for all entrants across Statistics, Probability and Mathematical Finance, balancing breadth and depth. The training consists of a core taught component and the ability to select among a number of additional optional training options, as appropriate.

Core taught component
  • Milestones in Probability and Statistics (term 1): a module that aims to expose students to the whole breadth of probability and statistics, through the discussion and presentation of seminal papers and their impact on the wider subject. Students will be trained in reading research papers, working in groups, and presenting research ideas, whilst developing an appreciation of the importance of cross-fertilisation among different disciplines.
  • Statistical Frontiers (term 1): consisting of 1h presentations on a number of research topics by relevant academics, aiming to introduce students to the research areas active in the department.
  • Graduate Topics Modules (term 2): students will be expected to choose at least two Graduate Topics modules, each module consisting of three 10h graduate-level lecture courses, with themes covering the broad spectrum of research interests in the department (e.g. applied and methodological statistics, data science, machine learning, probability and mathematical finance). Details of topics will be decided in the summer before the cohort arrives, taking into consideration the interests of the incoming cohort.
  • Research Integrity training.
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant Training.
  • Mini-project (term 3 and summer): students can choose from a wide selection of mini-projects covering the whole spectrum of probability and statistics
Professor writing on the board

Additional options: In addition to these core modules, students can take any of the existing modules offered by the Department of Statistics from our existing Masters programmes. The Institute of Mathematics also makes available some of their modules. Further training opportunities offered to first-year students include modules from Academy for PhD Training in Statistics (APTS) or the Taught Course Centre (TCC) or similar, or summer schools such as the European Summer School in Financial Mathematics (all subject to acceptance onto the module/summer school by the organisers).

Following the taught component, at the end of the first year, students will have the opportunity to choose a supervisor with whom they will define the topic of their studies. Indeed, as opposed to most CDTs, the Warwick CDT in Mathematics and Statistics is not limited to a single subject so that any generally suitable topic in statistics (interpreted broadly to include probability and mathematical finance) or at the intersection between statistics and cognate disciplines will be considered.

Why Warwick?

The University of Warwick has one of the largest Statistics departments in the world, with a thriving PhD program and a long-established reputation for research activity of the highest quality, enhancing both the PhD-student experience and the demand for our PhD graduates.

Warwick Statistics and Warwick Mathematics Institute together rank third nationally among mathematical sciences research groups for research power and sixth for research quality, in the most recent UK government research assessment REF 2021.

You can find out more about our research in the Warwick Statistics Research Spotlights brochure (pdf file, about 40MB) featuring a sample of recent applied research projects, in the Departmental research pages and on Individual academics by research areas.

General enquiries

stats dot pg dot support at warwick dot ac dot uk

PhD Admissions Tutors

Prof David Hobson D dot Hobson at warwick dot ac dot uk

Prof Yi Yu Yi dot Yu dot 2 at warwick dot ac dot uk

PhD Director

Prof Anastasia Papavasileiou A dot Papavasiliou at warwick dot ac dot uk

Research seminars and development

There are regular seminars and reading groups to engage in Workshops discussing cutting edge research topics take place throughout the year. Seminars are open to everybody, and PhD students are particularly encouraged to take part.

The YRM (Young Researchers Meeting) takes place weekly during term time and gives students the opportunity to practice their presentations, talking about their work in a friendly environment.

Special departmental initiatives promote research and interaction in broad major areas and provide the Department's PhD students with a wide variety of academic resources, including sustained programmes of research seminars and international workshops.

Here are some of the initiatives at Warwick Statistics:

Affiliated Centres for Doctoral Training

Students' view

Giovanni Burro

Giovanni Burro

I really enjoyed my time during the PhD. Faculty members and other PhD students have always been helpful. Several senior faculty members were really generous with their time and they gave me many suggestions to improve my work. On top of that, at Warwick I found a very big and interdisciplinary crowd of researchers on decision making. I had the opportunity of being exposed to the discipline from several points of view.

Rachel Wilkerson

Rachel Wilkerson

I chose Warwick for their excellence in research, and I found a department rich with resources to develop new statistical theories, methodologies, and applications. I learned from patient mentors who prompted different ways of looking at a research problem and also from my peers who were always willing to troubleshoot a problem with me on the blackboard. Warwick Statistics gave me the technical foundation I needed for the next stage in my career.

Marco Palma

Marco Palma

My experience as a PhD student in the Department of Statistics is very positive! The range of potential research topics is wide and the faculty members like to engage with us students. The community of PhD students organises several research activities and social events. For all these reasons the Department of Statistics is a great research environment.

Ian Hamilton

Ian Hamilton

I'm really enjoying my experience as a PhD student in the Department of Statistics at Warwick. The size, strength and sociability of the department mean there are loads of things going on academically, socially and anywhere in between. I doubt any other Statistics department in the country is able to offer quite the same extensive combination of weekly lecture series (CriSM, SF@W, SPAAM, Bridges etc.), reading groups, Young Researchers Meeting, Fourth Floor Cake Club (don't tell the third floor!), pub trips, walking trips, quiz nights, Gregynog, or (my personal favourite) just sitting down for a chat over lunch in the Common Room with whoever happens to be there. All this in a world class research department, and housed in a brand new building. What more could you want!