Department of

Statistics

Faculty of Science |

Department of
Statistics
OUR PLEDGE
The Department of Statistics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong was founded in 1982. Our primary mission is to provide a
quality education and undertake cutting-edge research. In today's Information Age, statistics has become an indispensable tool
in business, social studies, engineering, medicine, clinical studies, genetics and marketing. To meet the increasing demand for
well-rounded statistics graduates, we offer undergraduate programmes in Statistics and Risk Management Science. We also
offer postgraduate programmes leading to MPhil and PhD degrees to students who intend to become experts in the field.
Details of the Risk Management Science Programme are presented in a separate leaflet.

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME IN STATISTICS

The curriculum of the Statistics Programme is specially designed to prepare students for careers in fields such as business, teaching
and research. The curriculum covers the core of the subject and maintains a balance between theory and practice. Students can
choose to specialise in one of the two streams: the Data Science and Business Statistics Stream or the Statistical Science Stream.

COURSES
Faculty Package

Elective Courses

STAT 1011 Introduction to Statistics, OR

STAT 1012 Statistics for Life Sciences
MATH 1010 University Mathematics,OR
MATH 1030 Linear Algebra I, OR
MATH 1520 University Mathematics for Applications
Any ONE course from Groups A/B/D in the Science
Faculty Package

Required Courses

STAT 2001 Basic Concepts in Statistics and Probability I

STAT 2003 Computer-aided Statistical Reasoning
STAT 2004 SAS for Data Management
STAT 2006 Basic Concepts in Statistics and Probability II
STAT 2009 Introduction to Programming Language
for Statistics
STAT 2011 Workshop on Data Exploration and
Technical Writing
STAT 3008 Applied Regression Analysis
STAT 3011 Workshop on Data Analysis and
Statistical Computing
*STAT 4003 Statistical Inference
STAT 4011 Statistics Projects

* Required course for the Statistical Science Stream

Elective course for the Statistical Science Stream
Elective course for the Data Science and Business Statistics Stream

CAREER PROSPECTS
Although some of our graduates continue their
studies and pursue a higher degree, most join the
workforce after graduation. The career development
of our graduates shows that they are well-received in
various sectors of the community. Many now hold key
positions in the civil service and in private sector fields
such as business, finance and banking, and research
and marketing.

STAT 3001
STAT 3002
STAT 3003
STAT 3004
STAT 3005
STAT 3007
STAT 4002

Foundation of Financial and Management Statistics

Experimental Design
Survey Methods
Basic Methods in Biomedical Statistics
Applied Nonparametric Statistics
Introduction to Stochastic Processes
Multivariate Techniques with Business
Applications
STAT 4003 Statistical Inference
STAT 4004 Actuarial Science
STAT 4005 Time Series
STAT 4006 Categorical Data Analysis
STAT 4007 Statistical Quality Control
STAT 4008 Survival Modelling
RMSC 4001 Simulation Methods for Risk Management
Science and Finance
RMSC 4002 Data Analysis in Finance and Risk
Management Science
RMSC 4003 Statistical Modelling in Financial Markets
RMSC 4004 Theory of Risk and Insurance
RMSC 4005 Stochastic Calculus for Finance and Risk
MKTG 3010 Marketing Research
CSCI 5180 Techniques for Data Mining

Employment Records
of 2014 Graduates

13.9%
5.6%

69.4%

Education
Information Technology

11.1%

Statistics, Consultancy, Government

and Other Professional Services
Business, Insurance,
Banking and Finance

EXCHANGE PROGRAMMES
Well recognised as valuable learning opportunities, exchange programmes are popular among statistics students. Every
year many of them participate in student exchanges.

Chan, Eric
During my third year at CUHK, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to study at the
University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill as an exchange student. My year at UNC
not only improved me academically as a student, but also mentally as a person.
Throughout my residency in the United States, I experienced the different academic
atmosphere that the Statistics Department at UNC created, and developed close
relationships with the faculty members. Outside the classroom, numerous activities
allowed me to access a whole new culture and gave me an invaluable chance to make
friends with local students. I am very grateful to CUHK for making the vision I had a reality.

Cheng, Kit Man

There is a Chinese proverb that goes 'It is better to travel than to read books alone.'
In 2012, I went to Tecnolgico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey in Mexico for a
one-term exchange programme. It was my first time living in a place with a culture
completely different from Hong Kong's or China's for such a long period. The people I
met, the cultures I explored and the language I learned gave me many invaluable
memories and experiences that I could never have gained by reading books alone.

INTERNSHIPS
The internship programme reflects our continued efforts to enhance our students' career prospects. The main
objective is to provide participating undergraduate students with opportunities to engage in research activities at both
academic and non-academic institutions and to equip them with additional professional and statistical expertise. The
Department seeks out available intern positions at both government and private institutions.

Wong, Pui Man

(Summer Intern at China Mobile, Zhejiang)

Working in the customer service branch of China Mobile, I

did not receive countless phone calls but did something
related to my studies instead. I was required to carry out
intensive data analysis and provide recommendations on
several areas, such as complaints. As with the case
studies we conducted at CUHK, I applied the statistical
knowledge I acquired to real-life situations. This
internship gave me a fair chance to gain hands-on
experience in analysing a real business case. It also
enabled me to learn more
about the operations of an
enterprise. The experience will
undoubtedly be beneficial to
my future career in this field.

Yiu, Chi Chiu

(Intern in the Retail Credit Risk Management

Department of Hang Seng Bank)

My internship at Hang Seng

Bank was a great opportunity
to apply what I had learned in
class to the business field.
For example, I used SAS
programming extensively.
In addition, working at Hang
Seng Bank gave me a general
idea of how the banking
industry operates, especially
in the field of retail credit risk
management. I also learned how to determine whether a
credit card application should be accepted.
I gained practical and valuable work experience at Hang Seng
Bank, which will be invaluable for my future career.

ALUMNI
Several alumni are happy to share their experiences as CUHK Statistics graduates.
Name: Chow,

Wai Kit Benjamin

Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Company
Title

: 2010/Major: Statistics
: 2012/Master of Philosophy in Statistics
: Cluster Technology Limited
: Computational Scientist

I am working as a computational scientist on an arbitrage team at Cluster Technology Limited. I am required to conduct research on
quantitative trading strategies related to different kinds of assets such as index futures and options. The MPhii and BSc
programmes laid a solid foundation for my career. With the well-designed course curriculum, I acquired valuable statistical
knowledge and programming techniques that could be applied to financial data analysis. With the case study and statistical project
experience I gained in the BSc programme, I am able to put interesting statistical theories into practice.
Name: Ng,

Toi Hin Calvin

Undergraduate : 2011/Major: Statistics

Company
: Edward Wong Development Co. Ltd.
Title
: Assistant Project Analyst

As a CUHK Statistics graduate, I have many skills that are useful in my career. The Statistics programme gave me a full
picture of how to become a professional analyst, from collecting data and organising information, to analysing the data and
presenting the results. It also provided the essentials of working in a business environment. Statistical analysis is important
across industries worldwide, especially in rapidly developing markets such as mainland China. Taking my post as an
example, I have to understand several international property markets. To achieve this goal, I need to interpret the research
reports from different companies and conduct my own research. I am then required to present the results I obtain to my
supervisor. All of the skills that are needed for this job can be learned from the Statistics programme at CUHK. If you hope
to become a sophisticated business analyst, the Statistics programme is one of the best choices.
Name: Yeung,

Angela

Undergraduate : 2010/Major: Statistics

Company
: Census and Statistics Department, HKSAR
Title
: Statistician

Statistics is a science. It helps you make optimal and evidence-based decisions. Statistics is also an art. It helps you tell the
story behind the numbers. That was why I chose statistics as my major in undergraduate study. My learning experience in
the CUHK Statistics programme was rewarding. I was encouraged to develop knowledge beyond lectures and apply a wide
range of concepts to real-life situations through case studies. The experience during an internship at the Census and
Statistics Department, to which I was referred by the Department when I was in my second year, inspired me to develop
myself as practitioner in official statistics.The mind-set, skills and social networks I developed during my undergraduate
studies led to my competitive edge in the workplace.

Phone: (852) 3943 7931 Fax: (852) 2603 5188

Email: statdept@cuhk.edu.hk Website: www.sta.cuhk.edu.hk
Copyright 2015 Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. All Rights Reserved.