Postgraduate Certificate Program in Applied Statistics

Statistical thinking and methods are becoming more and more prevalent in an exceptionally wide range of areas. With this postgraduate qualification in Applied Statistics, students can advance their career in almost any field, including education, science, technology, health care, government, or business. In Sri Lanka, qualified statisticians are well received by various institutions such as the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Department of Census and Statistics and Coconut/Tea/Rubber research institutes to name but a few. The demand for trained statisticians continues to increase in the industry as well as it is becoming more dependent on predictive data and numerical reasoning.

There is a high demand for professionals with postgraduate qualifications in Applied Statistics in the country. Professionals from various backgrounds are also keen in obtaining basic statistical knowledge in order to advance in their careers. This Postgraduate Certificate program has been specially designed for those who wish to gain a basic knowledge in statistics which may be of interest to professionals from various backgrounds seeking to gain some basic knowledge in statistical methods. For example, following successful completion, professionals from various fields such as medicine, engineering, management, social sciences, biological sciences, marketing, pharmaceuticals etc. will be able to design surveys/experiments and then analyze the data collected through them. Further to this, this postgraduate program will be of benefit for those who are following programs such as M.B.A., M.D. as these programs require a basic knowledge in Statistics to succeed.

Postgraduate Certificate program in Applied Statistics is a University Grants Commission (UGC) approved program that has been designed to meet Sri Lanka Qualifications Framework (SLQF 7) guidelines.

Objectives of the Degree Program

The main objective of the Postgraduate Certificate program in Applied Statistics is to provide professionals from various fields with a basic knowledge in Applied Statistics. Those who complete the program successfully will be capable of solving statistical problems arising in practical situations in a broad range of fields.

The Postgraduate Certificate program in Applied Statistics provides

• Essential theoretical knowledge in Statistics,
• An opportunity for graduates who have not studied Statistics to learn Statistics,
• Knowledge in applications of Statistics and training in data analysis required by graduate employees in various fields,
• An opportunity for graduate employees to gain higher education qualifications required for their promotions and career development.

Graduate Profile:

The postgraduate student who successfully completes the degree is expected to demonstrate;

• An understanding of essential theoretical knowledge in statistics,
• An ability to apply the gained knowledge and training in data analysis to solve real-life problems.

Professional and Employment Opportunities:

Advancement in careers in census and statistics field, opportunities to enter the banking sector including central bank. As the country’s monitoring, reviewing and valuation processes advance the graduate in this field will have numerous options.