With its world-class faculty of over 25 professors conducting research in probability theory, data science, computational statistics, theoretical statistics, and applied statistics, the Department of Statistics at Columbia University is a leader in academic excellence and vibrant intellectual activity. Founded in 1946, the department has made notable contributions to many scientific fields, including astronomy, computer science, earth sciences, finance, genetics, mathematics, medicine, neuroscience, political science, and psychology. The department hosts outstanding visiting faculty and postdoctoral fellows, and conducts specialized workshops and seminars in advanced statistics, probability, and interdisciplinary topics. The Department of Statistics also organizes an annual Focus Series consisting of conferences devoted to cutting-edge topics in modern statistics.
On the education front, the Department’s Ph.D. program draws students from all over the world and prepares them for careers in research. The Department’s MA program has grown significantly, with graduates working in areas ranging from Wall Street to the pharmaceutical, insurance, media, and technology industries. The Department supports an undergraduate major and multiple joint majors focused on the application of statistics, and provides the University with introductory service courses and statistical consulting. The Department also participates in the Master’s programs in mathematical finance, actuarial science, data science, the quantitative methods in the social sciences program, and the MS in Artificial Intelligence program. The Department also offers free statistical consulting to the Columbia community.
The Department of Statistics has grown considerably in recent years. Enrollments in undergraduate and graduate classes have grown dramatically, as have demands for statistical collaborations across campus. The Department now has three joint faculty appointments, with Computer Science, Political Science, and Biology, and many faculty have formal memberships in interdisciplinary centers and institutes.
The Department has secured a position as one of the key science departments at Columbia and looks forward to making vital contributions at the forefront of statistical research as the discipline evolves in the coming decades.
Department Head
Bodhisattva Sen
Primary Liaison
Tian Zheng
Affiliate Liaison
Cindy Meekins
Early Career Liaison
Cindy Meekins