Jiayang Sun, Department Chair
Welcome from the Chair
Statistics is the science and art of transforming data into knowledge. It is the heart of data science and a foundation for AI. Statistics drives innovation and informed decision-making in a data-driven world.
Our graduates work across industry, government, and academia, contributing to health care, pharma, technology, finance, public policy, research, and more. According to the U.S. Census, statisticians earn competitive salaries. Graduates work as data scientists, analysts, machine learning specialists, biostatisticians, statisticians, consultants, researchers, professors, or administrators. They turn information into insight and insight into impact wherever data- or evidence-based decision-making is essential. (See the chart provided by the American Statistical Association.)
Our department has outstanding faculty with national and international reputations, dedicated teachers, and exceptional staff. We are a leader in experimental design (including clinical trials, modern surveys, and EHR), and our work spans diverse areas of statistics, such as modern statistics, biostatistics, big data analytics, visualization, complex data analysis, AI integration, statistical learning, Bayesian analytics, and government statistics.
In today’s rapidly evolving AI landscape, adaptability, broad statistical knowledge, real-world experience, and computing skills are more important than ever.
We offer degrees at all levels:
- BS in Statistics with four concentrations (Statistical Analytics, Applied Statistics, Mathematical Statistics, and Sports Analytics)
- MS in Biostatistics
- MS in Statistical Science with two concentrations (Modern Statistics and Statistical Data Science)
- PhD in Statistical Science
- Two minors and a graduate certificate
We continue to modernize our program offerings and also offer BAM pathways (any BS + accelerated MS in Statistics) and dual MS options, such as an MS in Statistics combined with an MS in AI – where our faculty teach AI 600: Foundations and Practice of Machine Learning for AI. We also offer competitive research and teaching assistantships for full-time graduate students, and travel awards for qualified students. Our students also have opportunities for internships and summer jobs.
There are additional advantages to earning your degree at George Mason. The Washington, D.C. metro area is the capital of statistics because of the number of statisticians who work for the federal government, the biomedical industry, and private companies, as well as other academic institutes, including three Georges. Our extraordinarily diverse student body brings an equally extraordinary set of perspectives and experiences into lively class discussions. We are one of three statistics departments in an engineering school in the U.S., and one of the three departments (STAT, CS and IST) in the first School of Computing in Virginia, with unparalleled access to engineering, computing, and tech.
We invite you to visit us, meet our faculty, and explore our programs and research.
Jiayang Sun, PhD, Professor and Bernard Dunn Eminent Scholar
Chair of the Department of Statistics
Elected Fellow of ASA
Elected Fellow of IMS
Elected Member of ISI