The Department of Statistics at the University of Oxford is now welcoming applications for our DPhil (PhD) in Statistics and StatML CDT. This is an opportunity to join a world-class research environment exploring cutting-edge topics across statistical theory and methodology, probability, machine learning, data science, and application areas such as computational biology, protein informatics, statistical genetics, epidemiology and econometrics.
Our DPhil offers the freedom to pursue independent research while being part of an innovative academic community bridging statistics, mathematics and computer science. You will work alongside leading experts in areas such as stochastic modelling, neural networks and AI for healthcare.
Join us for our Graduate Open Day
Wednesday 19 November 2025
24–29 St Giles’, Oxford OX1 3LB
The event will take place in person at the department, with live online sessions available for those unable to attend on campus. You’ll hear directly from course directors and current students about our doctoral and master’s programmes, as well as our StatML Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT).
Programme:
- 1.00pm – Doctoral Studies in the Department of Statistics
Professor Christina Goldschmidt (Director of Graduate Studies)
LG.03 Small Lecture Theatre - 1.30pm – StatML CDT Presentation
Professor Patrick Rebeschini (Admissions Co-ordinator)
LG.03 Small Lecture Theatre - 1.50pm – Coffee Break
Chat informally with current students and faculty in the Ground Floor Social Area - 2.30pm – MSc in Statistical Science Presentation
Professor François Caron (Course Director)
LG.03 Small Lecture Theatre
Whether you’re interested in deepening your expertise in statistics, exploring interdisciplinary research, or developing advanced data science skills, this is the perfect opportunity to find out more and ask questions.
Please register by Monday 17 November to attend in person or online:
https://forms.office.com/r/Q6HxgLR16C
Learn more about projects, supervisors, and funding routes on our DPhil in Statistics pages.
The next deadline for admissions is early January.
What does a statistician do for the England football team?
From squad selection to modelling how footballs behave at altitude, statistician Matt Penn explains how data is helping shape the modern game, and why coaches will always matter more than the numbers.
New evidence suggests vast hidden magma systems inside Mars
Researchers from the Departments of Earth Science and Statistics have found evidence that Mars once hosted enormous, Earth-like magmatic systems deep below its surface – even though the planet lacks the plate tectonics long considered essential for this kind of geological complexity. The findings open up new possibilities for how rocky planets become habitable.
Finding a needle in the genomic haystack: Targeting rare genes using statistical outliers
In statistical modelling, extreme outliers are often written off as 'noise'. But a new study by researchers from Oxford's Department of Statistics and Big Data Institute published this week in The American Journal of Human Genetics reverses that principle, using these outliers as the basis of a targeting system for locating rare, high-impact genetic mutations.