Competency-oriented teaching is becoming more and more central in the course of the Bologna Process. This also brought with it the formulation of qualification goals. Qualification goals are intended to make a statement about which competences one has acquired with the completion of a degree programme. The competences mentioned are based on the Qualifications Framework for German Higher Education Degrees (HQR). The Master's programme in Survey Statistics leads to a professional and research-qualifying degree at a scientific university.

Completion of the Master's programme also lays the foundation for subsequent academic qualifications, for example a doctorate.
 

Scientific qualification

From John W. Tukey, one of the most famous statisticians of the 20th century, the following quote has come down to us: "The best thing about being a statistician is that you get to play in everyone's backyard." The sound training in applied statistics and quantitative methods enables graduates of the Master's programme Survey Statistics to gain a foothold not only in statistics, but also in substance sciences in which statistical methods are used.

• With the completion of the Master's programme in Survey Statistics, students have deepened their analytical thinking skills in various modules (e.g. Methods of Statistics III or Introduction to Bayes Statistics) and sharpened their view of implicit and explicit assumptions underlying the models used in the description of empirical phenomena.
• Through independent research projects in the Master's programme and their presentation in term papers and lecture posters in the examinations of various compulsory and elective modules such as "Statistical Analysis of Incomplete Data" or "Computer-intensive Procedures/ Monte Carlo Methods", graduates are prepared for writing scientific articles and preparing conference posters and are able to conduct a critical discourse including their own findings.
• Graduates know the current state of research in the subject area and are able to apply and further develop it within the framework of independent research. In addition to the regular methods modules, the basis for these skills is provided by workshops that take place regularly in Bamberg and can be credited towards the Master's degree, for example on applied Bayesian methods or statistical analysis with missing data. Furthermore, the curriculum is supplemented by application-oriented modules such as the block seminar Survey Methodology, where current topics in statistical research also play an important role.
• At the end of the programme, students complete a final thesis in which they prove that they can plan independent research and implement it according to scientific requirements, for example on a topic chosen independently or within the framework of an external cooperation from the field of science or industry. In the associated colloquium, students present their research in a lecture and face critical questions and suggestions. The Master's thesis and colloquium are the final building blocks in the training of scientific skills.

Empowerment for a qualified gainful employment

• For work in the context of survey statistics and applied statistics, graduates have acquired the competences, through the acquisition of relevant skills such as the correct handling of missing values or through the introduction to sampling theory, to prepare data flexibly for various analyses, to apply statistical models professionally, taking into account the relevant assumptions, and, if necessary, to expand them through their own development and implementation of functions or models with the help of statistical programming languages.  
• From one compulsory and one compulsory elective module, graduates have in-depth knowledge of the statistical programming language R, which is very widespread in business and science, and are able to carry out statistical programming and to present and interpret their results in a target group-oriented manner.
• Graduates have sharpened their profile in modules from the module group 'Application' (e.g. by taking modules from other degree programmes) and have acquired further programming skills, for example.
• Internationality is also important for the Anglo-Saxon dominated academic discipline. The graduates have specialised language skills from the modules held in English, which they have deepened in the context of (poster) presentations.

Personal development

• The course of study itself contributes to a personal maturing process. The graduates have, due to variable module group scopes and flexible focal points in the area of application modules, independently refined the orientation of their study focus more and more and optimised it with regard to later career aspirations.
• The graduates have strengthened their self-confidence in their own knowledge and abilities through their practical experience in internships and research projects - also through feedback from colleagues and superiors. They are able to assess their own abilities more accurately and have developed a professional self-image from this.
• In group work and oral examinations, graduates have further developed their teamwork and communication skills in a job-related manner. They are able to work out solutions together in a team-oriented manner and to communicate and explain knowledge verbally, also in critical confrontation with the (professional) audience.  
• In the case of a stay abroad, graduates have also acquired intercultural competence, further developed their personality and self-organisation and gained international experience, for example in teamwork, during an optional study period abroad, for example during an Erasmus stay at the University of Florence or individual study plans abroad.

Social engagement

In the Master's programme Survey Statistics, special attention is paid to survey-based information and the challenges of using it in a scientifically adequate way.

• With the completion of their Master's degree, students have acquired the ability, through their in-depth knowledge in the field of statistics and data analysis, to contribute to the improvement of the data basis, which serves, for example, as a basis for political decision-making processes, within the framework of their professional activities.
• Furthermore, this in-depth knowledge contributes to the fact that graduates of the Master's programme in Survey Statistics are able to explain methodological issues precisely to an audience outside the field and to define implicit and explicit assumptions correctly.
• In general, graduates can prepare data-based information as a basis for decision-making in such a way that the transparency of decisions relevant to society is improved.