The University of Houston's new doctorate in statistics and data science is unique in its focus on data science, giving students the deep technical and research skills needed to make sense of today’s overwhelming flow of information. (Credit: Getty Images)
The University of Houston will launch a Ph.D. in Statistics and Data Science next fall, a major milestone that positions UH to meet the soaring demand for critical expertise in data and artificial intelligence amid today’s information explosion.
While other universities in Houston and Texas offer various statistical specialties, UH’s new doctorate is unique in its focus on data science, giving students the deep technical and research skills needed to make sense of today’s overwhelming flow of information. As data continues to shape everything from health care to energy, the program will prepare experts who can turn complex data into clear, actionable insights.
“We live in a golden age of statistics,” said Professor Bernhard Bodmann, chair of UH’s Department of Mathematics. “We have so much data begging to be interpreted, and that’s one of the things statistics does — it can look at a lot of data and make meaningful statements about what we observe.”
The program, which was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on Oct. 23, arrives as Houston’s need expands for data and artificial intelligence specialists in the Texas Medical Center, energy sector and emerging technology industries. Nationally, employment of data scientists is projected to grow 34% from 2024 to 2034, among the fastest of any occupation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“We have so much data begging to be interpreted, and that’s one of the things statistics does — it can look at a lot of data and make meaningful statements about what we observe.”
– Bernhard Bodmann, UH’s Department of Mathematics
Meanwhile, statisticians are essential for creating frameworks that ensure artificial intelligence algorithms perform reliably, Bodmann said.
“When an AI hallucinates, it makes up stuff that’s not true,” Bodmann said. “Statistics is precisely the right language to phrase statements that relate to performance guarantees in AI and more generally in data science.”
About the Program
Ph.D. students will receive rigorous training in statistical theory, data analysis and computing, preparing them for careers in academia and high-growth sectors such as energy, health care, finance and manufacturing.
A planned Statistics & Data Science Consulting Center will give students hands-on opportunities to collaborate with researchers across campus, sparking interdisciplinary partnerships to solve real-world problems.
“Now the field is branching out — it’s not just statistics and mathematics separately,” said Professor Mikyoung Jun, who oversees the new program and is the director of the Master’s degree program in Statistics and Data Science. “There’s a lot of opportunities to work together and make the field bigger.”
For more information on the in-person degree program and its requirements, visit www.uh.edu/nsm/math/graduate/phd-datascience.