Bernard Baffour PhD in Social Statistics, 2009

Hi, I'm Bernard Baffour and I studied PhD in Social Statistics within Social Sciences: Social Statistics & Demography at the University of Southampton.

I was attracted to the University of Southampton because of its highly rated research status.

Q: Why did you choose to undertake your studies at the University of Southampton?

I was attracted to the University of Southampton because of its highly rated research status. When I decided to pursue a PhD in Survey and Census Methodology, the decision to study within the division of Social Statistics & Demography in the University of Southampton was made for me.

Q: What made you decide to study Social Statistics?

After completing my undergraduate, I worked in finance. After a year I decided that I wanted a change, preferring to do something related to social statistics. So I enrolled in a masters in Applied Statistics. My dissertation project focused on deprivation, which I really enjoyed. My dissertation supervisor made me aware of the PhD opportunities in Southampton, and I successfuly applied.

Q: How did you find the PhD structure?

The PhD programme I am on is slightly different from other 'conventional' ones. It is a four-year programme – broken up into a year of postgraduate training and the other three dedicated to research.

I spent my first year here undertaking postgraduate training in statistics, demographic methods and computing. On successful completion of the first year, I received an MSc Statistics. I would say this would be one of the strengths of the course.

Q: What is life like at Southampton?

On an extra-curricular note, the facilities in the University are brilliant – whatever you are into there is something to suit you. So you are having a much more rounded university experience.

There is so much to do in Southampton, especially in the surrounding areas. There is the Isle of Wight, which is a boat ride away, and the New Forest, which has a lot of bike trails and pubs that do brilliant Sunday roasts. Also, London is just over an hour away by train.