SSC Accreditation is for practice in Canada, by a Statistician who is a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident, or legally entitled to work in Canada, or is an accredited member of an organization in their home country that is the equivalent to the SSC and shares a reciprocal relationship with the SSC. For the last-mentioned case, the SSC recognizes the Chartered Statistician (CStat) designation from the Royal Statistical Society (RSS), Accredited Statistician (AStat) from the Statistical Society of Australia Inc. (SSAI), and Professional Statistician (PStat®) from the American Statistical Association (ASA) as comparable to the SSC P.Stat.
The Professional Statistician (P.Stat.) designation signifies that the bearer has successfully completed the appropriate academic and professional requirements by achieving a major or honours bachelor’s or higher degree in statistics or a closely related discipline from a recognized university, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience as established by the SSC; upholds the Statistical Society of Canada code of Ethical Statistical Practice; and has a minimum of six years of work experience in the practice of Statistics.
Because SSC accreditation is based on a trademark registered in Canada, the designation is not recognised for practice outside of Canada.
At the time of application for accreditation, a candidate must be a member of the SSC. The candidate must be actively involved in the practice of statistics currently or have been actively involved in the past.
The application fee is CAD\$150 but applicants already accredited through another recognized statistical organization (ASA, RSS, SSAI), and those who are retired or unemployed, can request a reduced fee of CAD\$50. The application fee is non-refundable. Once your application form is received, we will send you an electronic invoice and you will be able to pay your fee by credit card via a secure link.
The online P.Stat. application form guides you through the application and accepts all the required attachments. You can save it and return to it as you work on it but once submitted it cannot be modified.
This simplified guide is to assist the applicant to complete the P.Stat. application form. Reference to the Accreditation Document may be required in some cases. In case of conflict between this page and the Accreditation Document, the latter takes precedence.
For help with the online application form, please contact info@ssc.ca.
Eligibility
If you are not a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident, you will need to attach proof that you are legally entitled to work in Canada, or your certificate of accreditation in one of the organizations listed above.
Special Review
There are special provisions if your application will include material, such as internal reports of a company or unpublished research, that is confidential. See §2.4 of the Accreditation Document.
Education
You must show that your education meets the A.Stat. requirements, which are explained in Appendix A of the Accreditation Document and can generally be met by a major or honours undergraduate degree in Statistics from a Canadian university.
Please arrange to have originals of your undergraduate and graduate official transcripts sent directly from your educational institutions in Canada or USA to the SSC, by mail or by email to info@ssc.ca. International transcripts, excluding USA ones, must be sent directly to the SSC from educational credential assessment organizations recognized in Canada such as WES, ICAS, and some Canadian universities, by mail or by email to info@ssc.ca. Documents may also be submitted through MyCreds.ca.
If you currently hold A.Stat. accreditation:
Arrange for official transcripts to be sent for any postsecondary education beyond that which was included in your A.Stat. application. Nothing else is required.
If you do not hold A.Stat. accreditation:
All applicants are required to show that their education meets A.Stat. requirements, regardless of prior accreditation status. You must fill in the tables of courses on the application form, showing that you have covered all the required areas of study at an appropriate level. You will need to submit a course outline or final examination paper for any courses you include that are not in the list of Accredited Courses at Canadian Universities.
If the tables of courses are incomplete, you will have to include a written statement explaining how you have made up those deficiencies, through professional experience, professional development or through teaching the topic at an advanced level. Reviewers will be looking for evidence that you are familiar with modern statistical methodology as currently being taught to upper-year students in Canada specializing in Statistics.
If you completed your formal education more than 20 years ago and are now an established practitioner in Statistics:
If possible, arrange for your official transcripts to be sent. In Question 6 of the application form, please attach one or two first-author papers published in journals of statistical methodology, as well as examples of reports or published papers of applied work you have done. Your work must demonstrate a broad understanding of Statistics and contributions to statistical methodology. Attach a written statement explaining how you have reached this level, through professional experience, professional development or through teaching Statistics at an advanced level.
Professional Experience
Your CV is required, and, if appropriate, your list of publications.
Candidates must have at least six years of professional experience after reaching the A.Stat. level of education. Time spent on professional activities during postgraduate training may count for up to three of these six years.
The documentation you provide on your professional statistical experience is of particular importance. A professional statistician designation encompasses duties and responsibilities that differ from those expected of a recent graduate or a junior statistician. The professional statistician should demonstrate greater practical knowledge, experience, and expertise, and should be able to take greater responsibility for all aspects of statistical work. Reviewers are looking for documentation on your ability to apply good statistical theory and methods to practical problems, and to communicate the results. See the Accreditation Document §2.4.2 for a more detailed discussion.
Under Professional Development, list what you have done in the past three years to update your skills and learn new areas of Statistics.
References
Please give the names of two persons able to comment on your qualification for P.Stat. accreditation and let them know that the SSC might be contacting them. It is good to choose referees who can attest to your oral and written communication skills
Biographical Summary
Provide a summary of your education, professional experience, current position, and professional interests. Write this in the first person and write carefully as this information will be available to the SSC Board members for final approval of your application. Upon approval, it will be published in the newsletter Liaison and be part of your profile in the SSC Directory of Accredited Statisticians. Please do not include any confidential details in this summary and do limit your profile to 200 words. A headshot is also required.
Exclusion of Reviewers
You are entitled to select up to two members of the Accreditation Committee who you would prefer not to review your application.
Mentoring an A.Stat.
You are asked to indicate if you are willing to mentor an A.Stat. This could be someone you are currently working with, or someone you don’t know who would like to benefit from your professional experience. The relationship could be local and in person or it could be done remotely. The Accreditation Services Committee will try to match each new A.Stat. with a mentor. If you agree to mentor, you may be contacted by the Accreditation Services Committee or by a recently accredited A.Stat.
Your Signature
When you sign, you agree to adhere to the SSC Code of Ethical Statistical Practice and to maintain professional development specific to area(s) of practice.
Revised 2025-07-05 to accompany the online application form.