The Department of Statistics offers programs of instruction that include theoretical and applied statistics and probability. The department also offers cooperative programs in operations research with the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, in the mathematics of finance with the Department of Mathematics, in actuarial science with the School of Continuing Education, and in quantitative methods in social science with the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy. Columbia University and the New York area are notable for wide-ranging opportunities for the application of statistics. The department maintains ties with industry, Wall Street, and medical and basic science researchers in New York and also helps to serve the statistical needs of the university community. There is a continuing demand for well-trained statisticians, and the department has been successful in placing its graduates in positions at universities and research institutes as well as in government, business, industry, and Wall Street.