Bachelors of Sciences in Statistics

The Department of Statistics is proposing a major program offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics beginning in Fall 2004.

Because of the extensive use of statistics in all aspects of life, statistics has been a growing field of interest in our society. For this reason, several UC schools (Berkeley, Riverside, Santa Barbara) have already adopted an undergraduate major in statistics.

Statisticians contribute to solving important problems in a large variety of disciplines. Our Department wants to offer an undergraduate major in statistics to offer students a specific option in this up and coming field. In planning for our new undergraduate major, the Department of Statistics took steps to have the resources to successfully handle the increased load of students coming into our Department. We expect most of the students who enter the major to be from the Math and Physical Sciences area due to the extensive Math requirements for our major. in the past few years. Statisticians contribute to solving important problems in a large variety of disciplines. Our Department wants to offer an undergraduate major in statistics to offer students a specific option in this up and coming field.

The B.S. program is designed to provide a general introduction to the practice of Statistics for students who intend to pursue study at the graduate level or seek employment in industry or government. An overall GPA of 2.0 is required for admission to the major.

• A. Entrance to the Major
  To enter the major, students should have successfully completed one lower or upper division Statistics Department course with a letter grade, have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better, and declare the major in Statistics with the Statistics Department.


• B. Preparation for the Major (35 units)
  Required (35 units): Mathematics 31A, 31B, 32A, 32B, 33A, PIC 10A, Statistics 35, Statistics 88 and one course in Statistics 10, 10H, 11, 12, 13 or 14.
  All courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.


• C. The Major (48 units)
  Courses in the major are chosen to provide sufficient theoretical background for future graduate level research work, exposure to modern techniques and practices, and experience in fields of application.
  
  Required (48 units): Statistics 100A, 100B, 100C, CM120A, CM120B, 130B, two Statistics 195 courses and four additional upper-division elective courses chosen from Statistics 130A, 130C, 150 through 199; Mathematics 131AB, 151, 170B, 171. At least two of these four elective courses must be from Statistics 130A, 130C, 150 through 199 and at least one elective must be chosen from Mathematics 131AB, 151, 170, or 171. Elective courses from outside the department are chosen in consultation with the undergraduate faculty adviser. Only 4 units of 199 may be applied to the major. Statistics 195 can be repeated with different topics. Statistics 89, 89HC, 110A, 110B, 189 and 189HC will not count towards any of the major requirements.
  
  A maximum of 20 upper division units applied towards the major requirements can be applied toward major or minor requirements in any other department or program. Students cannot declare both a Statistics major and a Statistics minor.
  
  It is strongly recommended that students pursue a minor in a substantive discipline that applies statistics in conjunction with the B.S. degree in Statistics. This minor must be chosen in consultation with the undergraduate faculty adviser
  
  Students planning to continue their study of Statistics in a graduate program are strongly advised to include in their schedule as many of the following Mathematics courses as possible: Math 131AB, 151, 170B, and 171.
  
  All major courses must be taken for a letter grade, with an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better.


• D. Summary
  The curriculum is designed to give students knowledge and skills in several areas that will prepare them well for future study or employment. In addition to learning essential statistical concepts (experimental design, causation, graphical analysis, inference, linear models), students who receive a B.S. in Statistics will have knowledge of Mathematics (calculus, analysis, probability) and computer skills (data management, basic programming). Additionally, the curriculum has a strong emphasis on developing oral and written communication skills, particularly in the "capstone" course (Statistics 195).