BS in Statistical Science

CLA offers three Statistics majors:

• The BA in Statistical Practice - Applied Statistics subplan
• The BA in Statistical Practice - Data Science subplan
• The Statistical Science BS major

Preparation for three majors start with the same statistics, math, and computer science foundation courses:

• Statistics - STAT 3011 - Introduction to Statistical Analysis, or STAT 3021 - Introduction to Probability & Statistics  (Prefered for The BA in Statistical Practice - Data Science subplan). Both courses prepare students for the next course in the STAT sequence.
• Math - MATH 1271 - Calculus I. The BA Statistical Practice major also requires Math 1272 - Calculus II, while the BS Statistical Science major requires MATH 1272, MATH 2263 - Multivariable Calculus, and one to two courses in linear algebra.
• Computer Science - CSCI 1133 - Introduction to Computing and Programming Concepts(Prefered for The BA in Statistical Practice - Data Science subplan), Computer Science - CSCI 1113 - Introduction to C/C++ Programming for Scientists and Engineers, or CSCI 2021 - Machine Architecture and Organization.

You should plan to start taking these courses or the appropriate prerequisites for these courses early in your academic career.   

A grade of C- or better is required in all courses approved to satisfy major requirements.

See the catalog for all courses in the major.

Remember, when using Transferology to plan courses for the major, look for courses that transfer as direct equivalents to UMTC major courses. In Transferology, a direct equivalent shows as the UMTC course number. For example, COMM 1101 is a direct equivalent, while COMM 1T*** is not.

In CLA, each department has a process to declare the major. This is a necessary step for the major to be added to the student record. New transfer students do not declare their majors until after they attend orientation.

To declare either the BA Statistical Practices majors or the BS Statistics Sciences major, students must meet with a Statistics departmental advisor in a scheduled declaration appointment.

Completion of either STAT 3011 or STAT 3021 (Prefered for The BA in Statistical Practice - Data Science subplan), Math 1272, or an equivalent transfer course, with a posted grade of C- or better is required to declare the major.

We recommend that students meet with a Statistics departmental advisor during their first semester in CLA to discuss their interests and the declaration process.  This meeting allows the departmental advisor to review critical course sequencing in the major and help you plan your statistics major coursework effectively and efficiently.

Lower division coursework – The only lower division (1xxx-2xxx) courses in either the BA Statistical Practice majors or BS Statistical Science major are math and computer science foundation courses. All of the STAT courses in the majors are 3xxx-level or higher.

Major residency requirement – At least 17 upper division credits (3xxx-5xxx) in the major must be taken at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.

Coursework in the majors beyond introductory courses are often not available at other institutions given the specialized nature of our coursework and sequencing. This means that the majority of  STAT courses will be taken once admitted to UMTC. It typically takes four semesters at UMTC to complete the BA Statistical Practices major and four to six semesters at UMTC to complete the BS Statistics Sciences major.

Transfer courses are evaluated by the department for use towards the major. Check Transferology to see if an evaluation already exists for the courses you would like to use toward the major.  If you find a course that has not been evaluated you can submit the course for review. A copy of the course syllabus is required.  

In considering a CLA Statistics major, students have the opportunity to choose between the BA Statistical Practice and the BS Statistical Science majors. In addition to the differences in degree requirements, each major has specific math and statistics requirements, and offers a particular focus in the study of statistics. It is important that you consider your interests, math background and skills, and future plans when deciding which major to pursue:

• The BA in Statistical Practice - Applied Statistics subplan is an excellent choice for those students who are most interested in seeking employment and joining the workforce after completing their degree, or for those who would like to learn about statistics, but don’t enjoy the higher level math required in the BS major.
• The BA in Statistical Practice - Data Science subplan is for students who want to combine data analysis Statistics methods knowledge with programming ability to extract, wrangle, and clean data, and then put it into context for decision making using expertise you develop in your domain of interest.
• The BS Statistical Science major is intended for students who are interested in careers as statisticians or who would like to go on to graduate education in statistics or a related area. It shares a core sequence of applied statistics courses with the BA major, but requires more mathematics.

In addition to the differences between the majors, keep in mind that the BA degree does include the CLA Second Language requirement, while the BS degree does not.  If you are planning a BA with a Statistical Practice major, consider completing or starting your second language before you transfer to CLA. Be sure to talk with a CLA transfer advisor about any questions you have about completing the CLA Second Language requirement.

Many of the elective options within the Statistics majors overlap with course requirements for Computer Science, Mathematics, and Economics, making these programs popular choices for double majors or minors. Additionally, many students majoring in Statistics take courses or minor in Psychology, Political Science, Communication Studies, Geography, and CEHD’s Family Social Science. These are only a few of the many interesting majors and minors on campus so make sure to explore your options.