Statistics

Statistics BS

Capstone Major

The Statistics major 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. Courses are selected to provide sufficient theoretical background for future graduate-level research work, exposure to modern techniques and practices, and experience in fields of application.

It is strongly recommended that students, in conjunction with the BS degree, pursue a minor in a substantive discipline that applies statistics. Students must consult with the undergraduate faculty adviser to ensure that the minor selected is one in which statistics is applied.

The Statistics major has the following learning outcomes:

• Ability to restate an investigative question in terms of a statistical model or algorithm
• Verbally communicate statistical results clearly to a non-technical audience
• Successfully relate theoretical concepts to a real-world problem in a written report
• Demonstrated ability to find research literature appropriate to the investigative task
• Deliver reproducible statistical analyses using accepted practices of the research community
• Demonstrated ability to verbally and orally communicate statistical results to both technical and non-technical audiences

Incoming freshman and transfer students may be admitted as Statistics premajors on acceptance to UCLA. Premajor students must apply for the major after completing Statistics 20, and one course from Statistics 10 through 13, with grades of C or better, and an overall grade-point average of 2.5. Any student who meets the premajor requirements may declare the major with the undergraduate adviser in 8117A Mathematical Sciences, 310-206-3742.

Required: Mathematics 31A, 31B, 32A, 32B, 33A, Statistics 20, and one course from Statistics 10 through 13. Each course must be completed with a grade of C or better, and a grade-point average of 2.5 or higher. Students who repeat more than two of the preparation courses or who repeat any preparation course more than once are automatically denied admission to the major.

Students who entered as freshmen must declare the major with the undergraduate adviser no later than the end of the fall quarter of their junior year.

Transfer applicants to the Statistics major with 90 or more units must complete as many of the following introductory courses as possible prior to admission: two years of calculus, one linear algebra course, and one statistics course. These courses must be completed with a minimum grade-point average of 2.5. Students must declare the major with the department undergraduate adviser no later than the end of the fall quarter of their junior year.

Refer to the UCLA transfer admission guide for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

Required: Statistics 100A, 100B, 100C, 101A, 101B, 101C, 102A, 102B, 102C, two capstone statistical consulting courses (140SL, 141SL), and two upper-division elective courses selected from courses 130, 131, 143 through 199, Mathematics 131A, 131B, 151A, 151B, 170B, 171, 172B, 175. Elective courses from outside the department are selected in consultation with the undergraduate faculty adviser.

The capstone consists of two courses (Statistics 140SL and 141SL) that must be completed sequentially in the final year. Students must first take courses 100B, 101B, and 130 before they can begin the capstone.

Only 4 units of course 199 may be applied toward the major. Courses 189 and 189HC may not be applied toward any of the major requirements.

Students planning to continue their study of statistics at the graduate level are strongly advised to include in their schedule as many of the following courses as possible: Mathematics 115A, 115B, 131A, 131B, 151A, 151B, 170B, 171.

Each major course must be taken for a letter grade, and students must have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better.