Undergraduate Studies

Overview

Statistics is the science of collecting and analyzing data for the purpose of making decisions in the presence of uncertainty. Data are ubiquitous in the modern day and age, and statisticians are in high demand. Multidisciplinary application areas vary widely and include health and medicine, business, physical sciences, environmental studies, and government. The curriculum in statistics provides instruction in all necessary areas, including a mathematical and probabilistic foundation, strategies for designing studies and collecting data, the visualization and analysis of data using popular software like SAS and R, and the process of using sample data to draw conclusions about a population. Depending on the electives selected, a student completing this program will be prepared to enter employment as a statistical analyst or continue to graduate school in statistics or a related field.

The Statistics Department offers a Bachelor of Science in Statistics, as well as a minor:

Bachelor of Science in Statistics

Minor in Statistics

Changing Your Major to Statistics

If you are a current Texas A&M University student, and are considering changing your major to Statistics, visit our resource page here.

Transfer Students

If you are considering transferring to Texas A&M University and becoming a Statistics major, we encourage you to set up an appointment with an academic advisor (undergraduate@stat.tamu.edu) to discuss your coursework, possible degree plan and time to degree, and any questions you may have. Because of the prerequisites of required coursework and course offerings, the BS-STAT degree plan is usually a minimum of five semesters (fall/spring) but will vary depending on a student’s transferable coursework.

Format of Courses

Although the university has planned to offer coursework online during the COVID-19 pandemic, typically, this degree plan is only available for on-campus students. If you have questions regarding the format of an undergraduate course or course availability for a given term, please email undergraduate@stat.tamu.edu.

Careers in Statistics

For more information on statistics as a career choice, see the American Statistical Association’s This Is Statistics website. You can also view videos of up-and-coming Statisticians talk about their careers and making a difference.


IN THE NEWS:

  • Nate Silver recently visited A&M and kindly made time to meet with our statistics students and talk about his work in ‘data journalism’. Here are some pictures.
  • What can you do with an undergraduate degree in statistics? The American Statistical Association has some example student profiles.
  • U.S. News & World Report recently ranked statistician #1 in Best Business Jobs and #2 in The 100 Top Jobs.
  • CareerCast ranked statistician and data scientist as among the top 5 jobs in both 2016 and 2017.
  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics has placed statistician at #9 on its list of the Fastest Growing Occupations.
  • Money magazine recently reported that professionals with expertise in handling “Big Data” tend to earn 5-6% more on average than their peers who lack this expertise.
  • The College of Science has published an article about our new undergraduate major.