Statistics Minor
Statistics is the science of drawing inferences from data. The statistics minor is recommended for students who wish to gain experience in both the theoretical foundations of statistics and applied data analysis. The study of statistics prepares students for graduate study in statistics, biostatistics, or a related field; research in applied science or social science; or work in business, medicine, technology, law, finance, and many other fields.
The minor in statistics consists of five units:
(A) Introductory statistics, chosen from the list below
(B) Foundation in probability theory: MATH 220/STAT 220
(C) Foundation in computing: CS 111, CS 111X, CS 111M or CS 112
(D) Foundation in modeling: Either QR 260/STAT 260 or STAT 318
(E) One additional STAT course at the 200- or 300-level, other than STAT 218
Introductory statistics:
At most one introductory statistics course can count toward the minor. See “Entry Points” below for guidance.
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STAT 160 Fundamentals of Statistics
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STAT 218 Introductory Statistics and Data Analysis
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BISC 198 Statistics in the Biosciences
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ECON 103/SOC 190 Introduction to Probability and Statistical Methods
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POL 299 Introduction to Research Methods in Political Science
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PSYC 105 Introduction to Data Analysis in Psychological Science
The statistics minor is open to mathematics majors and students from any other major except data science recognizing that no course may count toward both the major and the minor. Students whose majors overlap with the minor requirements should consult a statistics faculty advisor and a major advisor. Ordinarily, a student with a major that includes introductory statistics chooses whether to count this course toward the major or the minor and selects a replacement elective in the other field.
A certificate from the Quantitative Analysis Institute Summer Program meets requirement (D) but does not count toward the five units for the statistics minor; students should take either STAT 318 from (D) or an extra STAT elective. A student may count both STAT 260/QR 260 and STAT 318, one toward (D) and one toward (E). Note that MATH 205 is a prerequisite for STAT 220 but does not count toward the minor; other courses listed above similarly have prerequisites that cannot be counted.
Students who declared the minor prior to Fall 2025 and included ECON 203 or ECON 303 in their approved course plan may count one of these courses in place of (E).
Entry Points
- Students should complete calculus through MATH 205 in order to take MATH 220/STAT 220.
- The computing requirement can be met at any time.
- A student who completes MATH 205 before introductory statistics is encouraged to choose STAT 218.
- A student who completes an introductory statistics course other than STAT 218 can begin the applied courses with QR 260/STAT 260.
- STAT 150 does not count towards the statistical minor. Students who wish to minor in statistics should take one of the introductory statistics courses above.