Program Overview

The Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Degree Program prepares students for employment in the private or public sector, graduate school, and scientific research. Studying Mathematics naturally develops quantitative thinking and analytic problem solving, skills with universal application. Demand will always be high for individuals with these universal skills to solve society’s diverse and complex problems.

Students majoring in Math have two choices: the Concentration option or the No Concentration option. No Concentration students choose their own upper division courseload, while Concentration students take a set of upper division courses chosen by the department to best fit their Concentration. Students can choose to concentrate in Applied Mathematics, Data Science, Mathematics Education, Pre-Actuarial Math, Operations Research, Statistics, Computational Mathematics, and Pure Mathematics. Students can complete one Concentration or several.

Statistics Concentration

This concentration is recommended for students interested in the theoretical and practical aspects of statistics, particularly those students who are interested in pursuing graduate study in statistics or biostatistics.

Statistics, the study of data, is of growing importance. Students who have the skills to properly collect, analyze, interpret, and present data are in high demand around the country.

The objectives of this concentration are: (1) to gain an understanding of the mathematical underpinnings of statistics; (2) to use appropriate statistical modeling to solve practical problems; (3) to develop an understanding of how to use statistical software; (4) to communicate statistical results to non-statisticians.

Statistics is used in many fields, including biology, sociology, psychology, medicine, economics, quality control, and sports. This diversity, along with the growing need for people with statistical knowledge, makes it an attractive choice for mathematics students.