Bachelor of Science in Statistics

The Bachelor of Science in Statistics is an interdisciplinary program offered for students who intend to pursue an advanced degree, or who are planning careers as statisticians in industry, business, government, or scientific research.

To give the students both breadth and depth and to introduce them to a variety of fields where statistics may be applied, we offer three emphases for the degree: science, business, and economics.

CR/NC grades are not acceptable in courses to be counted for a mathematics major or minor program.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science in Statistics a student will be able to:

  1. Apply statistical knowledge and computational skills to formulate problems, plan data collection, and analyze data to provide insight.
  2. Build and assess statistical and machine learning models, and employ a variety of formal inference procedures.
  3. Use mathematics to understand the underlying structure of common models used in statistical and machine learning.
  4. Prepare data for use with a variety of statistical methods and models, and recognize how the quality of data and data collection affect conclusions.
  5. Communicate effectively to a variety of audiences using oral, written, and visual modes.

Statistics (B.S.) — 55 units

All major courses must be completed for a letter grade. CR/NC grades are not accepted.

Core Requirements (46 units)

MATH 226Calculus I4
MATH 227Calculus II4
MATH 228Calculus III4
MATH 301GWExploration and Proof - GWAR3
Select One:3
Mathematical Computing
Introduction to Computer Programming
Intermediate Computer Programming
Computer Programming
MATH 325Linear Algebra4
MATH 338Introduction to SAS3
MATH 424Introduction to Linear Models3
MATH 440Probability and Statistics I3
MATH 441Probability and Statistics II3
MATH 442Probability Models3
MATH 447Design and Analysis of Experiments3
MATH 448Introduction to Statistical Learning and Data Mining3
MATH 449Categorical Data Analysis3

Guided Electives (9 units)

Select three courses from one of the areas (Science, Economics, Business: Decision Sciences, or Business: Information Systems) listed below:

Science

Select three courses in consultation with a statistics advisor:
MATH 370Real Analysis I3
MATH 376Ordinary Differential Equations I3
MATH 400Numerical Analysis3
MATH 425Applied and Computational Linear Algebra3
MATH 430Mathematics of Optimization3
MATH 460Mathematical Modeling3

Economics

Select three courses in consultation with a statistics advisor:
ECON 301Intermediate Microeconomic Theory3
ECON 302Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory3
ECON 312Introduction to Econometrics3
ECON 715Mathematical Economics3
ECON 731Econometric Methods and Applications3
ECON 825Applied Time Series Econometrics3

Business: Decision Sciences

Select three courses in consultation with a statistics advisor:
DS 311Technologies in Data Analytics3
DS 408Computer Simulation3
DS 412Operations Management3
DS 604Applied Business Forecasting3
DS 624Quality Management3

Business: Information Systems

Select three courses in consultation with a statistics advisor:
ISYS 363Information Systems for Management3
ISYS 463Information Systems Analysis and Design3
ISYS 569Information Systems for Business Process Management3
ISYS 650Business Intelligence3

General Education Requirements

Requirement Course Level Units Area Designation
Oral Communication LD 3 A1
Written English Communication LD 3 A2
Critical Thinking LD 3 A3
Physical Science LD 3 B1
Life Science LD 3 B2
Lab Science LD 1 B3
Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning LD 3 B4
Arts LD 3 C1
Humanities LD 3 C2
Arts or Humanities LD 3 C1 or C2
Social Sciences LD 3 D1
Social Sciences: US History LD 3 D2
Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) LD 3 E
Ethnic Studies LD 3 F
Physical and/or Life Science UD 3 UD-B
Arts and/or Humanities UD 3 UD-C
Social Sciences UD 3 UD-D
SF State Studies
Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective.
American Ethnic and Racial Minorities LD or UD 3 AERM
Environmental Sustainability LD or UD 3 ES
Global Perspectives LD or UD 3 GP
Social Justice LD or UD 3 SJ

Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.

First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)

  1. The roadmaps presented in this Bulletin are intended as suggested plans of study and do not replace meeting with an advisor. For a more personalized roadmap, please use the Degree Planner tool found in your Student Center.
  2. In order to choose your English Composition A2 course and your QR/Math B4 course, please complete the online advising activities at writingadvising.sfsu.edu and mathadvising.sfsu.edu. Questions? Contact Gator Smart Start.

First-Time Student Roadmap

Transfer Student Roadmap (2 Year)

For students with an AS-T in Mathematics.
MATH ADT Roadmap

This degree program is an approved pathway (“similar” major) for students earning the ADT in Mathematics

California legislation SB 1440 (2009) mandated the creation of the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) to be awarded by the California Community Colleges. Two types of ADTs are awarded: Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) and Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T). 

Note: no specific degree is required for admission as an upper-division student. However, the ADT includes specific guarantees related to admission and graduation and is designed to clarify the transfer process and strengthen lower-division preparation for the major.

An ADT totals 60 units and in most cases includes completion of all lower-division General Education requirements and at least 18 units in a specific major. (The Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science AS-T degrees defer 3 units in lower-division GE area C and 3 units in lower-division GE area D until after transfer.) Students pursuing an ADT are guaranteed admission to the CSU if minimum eligibility requirements are met, though not necessarily to the CSU campus of primary choice.

Upon verification that the ADT has been awarded prior to matriculation at SF State, students are guaranteed B.A. or B.S. completion in 60 units if pursuing a “similar” major after transfer. Determinations about “similar” majors at SF State are made by faculty in the discipline.

Degree completion in 60 units cannot be guaranteed when a student simultaneously pursues an additional major, a minor, certificate, or credential.

A sample advising roadmap for students who have earned an ADT and continue in a "similar" major at SF State is available on the Roadmaps tab on the degree requirements page for the major. The roadmap displays:

  • How many lower-division units required for the major have been completed upon entry based on the award of a specific ADT;
  • Which lower-division requirements are considered complete upon entry based on the award of a specific ADT;
  • How to complete the remaining 60 units for the degree in four semesters.

Students who have earned an ADT should seek advising in the major department during the first semester of attendance.

General Advising Information for Transfer Students

  1. Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
  2. The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
    • a course in U.S. History
    • a course in U.S. & California Government

For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:

  • Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
  • Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.

Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.

Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).

Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.

Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.

Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.

Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs

Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.

Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.

Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.