JLH-Math-Class

Major in Statistics

Major in statistics

Why Statistics at Valpo?

Statistics isn’t just about the numbers. After graduation, our statistics alumni go in every direction, from public health and education to manufacturing and finance. Statisticians are the ones who study the safety of nuclear power plants, evaluate the environmental impact of pollution, determine the effectiveness of new medicines, and analyze consumer demand for products – an integral part of society at large.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities in statistics are projected to grow 30% through 2032. At Valpo, students are given hands-on foundations in statistical theory and real-life applications through analysis, theory, and research – meeting industry demand with an edge.

Note: This program is no longer enrolling new students. Please view our other available mathematics degree options.

Statistics Highlights


Real-Life Research and Analysis

Students are equipped with a broad range of statistics and mathematics courses focused on real-world applications, encouraging the growth of quantitative problem-solving and communication skills.

Two Degree Pathways

Completion of the degree requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences with a major in statistics leads to a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science degree. The difference: A bachelor of arts places greater emphasis on the humanities, while a bachelor of science focuses more on natural sciences and analysis.

Involvement Outside the Classroom

Students have every opportunity to turn their coursework into reality at events like the Mathematics Colloquium and the Statistics and Data Science Colloquium. They can also get involved on campus with math club and Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society.

Statistics Major Requirements


The College of Arts and Sciences offers students interested in statistics two structurally similar degrees with 124-credit programs depending on their general education pathway: a bachelor of arts in statistics, and a bachelor of science in statistics.

When deciding between a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science in statistics, please note that the core classes required for the B.A. pathway place a greater emphasis on the humanities; the core classes required for the B.S. pathway places a greater emphasis on natural sciences and analysis, requiring an additional quantitative analysis credit, and a complementary minor or a second major in the sciences.

  • Students majoring in statistics may not pursue a minor in applied statistics.
  • Students majoring in statistics who are also pursuing either a degree in mathematics or a complementary degree in mathematics may not use courses with a STAT prefix to fulfill any of the upper-level elective requirements for either major.
Major Requirements for Statistics
Introductory Statistics Course
One course from the following options:
Note: The preferred statistics course is STAT 240.
STAT 140 General Statistics 3 credits
STAT 240 Statistical Analysis 3 credits
PSY 201 Statistical Methods 3 credits
BUS 205 Business Statistics 3 credits
CE 202 Statistical Applications in Civil, Engineering 3 credits
Intermediate Statistics Course
One Course From the Following Options:
STAT 340 Statistics for Decision Making 3 credits
BAN 340 Statistics for Decision Making 3 credits
ECON 325 Econometrics 3 credits
Core
DATA 151 Introduction to Data Science 3 Credits
STAT 299 Statistics Colloquium I 1 Credit
STAT 343 Time Series Analysis 3 Credits
STAT 344 Stochastic Processes 3 Credits
STAT 361 Introduction to R 1 Credit
STAT 363 Introduction to SAS 3 Credits
STAT 399 Statistics Colloquium II 1 Credit
STAT 441 Probability 4 Credits
STAT 442 Mathematical Statistics 3 Credits
STAT 499 Statistics Colloquium III 1 Credit
Elective
One Course From the Following Options:
Note: The chosen elective cannot be used to fulfill requirements of any other major or minor.
ACRS 325 Actuarial Modeling 3 Credits
BIO 321 Math Models of Infectious Disease 3 Credits
OR
MATH 321 Mathematical Models of Infectious Diseases 3 Credits
BAN 440 Machine Learning 3 Credits
CS 325 Simulation and Modeling 3 Credits
DATA 433 Data Mining and Applications 3 Credits
ECON 473 Applied Data Science 3 Credits
GEO 460 Data Analysis 3 Credits
OR
MET 460 Data Analysis 3 Credits
POLS 210 Research Methods in Political Science 3 Credits
PSY 202 Research Methods in Psychology 3 Credits
SOC 320 Research Methods II: Data Analysis 3 Credits
STAT 490 Advanced Topics in Statistics 3 Credits
Additional Required Courses
MATH 132 Calculus II 4 Credits
MATH 253 Calculus III 4 Credits
One Course From the Following Options:
MATH 126 Calculus and Functions Part II 4 Credits
MATH 131 Calculus I 4 Credits
One Course From the Following Options:
MATH 260 Linear Systems and Matrices 1 Credit
MATH 264 Linear Algebra 3 Credits
Minor Requirements (Minimum 15 Cr.)
One course from the following:
STAT 140 General Statistics 3 credits
STAT 240 Statistical Analysis 3 credits
PSY 201 Statistical Methods 3 credits
BUS 205 Business Statistics 3 credits
CE 202 Statistical Applications in Civil, Engineering 3 credits
One course from the following:
STAT 340 Statistics for Decision Making 3 credits
BAN 340 Statistics for Decision Making 3 credits
ECON 325 Econometrics 3 credits
At least 9 credits from the following:
BIO 321 Math Models of Infectious Disease 3 Credits
OR
MATH 321 Mathematical Models of Infectious Diseases 3 Credits
BAN 440 Machine Learning 3 Credits
CS 325 Simulation and Modeling 3 Credits
DATA 433 Data Mining and Applications 3 Credits
ECON 473 Applied Data Science 3 Credits
GEO 460 Data Analysis 3 Credits
OR
MET 460 Data Analysis 3 Credits
POLS 210 Research Methods in Political Science 3 Credits
PSY 202 Research Methods in Psychology 3 Credits
SOC 320 Research Methods II: Data Analysis 3 Credits
STAT 299 Statistics Colloquium I 1 Credit
STAT 343 Time Series Analysis 3 Credits
STAT 344 Stochastic Processes 3 Credits
STAT 361 Introduction to R 1 Credit
STAT 362 Introduction to Python 1 Credit
STAT 363 Introduction to SAS 3 Credits
STAT 399 Statistics Colloquium II 1 Credit
STAT 441 Probability 4 Credits
STAT 442 Mathematical Statistics 3 Credits
STAT 490 Advanced Topics in Statistics 3 Credits
STAT 499 Statistics Colloquium III 1 Credit

Statistics Career Outcomes


Ranked as one of the top 15 overall jobs by the U.S. News & World Report, the need for skilled statisticians can only go up. Even beyond statisticians, degrees in data science, statistics, or math foster robust problem-solving and analytical skills which increase a candidate’s appeal across professional fields. Our alumni have gone on to work for AmeriCorps VISTA, Caterpillar, Epic Systems, Motorola, and the U.S. States Department of Defense. 

Some sought-after careers in statistics include:

  • Consumer analyst
  • Environmental statistician
  • Government employee
  • Teacher