Statistics
Areas of Study
All minors are educated in central areas of statistics including linear models and categorical data analysis. Minors then select courses based on their interests, choosing from courses in these areas:
- Computational statistics
- Bayesian statistics
- Causal inference
- Experimental design
Requirements
Statistics minors take a minimum of six semester courses. At the beginning level, the required courses are Calculus 2 and any of the introductory statistics courses taught in the biology, economics, psychology, sociology or mathematics/computer science departments. The minor requires two intermediate courses in linear models and categorical data analysis and two elective upper-level courses rounding out the minor. These advanced courses will often make connections with the student’s major program and involve using statistical thinking in other areas.
Statistics minors must complete the following requirements:
- MATH 136 (Calculus 2)
- One introductory statistics course: BIOL 275, ECON 249, PSYC 200, SOCL 226, STAT 220 or credit for AP Statistics.
- STAT 231 (Linear Models) or ECON 314 (Econometrics)
- STAT 232 (Categorical Data Analysis)
- Two elective statistics courses
Students can declare their minor after they complete any statistics course at the College.
Current statistics electives include:
- STAT 225 (Experimental Design)
- STAT 226 (Bayesian Statistics)
- STAT 375 (Probability Theory)
- STAT 376 (Mathematical Statistics)
- STAT 380 (Statistical Computing)
- STAT 381 (Statistical Learning)
- STAT 392 (Seminar)
- CSCI 307 (Data Mining)
- BIOL 383 (Applied Evolution)
- PSYC 318 (Advanced Statistics)
Mathematics majors who minor in statistics may count one course toward both the major and the minor.
Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Statistics exam will earn one unit of credit for ECON 249-AP Statistics. Students will forfeit their AP credit if they opt to take any 100- or 200-level statistics course at the College, including STAT 120 Statistical Reasoning, STAT 220 Statistics, BIOL 275 Biological Statistics, ECON 249 Statistics, PSYC 200 Statistics and SOCL 226 Social Statistics.
Meet Your Department Chair
Opportunities
Graduate Opportunities
The 3-2 Program in Engineering at Columbia University and the Collaborative Accelerates Master’s Program with Worcester Polytechnic Institute provides the opportunity to combine the study of statistics with training in engineering.
Beyond the Program
The statistics program at Holy Cross can be a springboard into interesting and stimulating careers in business, biomedical research and many other areas.
