Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Statistics

Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Statistics

Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Statistics, students will be able to:

  1. Apply fundamental theory in probability and statistical inference.
  2. Apply and evaluate statistical models.
  3. Apply statistical computing for data analysis and data science. 
  4. Demonstrate competency as a professional statistician.
  5. Effectively communicate as a professional statistician. 

Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Statistics

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Statistics must complete:

  • A minimum of 16 courses (49-56 credit hours, depending on course selection) to satisfy major requirements.
  • A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
  • A minimum of 11 courses (34 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
  • A maximum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) in departmental (STAT) coursework from study abroad or transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab. 

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor, or where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary

Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Statistics49-56
Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Statistics120

Degree Requirements

Core Requirements
Mathematics
MATH 101SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I3
or MATH 105 AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I
MATH 102SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II3
or MATH 106 AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II
Select 1 from the following:3 or 6
MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS
HONORS CALCULUS III
and HONORS CALCULUS IV
HONORS MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS
Select 1 course from the following:3
MATRIX ANALYSIS
MATRIX ANALYSIS FOR DATA SCIENCE
LINEAR ALGEBRA
HONORS LINEAR ALGEBRA
Statistical Computation
STAT 405R FOR DATA SCIENCE3
Basic Computing
Select 1 course from the following:3-4
INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING COMPUTATION
COMP 130
COMPUTATIONAL THINKING
ALGORITHMIC THINKING
Advanced Computing
Select 1 course from the following:3-4
INTRODUCTION TO OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND OPTIMIZATION
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
LINEAR AND INTEGER PROGRAMMING
COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE
INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAM DESIGN
PRINCIPLES OF PARALLEL PROGRAMMING
TOOLS AND MODELS FOR DATA SCIENCE
REASONING ABOUT ALGORITHMS
INTRODUCTION TO DATA SCIENCE TOOLS AND MODELS
Probability and Statistics
Select 1 course from the following:3-4
PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
HONORS PROBABILITY AND MATHEMATICAL STATISTICS
PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS FOR DATA SCIENCE
STAT 410LINEAR REGRESSION4
Elective Requirements
Select 6 elective courses from departmental (STAT) course offerings at the 300-level or above, including at least 3 courses from the following Methodology/Theory courses: 118
Methodology/Theory
ADVANCED STATISTICAL METHODS
INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL MACHINE LEARNING
PROBABILITY
STATISTICAL INFERENCE
APPLIED TIME SERIES AND FORECASTING
INTRODUCTION TO BAYESIAN INFERENCE
BIOSTATISTICS
NEURAL MACHINE LEARNING I
MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS
GLM & CATEGORICAL DATA ANALYSIS
Senior Capstone 2
Select 1 course from the following:3-4
APPLIED MACHINE LEARNING AND DATA SCIENCE PROJECTS 3
SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT
Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Statistics49-56
Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements *33-40
University Graduation Requirements *31
Total Credit Hours120

Footnotes and Additional Information 

Approved Electives

With advisor approval, up to 1 course (3-4 credit hours) from outside departmental (STAT) course offerings may be chosen to fulfill Elective Requirements. The following courses are a sample of approved electives outside Statistics (STAT), however, other courses may be approved by an advisor.

Approved Electives outside Statistics (STAT)
STOCHASTIC MODELS
INTRODUCTION TO OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND OPTIMIZATION 1
SIMULATION MODELING AND ANALYSIS
STOCHASTIC CONTROL AND APPLICATIONS
PRINCIPLES OF PARALLEL PROGRAMMING 1
TOOLS AND MODELS FOR DATA SCIENCE 1
REASONING ABOUT ALGORITHMS 1
PARALLEL COMPUTING
INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE SYSTEMS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
LARGE-SCALE MACHINE LEARNING
FUNDAMENTALS OF MEDICAL IMAGING I
NEURAL MACHINE LEARNING I
INTRODUCTION TO EFFECTIVE DATA VISUALIZATION
APPLIED MACHINE LEARNING AND DATA SCIENCE PROJECTS 2
GAME THEORY AND OTHER MICRO TOPICS FOR ECON MAJORS
GAME THEORY AND OTHER MICRO TOPICS FOR MTEC MAJORS
MATHEMATICAL ECONOMICS
ECONOMETRICS
ECONOMIC FORECASTING
ADVANCED TOPICS IN ECONOMETRICS
PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ENGINEERING
ADVANCED STATISTICAL METHODS FOR PSYCHOLOGY UNDERGRADUATES
RESEARCH SEMINAR: THE HOUSTON AREA SURVEY
DATA ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION TO SPORT ANALYTICS
ADVANCED SPORT ANALYTICS

Footnotes and Additional Information 

Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Statistics 

Program Restrictions and Exclusions

Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Statistics should be aware of the following program restrictions:

  • As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates under Declaring Majors, Minors and Certificates, students may not obtain both a BA and a BS in the same major. Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Statistics may not additionally pursue the BS Degree with a Major in Statistics.

  • Students pursuing the minor in Data Science may fulfill its requirements according to the following guidelines: i.) DSCI 301 is fulfilled by STAT 310, STAT 311, or STAT 315; ii.) DSCI 302 may be used as the STAT major's Advanced Computing elective; and iii.) DSCI 303 must be substituted with STAT 413

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s transfer credit advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities. 

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the major in Statistics should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:

  • No more than 3 courses (9 credit hours) in departmental (STAT) coursework of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the major.
  • Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis.
  • The Senior Capstone requirement may not be fulfilled by transfer credit.

Additional Information

For additional information, please see the Statistics website: https://statistics.rice.edu/.

Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Statistics 

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.

Fifth-Year Master's Degree Option for Rice Undergraduate Students 

In certain situations and with some terminal master's degree programs, Rice students have an option to pursue a master’s degree by adding an additional fifth year to their four years of undergraduate studies.

Advanced Rice undergraduate students in good academic standing typically apply to the master’s degree program during their junior or senior year. Upon acceptance, depending on course load, financial aid status, and other variables, they may then start taking some required courses of the master's degree program. A plan of study will need to be approved by the student's undergraduate major advisor and the master’s degree program director.

As part of this option and opportunity, Rice undergraduate students:

  • must complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree and the master's degree independently of each other (i.e. no course may be counted toward the fulfillment of both degrees).
  • should be aware there could be financial aid implications if the conversion of undergraduate coursework to that of graduate level reduces their earned undergraduate credit for any semester below that of full-time status (12 credit hours).
  • more information on this Undergraduate - Graduate Concurrent Enrollment opportunity, including specific information on the registration process can be found here.

Rice undergraduate students completing studies in science and engineering may have the option to pursue the Master of Statistics (MStat) degree. For additional information, students should contact their undergraduate major advisor and the MStat program director.

Internship and Research Opportunities

The Department of Statistics encourages its major and minors to participate the practice of statistics through summer internships, employment and research. Information on current opportunities are posted on the Undergraduate Programs tab of the department website. Students can also approach individual faculty about research opportunities in their group. An undergraduate advisor can talk with you about these and other possibilities. 

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Statistics website: https://statistics.rice.edu/.