1. College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  2. Statistical Data Science

Statistical Data Science

The Statistical Data Science major gives students a broad training in the following core areas of data science: computer programming and data management, basic and advanced data analysis, data visualization, and data ethics. Students with this major obtain a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. The major can be tailored for a student’s interest in a domain concentration.

For a Statistical Data Science major that leads to a Bachelor of Science degree, students must take STAT 1000Q or 1100Q (STAT 1100Q is recommended over STAT 1000Q) and one of the following MATH sequences: MATH 1131Q (or 1151Q) and 1132Q (or 1152Q); or MATH 2141Q and 2142Q. In addition, B.S. majors must also take one of the following: MATH 2110Q or 2130Q or 2210Q or 2410Q or 2420Q.

B.S. students must take one of the following science sequences in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics that include laboratory measurements:

One of these courses may be used to fulfill the CA 3 lab requirement of the University’s general education requirements. In addition, students must take one other CA 3 course from a different subject area, but it need not be a lab course.

In order to apply to the Statistical Data Science major, students must have:

  • A GPA of 3.2 or higher in the following classes: MATH 1132Q, STAT 1000Q/1100Q, and an introductory programming course (CSE 1010, 1729, or STAT 2255).
  • completed at least 24 credits, 15 of which must be at the University of Connecticut, with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.

After entry into the majors, students must maintain a 3.2 cumulative GPA.

Students receiving a B.S. in Statistical Data Science are required to take 36 major credits, with one or more courses in each of the core areas, a nine-credit domain concentration sequence, STAT 3255 and 4915 (capstone)†. To satisfy the information literacy competency and writing in the major requirement, Statistical Data Science majors must also take STAT 4916W†.

Core Area Requirements:

  1. Programming and data management: One course (three credits): STAT 2255.
  2. Basic Data Analysis: Two courses (six credits): STAT 3025Q or 3375Q* or MATH 3160; STAT 3215Q.
  3. Data Ethics: One course (three credits): PHIL 3202.
  4. Data Visualization: One course (at least three credits): STAT 3675Q* or GEOG 3510 or EEB 4100**.
  5. Advanced analysis: Two courses (six credits): MATH 2210Q; STAT 4255.

†Students completing a Biological Data Science domain may take any of the following to meet the capstone and W requirement: (i) STAT 4915, 4916W, (ii) EEB 4896W, or (iii) MCB 4897W. Credits in EEB 4896W cannot simultaneously count towards both an Honors thesis in EEB and a Data Science capstone.

*Students completing a Statistics domain concentration must take STAT 3375Q and 3675Q to meet these requirements.

**Recommended for students completing the Biological Data Science domain concentration.

To complete the domain concentration sequence, students must take at least nine credits from one of the following groups:

Advanced Statistics: STAT 3445 and two of the following: STAT 3515Q, 4625, 4825, 4845, 4190***.

*** At least and no more than three credits of STAT 4190 may count towards the major and must be pre-approved by the Department of Statistics for adequate data science content.

American Political Institutions: three of the following: POLS 3600, 3601, 3603WQ, 3604, 3606.

American Political Representation: three of the following: POLS 2607, 3608W, 3612, 3617, 3618, 3625.

Biological Data Science: three of the following: EEB 3899‡, 5050, 5300, 5348, 5349; MCB 3421, 3637, 4008, 4009, 4014, 5430, 5472, 5631, 4896‡.

Students can choose any three courses‡ from the list above based on availability, however, interested students might consider choosing subsets of courses from the list above that align with established sub-areas:

  • Genome sequencing and analysis: EEB 5300; MCB 3637, 5430.
  • Phylogenetics and evolution: EEB 5348, 5349; MCB 3421, 5472.
  • Ecological analyses: EEB 5050, 5348; MCB 5631.
  • Molecular structure and function: MCB 4008, 4009, 4014.

‡Only three credits of either EEB 3899 or MCB 4896 can count towards the major, and these credits cannot simultaneously count towards another major or degree.

Financial Analysis: three of the following: ECON 3313, 3315, 3413, 4323.

Marine Science: three of the following: MARN 3001, 3002, 3014, 4001, 4210Q.

Population Dynamics: three of the following: SOCI 2110/W,  2651/W, 2660/W, 2820/W, 2901/W, 3971/W.