Undergraduate Programs

Statistics is the art and science of study design and data analysis. Probability theory is the mathematical foundation for the study of statistical methods and for the modeling of random phenomena. The Statistics major builds on a foundation in probability and statistical theory to provide practical training in statistical methods, study design, and data analysis. The Statistics major is an appropriate background for graduate work, including doctoral studies in statistics, social science, public health, genetics, health policy, epidemiology, marketing, opinion polling, economics, finance and banking, government, drug development, and insurance.

The Department offers three undergraduate survey courses: STAT W1001 is designed for students from non-mathematical disciplines; STAT 1111 is designed for students with some mathematical maturity, but who have not taken calculus; W1211 is designed for students who have an understanding of the calculus. Students considering the major should choose W1111 or W1211 rather than W1001.

Three units of credit is given for the AP Statistics exam passed with a score of 5. Students required for their major to take STAT W1111 or W1001 should check with their major advisor to determine if this credit provides exemption from those courses.

Requirements

For a Major in Statistics

Statistics Major and Concentration Advising:

Daniel Rabinowitz; 1014 SSW; 851-2141; dan@stat.columbia.edu

The major should be planned with the director of undergraduate studies as early as possible. Courses in which the grade of D has been received do not count towards the major. The requirements for the major are as follows:

  1. One of STAT W1001, W1111, or W1211.
  2. MATH V1101.
  3. STAT W3103.
  4. STAT W3105, W3107, and W3315.
  5. An approved set of five electives chosen from Statistics Department offerings. Examples of approved elective sequences include (but are not limited to) the following.
    1. For a student preparing for a career in actuarial science
    2. For a student preparing for a career in finance
    3. For a student preparing for applications in the health sciences, five of
    4. For a student preparing for quantitative research in the social sciences, five of
    5. For a student preparing for quantitative research in the biological sciences, five of
    6. For a student preparing for graduate study in statistics
    7. For a student seeking training in applied statistics and data mining

Students may replace STAT W1001, W1111, or W1211 with PSYC W1610.  Students may replace STAT W3103 with MATH V1102, MATH V2010, and one of COMS W1003, W1004, W1005, or W1007.  Students may replace STAT W3105 with W4105, STAT W3107 with W4107, and STAT W3315 with W4315 or W4440, and students may replace STAT W3105 and W3107 with the combined course STAT W4109.  Students preparing for a career in actuarial science may replace STAT W4315 with W4440, and should discuss with the Director of Undergraduate studies how to include in their study plan additional courses approved for Validation by Education Experience by the Society or Actuaries.  Students may replace up to two statistics electives with approved advance mathematics electives; students preparing for graduate study in Statistics should consider MATH W4061 and W4062.

For a Concentration in Statistics

Statistics Major and Concentration Advising:

Daniel Rabinowitz; 1014 SSW; 851-2141; dan@stat.columbia.edu

Courses in which the grade of D has been received do not count towards the major. The requirements for the concentration are as follows.

  1. One of STAT W1001, W1111, or W1211.
  2. STAT W2024, W2025, W2026, and W3026.
  3. STAT W3997

Students may replace courses required for the concentration by approved Statistics Department offerings numbered above 4200.  MATH V1101 and one of COMS W1003, W1004, W1005, or W1007 are recommended.

For a Major in Mathematics-Statistics

Mathematics-Statistics Major Advising:

Mathematics: Patrick Gallagher, 411 Mathematics; (212) 854-4346; pxg@math.columbia.edu

Statistics: Daniel Rabinowitz, 1014 SSW; (212) 851-2141; dan@stat.columbia.edu

The program is designed to prepare the student for: (1) a possible career in industries that require a high level of mathematical sophistication and a substantial knowledge of probability and statistics, such as finance and insurance; (2) graduate study in various quantitative fields. In this direction, the major offers components in mathematics and statistics together with electives in finance, operations research, computer science, and other quantitative fields. Students who aim toward graduate work may prefer to take electives in mathematics and statistics.

All required and elective courses must be passed with a grade of C– or better to count toward the major.

This program requires a minimum of 41 points: at least 14 points in mathematics, 15 points in statistics, 3 points in computer science, and 9 points in electives as follows:

  1. Mathematics:

For a Major in Economics-Statistics

Economics-Statistics Major Advising:

Economics: Susan Elmes, 1006 IAB; (212) 854-2194 se5@olumbia.edu

Statistics: Daniel Rabinowitz, 1014 SSW; (212) 851-2141 dan@stat.columbia.edu

The major in economics and statistics provides students with a grounding in economic theory comparable to that provided by the general economics major, yet additionally exposes students to a significantly more rigorous and extensive statistics training than is provided by the general major. This program is recommended for students with strong quantitative skills and for those students who are contemplating graduate studies in economics.

Two advisers are assigned for the interdepartmental major, one in the Department of Economics and one in the Department of Statistics. Please note that the economics adviser can only advise on the economics requirements and the statistics adviser can only advise on the statistics requirements.

The economics-statistics major requires a total of 53 points: 23 in economics, 15 points in statistics, 12 points in mathematics, and 3 points in computer science as follows:

  1. Economics core courses (13 points)
  2. Economics electives (6 points)
    • Two electives at the 3000 level or above, of which no more than one may be a Barnard course
  3. Mathematics (12 points)

For a Major in Political Science–Statistics

Political Science—Statistics Major Advising:

Political Science: Robert Shapiro, 726 IAB; (212) 854-3944; rys2@columbia.edu

Statistics: Daniel Rabinowitz, 1014 SSW; (212) 851-2141; dan@stat.columbia.edu

The interdisciplinary major of political science—statistics is designed for students who desire an understanding of political science to pursue advanced study in this field and who also wish to have at their command a broad range of sophisticated statistical tools to analyze data related to social science and public policy research.

Students should be aware of the rules regarding the use of the Pass/D/Fail option. Courses in which a grade of D has been received do not count toward the major requirements.

Political science–statistics students are eligible for all prizes reserved for political science majors.

The major requires a minimum of 48 points, distributed as follows:

  1. Mathematics (9 points):
  2. Computer Science (3 points):
  3. Statistics (12 points):
  4. Political Science (21 points):
    • Introductory courses (one of which must be taken):
    • 6 points in the same subfield as the intro course
    • A 4-point political science seminar in that subfield
  5. POLS W4910
  6. POLS W4911
  7. An elective in a quantitatively oriented course, approved by an undergraduate adviser, in statistics or a social science (e.g., political science, anthropology, sociology)