Statistics

• Department Information
• Program Description
• Career Opportunities
• Preparation
• Honors in Statistics
• Major Requirements (B.S.)
• Other Degree Requirements
• Minor Requirements
• Undergraduate Courses
• Footnotes

Department Information

Department of Statistics and Biostatistics
College of Science
Office: North Science 229
Phone: (510) 885-3435

Professor Emerita
Julia A. Norton Ph.D. Harvard University
 
Professor
Eric A. Suess (Chair), Ph.D. University of California, Davis
 
Associate Professors
Lynn Eudey, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley
Shenghua (Kelly) Fan, Ph.D. University of Minnesota
Mitchell R. Watnik, Ph.D. University of California, Davis
YanYan Zhou, Ph.D. University of Maryland

Assistant Professor
Joshua D. Kerr, Ph.D. University of California, Davis

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Program Description

Statistics is the study of designing experiments and surveys, and evaluating the collected data. This rapidly growing science is widely used to make predictions about future events based on patterns observed in the past and to draw accurate inferences about large groups on the basis of a representative sample from the group. Economic forecasts and public opinion polls are examples of these kinds of statistical methods.

The methodology of statistics can be adapted to many types of problems. Due to the extensive development of computers and the collection of large databases, the need for statistical techniques has greatly expanded in the past few decades. A society like ours, which has become increasingly dependent on its data, has a growing need for statisticians.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a B.S. in Statistics from Cal State East Bay will have:

1. interpretive and basic computational skill in descriptive statistics and graphical displays; hypothesis testing and confidence intervals; modeling and error analysis;
2. the ability to communicate to others results involving descriptive statistics and graphical displays; hypothesis testing and confidence intervals; modeling and error analysis;
3. the ability to use appropriate statistical computer software and to decipher standard computer results covering descriptive statistics and graphical displays; hypothesis testing and confidence intervals; modeling and error analysis.

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Career Opportunities

• Actuary
• Biostatistician
• Business Executive
• Census Analyst
• Credit Analyst
• Data Analyst
• Economist
• Financial Modeling Specialist
• Forms Analyst
• Information Systems Analyst
• Insurance Agent
• Market Researcher
• Oddsmaker
• Quality Control Specialist
• Research Statistician
• Sales Analyst
• SAS Programmer
• Statistician
• Survey Designer
• Systems Analyst
• Teacher

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Preparation

For Advanced Placement course equivalencies, see the Registration chapter.
 
The theory of statistics rests on a mathematical foundation. Even for statisticians whose primary interest is in applications, challenging mathematical problems arise continually. Calculus and computer programming are required for the major. An elementary course in linear algebra is highly recommended.
 
Courses in areas to which statistics is applied will also be helpful. Examples are business, biology, chemistry, geography, social sciences, psychology, and physics.
 
Community college students are advised to complete the sequence of elementary calculus and analytic geometry courses before transferring to Cal State East Bay. Another excellent lower-division requirement to complete before transferring is a course in introductory computer programming.

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Honors in Statistics

Students earning a GPA of 3.6 or higher in courses comprising their major in Statistics will be awarded Honors in the degree provided the coursework applied toward the degree includes the courses listed in areas I and II below.

1. Required Courses for Honors (16 units)
   • MATH 2101 Elements of Linear Algebra (4)
   • MATH 2304 Calculus III (4)
   • MATH 3100 Linear Algebra (4) or MATH 3300 Analysis I (4)
   • STAT 3402 Introduction to Probability Theory II (4)
2. Required Honors Course (4 units)
   • STAT 4401 Introduction to Stochastic Processes (4) or STAT 4601 Regression (4) taken as a special honors course with permission of the instructor and the Director of the Honors Program.

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Major Requirements (B.S.)

Please consult an advisor in your major department for clarification and interpretation of your major requirements. The major consists of 68-77 units; the B.S. degree requires a total of 180 units.

1. Basic Requirements (16-25 units)
   • MATH 1304, Calculus I (4)
   • MATH 1305, Calculus II (4)
     [prerequisite: MATH 1300 (4) or equivalent]

   One of the following (4 units):

   • CS 1020 Introduction to Computers (4)
     or CS 1160 Introduction to Computer Science I (4)

   One of the following (4-9 units including prerequisite course):

   • STAT 3010 Statistical Methods in the Social Sciences (4) [prerequisite, STAT 1000 (5)]
     or STAT 3031 Statistical Methods in Biology (4)
     or MGMT 3100 Decision Science (4) [prerequisite, STAT 2010 (5)]
     or MATH 2101 Elements of Linear Algebra (4)
     or MATH 2304 Calculus III (4)
2. Mathematical Statistics and Probability (32 units)
   • STAT 3401 Introduction to Probability Theory I (4)
   • STAT 3502, 3503 Statistical Inference I, II (4, 4)
   • STAT 3900 Data Analysis Using Statistical Packages (4)
     or STAT 4950 Advanced Statistical Packages for Data Analysis (4)
   • STAT 4601 Regression (4)

   Any 3 of the following courses (12 units):

   • STAT 3402 Introduction to Probability Theory II (4)
   • STAT 3510 Sampling Procedures for Surveys (4)
   • STAT 3910 Statistical Software Usage (4) 
   • STAT 4910 Advanced Statistical Package Usage (4)
   • STAT 4401 Introduction to Stochastic Processes (4)
   • STAT 4515 Applied Multivariate Analysis (4)
   • STAT 4610 Introduction to Nonparametric Statistical Methods (4)
3. Area of Emphasis (20 units)
   Complete one of the following:
   1. Twenty units of approved mathematics or statistics courses in addition to those used for the requirements in Sections I and II. MATH 3100, Linear Algebra, or MATH 3300, Intermediate Analysis, should normally be included in these 20 units. These courses are especially recommended for students wishing to apply to the master's degree program in Statistics. MATH 3100 or 3300 is required for students in the departmental honors program.
   2. Twenty units of approved courses in an approved area. Areas currently approved include the following: Anthropology, Biological Science, Business/Economics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geography, Geological Sciences, History, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology. For a complete list of currently approved areas, contact the Department of Statistics and Biostatistics.
      To gain departmental approval, these courses must include at least one upper division course and be judged to constitute a coherent program of study. (With the approval of the department, upper division Statistics courses, except STAT 3010, and 3031, may be applied toward these twenty units.)

Credit/No Credit Courses

It is the policy of the department that no course taken on a "CR/NC" basis may be applied toward any of the requirements of Section II above. Individual petitions for waiver of this policy will be treated according to the same procedures as petitions to waive other degree requirements.

Double Major

A knowledge of statistical methods is of increasing importance to students in many areas, especially the physical, computing, decision, environmental, biological, political, and social sciences and administrative studies (including business, health care, and education). A second major in statistics along with a major in one of these areas may result in better preparation for employment or graduate study. The following three factors combine to make such a double major feasible in many cases:

1. The Statistics major allows for a relatively large number of completely unrestricted elective units. The student may elect courses required for the other major among these.
2. Up to twenty units in certain areas outside of Statistics may be applied toward the Statistics degree. (See Area of Emphasis requirement, III.2.)
3. Some other majors require Statistics courses that also count towards the Statistics major (e.g., STAT 3010, 3031, 3401, 3502, etc.).

To obtain an illustrative program contact the Department of Statistics and Biostatistics.

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Other Degree Requirements  

In addition to major requirements, every student must also complete the University requirements for graduation which are described in the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements chapter in the front of this catalog. These include the General Education-Breadth requirements; the second composition (ENGL 1002) requirement; the cultural groups/women requirement; the performing arts/activities requirement; the U.S. history, U.S. Constitution, and California state and local government requirement; the University Writing Skills Requirement; and the residence, unit, and grade point average requirements.

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Minor Requirements

Minor in Statistics

The minor consists of 24-25 units; six courses not involving calculus prerequisites approved for all students in the minor are as follows:

One of the following courses:

• STAT 1000 Elements of Probability and Statistics (5)
• STAT 2010 Elements of Statistics for Business and Economics (5)
• STAT 3031 Statistical Methods in Biology (4)

Five of the following:

• STAT 3010 Statistical Methods in the Social Sciences (4)
• STAT 3050 Statistics: from Data to Decisions (4)
• STAT 3510 Sampling Procedures for Surveys (4)
• STAT 3900 Data Analysis Using Statistical Packages (4)
• STAT 3910 Statistical Software Usage (4)
• STAT 4000 Analysis of Variance in the Behavioral Sciences (4)
• STAT 4515 Applied Multivariate Analysis (4)
• STAT 4601 Regression (4)
• STAT 4610 Introduction to Nonparametric Statistical Methods (4)

With the consent of a Statistics Department advisor, any upper division Statistics course with a calculus prerequisite may be substituted for any of the above courses.

Minor in Biostatistics

The minor consists of 24 units. Note that some courses require prerequisites not required in the minor.

Required Courses (16 units)

• STAT 3031 (4) and 4000 (4)
  or STAT 3502 and 3503 (8)
  (second sequence is preferred; however, it requires calculus.)
• STAT 4601 (4)
• STAT 4950 (4)

Elective courses (8 units)

Two upper division courses in statistics not included in required coursework.

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Undergraduate Courses

Information about Elementary Statistics Courses

Prerequisite: All introductory statistics courses require as a prerequisite completion of the Entry Level Math (ELM) requirement.

First Statistics Course: The courses STAT 1000/3010 form a sequence and so STAT 1000 is the appropriate first course in many cases. Biology majors should take STAT 3031 as their first Statistics course. Business and Economics majors should take STAT 2010. Sociology majors who elect to take only one Statistics course should take STAT 1000. STAT 3401, STAT 3502, and STAT 3601 may be taken with no previous background in Statistics and are open to students with the appropriate Mathematics prerequisites.

Prohibitions: Students will NOT receive credit toward graduation for both STAT 1000 and 2010. STAT 1000 may not follow any upper division Statistics course. Business and Economics majors require STAT 2010 or STAT 3502 and so must not take STAT 1000 (unless substitution of 1000/3010 for 2010 or 3502 has been approved by the major department).

Substitutions: Some departments permit students with appropriate background or interests to substitute a more advanced course or pair of courses for a course(s) specified as required in the Catalog. Get advance written permission from your department before making any of the following substitutions: 2010 for 1000; 1000/3010 for 2010; 3401/3502 for 3601; 3502 for 3031; 3502 (plus 5 elective units) for 1000/3010; 3503 for 4000.

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Footnotes

1. Refer to "Information about Elementary Statistics Courses" section at the beginning of "Undergraduate Courses."

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