Frequently Asked Questions

Statistics Major and Minor 

  • How do I declare statistics as my major?/ How do I add statistics as my second major?
  • Find out the requirements to change your major/double major on  the Change of Major page.  
  • How do I declare my major track?
  • The BS degree program in Statistics has five different major tracks (Applied Statistics, Computational Statistics, General Statistics, Machine Learning, and Statistical Data Science).  Tracks are designated emphases that will be noted on your transcript upon graduation.  Each of these tracks have different course requirements, so you will need to decide which track to follow early on in your undergraduate education and plan carefully. Your track is not formally 'declared' until graduation and your advisor will select your major track for you.
  • I am interested in the Applied Statistics option; how can I get courses approved for the non-statistics electives?
  • The department has some classes that are pre-approved to be used as electives. They can be found here for the BS and here for the AB. If you want to take a course this is not already on these lists please complete the major modification request form.
  • How do I petition for a modification to the statistics major course requirements?
  • You may petition to the faculty advisor for a modification to the major course requirements provided that you have a compelling reason.  To petition, please complete the major modification request form.
  • I am interested in the General Statistics track; how do I choose and get approval of an elective course?  
  • The department has some classes that are pre-approved to be used as electives. They can be found here. If you want to take a course this is not already on this list please complete the major modification request form. 
  • Can I take courses for my Statistics major P/NP?

  • Courses used for the Statistics major can be taken P/NP. The deadline to make courses P/NP in Schedule Builder is the 40th day of instruction. As long as you receive a P, the course can be used to fulfill your major requirement and the course will fulfill any future prerequisites. If you elect to make a course P/NP, you will receive a P if you have a C- or higher and you will receive a NP if you have a D+ or lower.  If you are a double major and are planning to use a course to satisfy another requirement as well, please check if your other major and/or college has P/NP restrictions. In the College of Letters and Science there are only limits on how many units can be taken P/NP overall. You can find out more about the P/NP restrictions here.   

    Department Recommendations
    The decision to make a course P/NP is a personal one.  Although you can meet with an advisor to discuss your decision and options, you will ultimately need to make the best decision for yourself. Below are a few things to consider to help you make the best decision for you. 

    -The Department of Statistics does not recommend you take a majority of your major courses P/NP.  Even if you make a major course P/NP, you are still responsible for a strong understanding of the material.  It is better to create a balanced schedule with courses you are prepared to take rather than taking a difficult schedule and relying on P/NP.

    -If you think it is highly likely that you will fail the course, making the course P/NP can have some limited benefits. If you receive a NP, you will not receive units for the course, but it will also not impact your GPA. You will also have more flexibility when repeating the course as you can choose to repeat the course for a letter grade or P/NP. This is not the case if you need to repeat a course in which you received a letter grade. You can learn more about repeat policies here.  You can also learn more about how a NP or F may impact academic standing due to GPA and/or minimum progress issues here.  You should consult with an advisor if you think you are in danger of not meeting the standards for good academic standing. 

    -Talk to your instructor. If you are concerned about your performance in a class, talk to your instructor about how best to get back on track. They may also be able to give insight into how your performance so far will impact your ultimate grade in the class due to the class curve, exam weights, historical student performance, etc.

    -If you are planning to attend a graduate program in the future, you should research the admissions requirements for the institutions you are interested in applying to. Admissions committees want to see that you have an overall strong background in the field and some may have admission prerequisites that must be taken for a letter grade.  It is typically best to take a majority of relevant courses for a letter grade so admissions committees have a better understanding of how prepared you are for their graduate program. 

    -Talk to your advisors. If your performance in a class or multiple classes is being negatively impacted by a serious personal issue, your mental or physical health, etc. there may be other options you may be eligible to receive including a late drop, an incomplete, a late P/NP, etc.  You can learn about the late drop and late P/NP policies in the College of Letters and Science here.

    -Additional questions to ask yourself:

    --What grade do you think you will receive? 
    --How will this course impact your GPA if you don’t make it P/NP?
    --Will making this course P/NP allow you to spend more time on your other courses?
    --Are there other factors outside of class impacting your performance in the course? 
    --Have you talked to your instructor? Or other support resources?
    --How will making this course P/NP actually impact my workload?

  • Can I take courses for my Statistics minor P/NP?
  • Courses used for the statistics minor can be taken P/NP.  Not all courses for the minor can be taken P/NP because you need a minimum 2.00 GPA in all of the classes used for the minor. You should also check your college and major requirements to make sure they have no restrictions on taking courses P/NP. 
  • How do I know if I have completed all the coursework required of my major?
  • The Statistics Staff Advisor can complete an official Degree Check for your major requirements.  Please email them at stat-advising@ucdavis.edu or schedule an appointment.  You can also complete an unofficial check online using the Degree Worksheets tool on OASIS.  The degree worksheets should not replace seeking verification from the statistics staff advisor.  Check in about the completion of major requirements early and often. You can find out more about how to contact your advisors here. 
  • How do I know if I have met all non-major requirements (GE, University, & College requirements) for graduation?
  • In addition to your major requirements, to be eligible for graduation, an undergraduate student must meet all GE, university, and college requirements. You can request an official Degree Check from the College of Letters and Science using this form.  You can also view your remaining requirements on My Degree, but My Degree should not replace receiving an official check or consulting with your Letters and Science advisors.  

Data Science Major

  •  What are the requirements for the Data Science major?
  • The requirements for the Data Science major can be viewed on the Statistics Department webpage or the General Catalog.  
  • How do I declare Data Science as my major?
  • The Data Science major will only be open to continuing students through a lottery. Find out the requirements to change your major/double major on the Change of Major page.  
  • Is the Data Science major the same as the Statistical Data Science Track?
  • No. The Department of Statistics houses two separate majors:  Data Science and Statistics.  The Statistics major has several different track options including a Statistical Data Science Track. The Data Science major has one track, the Foundations Track.  Students can either major in Data Science (Foundations Track) or Statistics (Statistical Data Science Track).  Students should look carefully at the different requirements for each of these programs to decide which would be best for their goals and timelines.  
  • Is there a minor in Data Science?
  • No.  The Departments of Statistics offers one minor program in Statistics.  

    In addition to Statistics, other minors that may interest you are: Data in Society, Mathematics, Computer Science, Computational Biology, Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics, Geographic Information Systems, Accounting, and Technology Management. Find out about all these and more on the UC Davis minors page.
  • Can I double major in Statistics and Data Science?
  • No.  It is not possible to be a double major in Statistics and Data Science.  
  • Can I double major in Computer Science or Computer Science Engineering and Data Science?
  • No.  It is not possible to be a double major in Computer Science or Computer Science Engineering and Data Science. 

    If you are a Computer Science major and would like to double major, other similar majors you may want to consider are: Mathematical Analytics and Operations Research, Statistics-Statistical Data Science Track, and Statistics-Machine Learning Track. 
  • Can I major in Data Science and minor in Statistics?
  • No.  It is not possible to minor in Statistics if you are a Data Science major. 
  • Can I take courses for my Data Science major P/NP?

  • Courses used for the Data Science major can be taken P/NP. The deadline to make courses P/NP in Schedule Builder is the 40th day of instruction. As long as you receive a P, the course can be used to fulfill your major requirement and the course will fulfill any future prerequisites. If you elect to make a course P/NP, you will receive a P if you have a C- or higher and you will receive a NP if you have a D+ or lower.  If you are a double major and are planning to use a course to satisfy another requirement as well, please check if your other major and/or college has P/NP restrictions. In the College of Letters and Science there are only limits on how many units can be taken P/NP overall. You can find out more about the P/NP restrictions here.   

    Note: For students that are not yet a declared Data Science major, please remember that the lottery eligibility requirements must be taken for a letter grade. 

    Department Recommendations
    The decision to make a course P/NP is a personal one.  Although you can meet with an advisor to discuss your decision and options, you will ultimately need to make the best decision for yourself. Below are a few things to consider to help you make the best decision for you. 

    -The Department of Statistics does not recommend you take a majority of your major courses P/NP.  Even if you make a major course P/NP, you are still responsible for a strong understanding of the material.  It is better to create a balanced schedule with courses you are prepared to take rather than taking a difficult schedule and relying on P/NP.

    -If you think it is highly likely that you will fail the course, making the course P/NP can have some limited benefits. If you receive a NP, you will not receive units for the course, but it will also not impact your GPA. You will also have more flexibility when repeating the course as you can choose to repeat the course for a letter grade or P/NP. This is not the case if you need to repeat a course in which you received a letter grade. You can learn more about repeat policies here.  You can also learn more about how a NP or F may impact academic standing due to GPA and/or minimum progress issues here.  You should consult with an advisor if you think you are in danger of not meeting the standards for good academic standing. 

    -Talk to your instructor. If you are concerned about your performance in a class, talk to your instructor about how best to get back on track. They may also be able to give insight into how your performance so far will impact your ultimate grade in the class due to the class curve, exam weights, historical student performance, etc.

    -If you are planning to attend a graduate program in the future, you should research the admissions requirements for the institutions you are interested in applying to. Admissions committees want to see that you have an overall strong background in the field and some may have admission prerequisites that must be taken for a letter grade.  It is typically best to take a majority of relevant courses for a letter grade so admissions committees have a better understanding of how prepared you are for their graduate program. 

    -Talk to your advisors. If your performance in a class or multiple classes is being negatively impacted by a serious personal issue, your mental or physical health, etc. there may be other options you may be eligible to receive including a late drop, an incomplete, a late P/NP, etc.  You can learn about the late drop and late P/NP policies in the College of Letters and Science here.

    -Additional questions to ask yourself:

    --What grade do you think you will receive? 
    --How will this course impact your GPA if you don’t make it P/NP?
    --Will making this course P/NP allow you to spend more time on your other courses?
    --Are there other factors outside of class impacting your performance in the course? 
    --Have you talked to your instructor? Or other support resources?
    --How will making this course P/NP actually impact my workload?

Courses and Registration

  • How do I receive a PTA number for my Statistics course?
  • Please view our department PTA Policy.
  • How do I know in which quarter a STA course will be offered?
  • Before Schedule Builder publishes the detailed schedules for the upcoming terms, tentative course schedules for the upcoming academic year can be found on the Statististics Department's courses page.  
  • How do I know if a course at another institution is equivalent to a statistics course at UC Davis?
  • ASSIST is a comprehensive on-line course articulation system for most California community colleges with University of California. Search ASSIST to see if a lower-division course at a California community college is equivalent to a course at UC Davis. If you plan to take a statistics course at another UC campus, private institutions, or out-of-state institutions, please submit your equivalency request using this form. Your course information will be evaluated by faculty and you will be notified of the result via e-mail. 
  • How do I earn academic credits for special study, independent study, or internships in statistics?
  • Internship Units (STA 192)
    Students wishing to receive internship credit (STA 192) for an internship opportunity related to Statistics must complete the internship credit request form.  This form will be evaluated by the Statistics faculty advisor. 

    Others (STA 99X, 98, 99, 190X, 194HA-194HB, 198, 199)
    Students who wish to enroll in STA 99X, 98, 99, 190X, 194HA-194HB, 198, 199 must first identify and contact a faculty person whose academic expertise is related to their proposed project. If the faculty person agrees to sponsor the student’s research or special study project, the student and the faculty sponsor together fill out a Course Contract. The course contracts are agreements between faculty and students and serve as written verification of the faculty person’s consent to sponsor the student for academic unit credit. Completed contracts should then be submitted to the staff advisor.  PLEASE NOTE:  Completion of the contract does not guarantee that you will be eligible for enrollment in the course.  Additional eligibility requirements may need to be determined based on university requirements and department policies.

Opportunities & Post-Grad

  • I am considering graduate school in Statistics, which statistics program track should I choose?
  • The B.S. General Track is recommended if you plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Statistics.  This track combines the study of statistics and mathematics, which provides more advanced theoretical grounding for a Ph.D. program in Statistics. The coursework in real analysis is particularly recommended. If you plan to pursue an M.S. in Statistics, the B.S. General Track, B.S. Computational Track, B.S Machine Learning Track and B.S. Statistical Data Science Track all provide adequate preparation.  The B.S. Applied Track may also be sufficient depending on the focus of the program.  

    If your graduate school focus is in another field, the A.B. or any of the B.S.  tracks would be appropriate. Ultimately, it is important to do your own research in regards to the required preparation for the graduate program in which you are interested.  These recommendations are only general guidelines.  If you have an interest in graduate study in Statistics (Ph.D. or M.S.), you are encouraged to meet with the statistics faculty advisor to discuss your interests. You should also utilized the additional workshops and resources at the UC Davis Pre-Grad/Law Advising Office.
  • How can I find internship or employment opportunities?
  • The Internship and Career Center should be your first resource on campus. Register at their website to receive updates about job listings, upcoming career fairs, and recruitment fairs. You can also schedule an appointment to meet a career counselor to explore your career options. Broaden your internship and job search by focusing on the skills and qualifications the companies and organizations are looking for, rather than the specific job titles. The Department of Statistics website also has both Statistics Career Resources and Internship pages. You should also network with your peers and professors in the department - you would be surprised at the great insights you may gain from these relationships.
  • I am interested in becoming an actuary. Is there a degree in actuarial science at UC Davis?
  • At UC Davis, we don’t offer a program in actuarial science, but having an educational background in statistics, mathematics, or economics provides good preparation for the actuarial profession. Your curriculum should include calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics, computer science, and economics. For more information, please visit Preparing for an Actuarial Career While in College.

    Starting Fall 2023, UC Davis also has a student run Actuarial Science Association again. They regularly host alumni events, workshops, and mentorship opportunities. They also hold exam prep courses for the P and FM exams throughout the year. Check out their website and fill out an interest form if you are interested in pursuing an actuarial field.