Electives

What's the deal with ... electives?

Every Stat major takes 8 electives as part of our program:

  • Three 400-level STAT-prefix electives, called "List A"
  • Three additional statistics-related electives, called "List B"
  • Two "Approved Support Electives"

How do I know what courses are allowed as electives?

List A and List B appear in the catalog. Notice that any course on List A is also allowed to count for List B, so if you take 4+ classes from List A, then some count toward List B.

You'll also take 8 units (typically 2 courses) of Approved Support Electives outside the major, selected in consultation with your major advisor. Your major advisor must approve your selections. Approved Support Electives must belong to the same general field (e.g., two from life sciences, or two from mathematics).

All courses on this Approved Support Electives list Download Approved Support Electives list (updated 7/17/24) are already approved by the major advisors. If you are interested in any elective courses not listed here, discuss them with your major advisor when you meet to choose your electives.

Can I "double-count" electives with a minor?

Absolutely! If you're working on a minor, some of the courses in that minor might "double-count" as electives for the major. For example, CPE 202 and 203 are required for the Data Science CDSM; those same two courses simultaneously fulfill two of your three required List B electives. 

Look at the Approved Support Electives list linked above, and see if any of those classes overlap with your minor. That's more likely for Bio, CSC, Econ, and Math minors than, say, Music or Spanish.

Talk to your major advisor for more information.

How do I decide which electives are right for me?

As always, start by working with your major advisor! One of our primary roles is to help you choose electives, based on your future interests. Some general guidance:

  • Peruse the List B electives in the catalog, as well as the Approved Support Elective list linked above, and see what interests you. If you're considering a minor, see what can "double-count."
  • You don't have to take on a minor to learn more about a subject! For instance, if you want to learn more about statistical computing but aren't interested in the full Data Science minor, check out some of the early classes in that program: CSC 202, CSC 203, and DATA 301. You can use that same strategy with other minors as well.
  • If you're thinking about pursuing a PhD, most doctoral programs expect you to have a solid foundation in higher mathematics. So, consider taking more math electives, particularly MATH 412 (Real Analysis).