What Is Statistics?

Statistics is the science of making decisions in the face of uncertainty. Statisticians design experiments and surveys to answer important questions in business, education, government, and science. They then collect, analyze, and interpret this data.

Employment After Graduation

Statisticians are in great demand and work in various settings. Salaries and working conditions are excellent. Statisticians evaluate the safety and efficacy of new drugs for pharmaceutical companies. Insurance companies use statisticians to estimate the risks of life, health care, and casualty events. Conducting the Federal census and estimating the inflation rate are two of many tasks done by government statisticians. Industrial statisticians design experiments to improve manufacturing processes and to maintain quality. Market research companies use statisticians to improve the efficiency of their mass mailing campaigns. Statisticians develop credit scoring algorithms for financial service companies. Educational testing companies use statisticians to measure the validity of standardized test questions. And these are only some of the places statisticians work. Download a PowerPoint presentation on statistics careers.

Statistics Faculty

The Department's 15 faculty members are well-known for teaching and research excellence. They have won University, state, and national teaching awards and six are Fellows of the American Statistical Association. We also have 7 adjunct faculty members whose primary appointment is in another department or institution. Individual attention is the norm. Click here to learn more about the faculty.

Undergraduate Bulletin

The Undergraduate Bulletin lists degree requirements, course descriptions, academic regulations, and other important information.

Majoring in Statistics

The B.S. in Statistics degree program requires 128 credit hours. In addition to general education requirements, you will take applied and mathematical statistics, calculus and other mathematics courses, computer science, 12 hours in a cognate field, technical writing, and numerous electives. A second major or a minor can be done in place of the cognate.

There are three options under the B.S. in Statistics degree program: the General Major, the Major with Emphasis in Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics, and the Intensive Major. The Major with Emphasis in Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics is designed for students planning a career as an actuary. The Intensive Major is designed for students planning on graduate study in statistics.

A complete listing of the degree requirements can be found in the Statistics section of the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Accelerated B.S./M.S. Program

Students with considerable credit from Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate Diploma Exams can complete both the B.S. and M.S. in five years. Interested students should discuss the accelerated program with their academic advisor.

Double Majors and Minor

It is possible to major in statistics and and to have a second major or a minor in many other fields at USC. A second major or a minor replaces the cognate requirement for the B.S. in Statistics degree. Students considering a second major or a minor should make their advisor aware of this fact as soon as possible.

Minoring in Statistics

A Minor in Statistics consists of 18 hours of 500-level statistics courses. Minor credit will be given for at most one of STAT 509 and STAT 515. Students need to register for the Statistics Minor in the College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Office, Room 108 in the Physical Sciences Center.

Campus Tours

You can arrange a campus tour through the Visitor Center web site. Please ask to meet with a Department of Statistics faculty member as part of your tour.

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Scholarships and Financial Aid

USC offers excellent scholarships and financial aid. Many of these scholarships allow out-of-state students to pay in-state tuition. Qualified South Carolina residents can also receive state scholarships. Scholarships are administered by the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Credit For Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Diploma Exams

Students receiving at least a 3 on the AP Statistics Exam can receive 3 semester hours of credit for STAT 201. A complete list of credit for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Exams can be downloaded.

Students who score sufficiently high on USC's Foreign Language Placement Exam can receive foreign language credit provided that they make at least a B in the next higher class in that language.

South Carolina Honors College

USC has an excellent Honors College. Students in the South Carolina Honors College have small classes with some of the University's best faculty and students.

Applying to USC

Information about applying to USC and an on-line application form is found at the Undergraduate Admissions web site.

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University Housing

USC has a large number of residence halls. See the University Housing web site for details.

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