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Statistics – Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

McCausland College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Statistics
Bulletin Year: 2026-2027

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Important: This course plan is a recommended sequence for this major. Courses designated as critical (!) may have a deadline for completion and/or affect time to graduation. Please see the program notes section for details regarding “critical courses” for this particular Program of Study.

Semester One (16-17 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
! ENGL 101 Critical Reading and Composition (CC-CMW) 3 C    
  MATH 141 Calculus 13 (CC-ARP) 4 C   C or better in MATH 112, 115, 116 or
through placement exam
  STAT 515 Statistical Methods I4 (MR) 3 C   C or higher in MATH 112, 115, 122 or 141;
or both C or better in STAT 110 or higher
and in MATH 111; or through placement exam
    Foreign language5 or other Carolina Core Req.6 (CC-GFL) 3-4      
  UNIV 101 The Student in the University
or Carolina Core Requirement6 (PR/CC)
3      

Semester Two (16 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
! ENGL 102 Rhetoric and Composition (CC-CMW, CC-INF) 3 C   C or better in ENGL 101
  MATH 142 Calculus II7 (CC-ARP) 4 C   C or better in MATH 141
  STAT 516 Statistical Methods II (MR) 3 C   C or better in STAT 515, 509, 512 or
equivalent
    Carolina Core Requirement6 (CC) 3      
    Foreign language5 or other Carolina Core Req.6 (CC-GFL) 3      

Semester Three (15-17 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
  MATH 241 Vector Calculus (CR) 3 C   C or better in MATH 142
  STAT 511 Probability (cross-listed MATH 511) (MR) 3 C   Prereq or Coreq: MATH 241
  CSCE 145 or CSCE 106 Algorithmic Design I
or Scientific Applications Programming (CR)
3-4 C   Prereq or Coreq: MATH 111 or 115 (CSCE
145 only); C or better in MATH 111 or
higher or placement score into MATH 115 or
higher (CSCE 106 only)
    Foreign language5 or Carolina Core Req.(CR/CC) 3      
    Carolina Core Requirement6 (CC) 3-4      

Semester Four (15 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
  STAT 512 Math. Statistics (offered spring &
summer only) (MR)
3 C   C or better in STAT/MATH 511
    STAT Major Elective8 (500-level or above) (MR) 3 C    
    Social Science (CR) 3      
    History9 (CR) 3      
    Carolina Core Requirement6 (CC) 3      

Semester Five (15-16 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
    STAT Major Elective8 (500-level or above) (MR) 3 C    
  STAT 540 Computing in Statistics (offered fall only)
or STAT Major Elective8 (500-level or above) (MR)
3 C   C or better in STAT 301, 515, 509, 512, or
equiv. (STAT 540 only)
    Carolina Core Requirement6 (CC) 3-4      
    Carolina Core Requirement6 or Elective10 (CC/PR) 3      
    Carolina Core Requirement6 or Elective10 (CC/PR) 3      

Semester Six (15 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
    STAT Major Elective8 (500-level or above)
(or STAT 542 Computing for Data Science—offered
spring only—if STAT 540 not taken in sem. 5) (MR)
3 C   C or better in STAT 301, 509, 515, or equiv.
(STAT 542 only)
  ENGL 363 or ENGL 462 or ENGL 463 Introduction to Professional Writing
or Technical Writing
or Business Writing (CR)
3 C   ENGL 101 & 102
    Elective10 (PR) 3      
    Elective10 (PR) 3      
    Elective10 (PR) 3      

Semester Seven (12 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
    STAT Major Elective8 (500-level or above) (MR) 3 C    
  MATH 344 Applied Linear Algebra1 (PR)  3 C   C or better in MATH 142
    Elective10 (PR) 3      
    Elective10 (PR) 3      

Semester Eight (14 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
    Elective10 (PR) 3      
    Elective10  (PR) 3      
    Elective10 (PR) 3      
    Elective10 (PR) 3      
    Elective10 (PR) 2      

Graduation Requirements Summary

Minimum Total Hours Minimum Major Requirements Hours College and Program Requirements Hours Carolina Core Hours Minimum Institutional GPA
120 27 47-59 34-46 2.000
  1. Regardless of individual course grades, students must maintain a minimum 2.000 cumulative GPA.
  2. Some colleges require a minimum GPA for major courses. Courses indicated in this column are included in the major GPA for this program of study.
  3. Students who place into MATH 115 should take it in their first semester and take MATH 141 in the second semester. Students who place into MATH 111 should take it in their first semester and take MATH 115 in their second semester and MATH 141 in the summer or in their third semester. Students who place into MATH 141 and have no previous STAT course will take STAT 515 in the second semester.
  4. Students who do not satisfy the prerequisites for STAT 515 should take STAT 201, 205, or 206 as an elective in the first semester (if they meet the prerequisites for one of them and don't already have credit for any of them) and STAT 515 in the second semester. Students who do not satisfy the prerequisites for any of STAT 201, 205, 206, or 515 should take STAT 110 as an elective in their first semester and STAT 515 in the second.
  5. Students in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences are required to demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the 122 course through course credit or the corresponding foreign language placement score.
  6. The Carolina Core provides the common core of knowledge, skill and academic experience for all Carolina undergraduate students.
  7. If MATH 142 is not taken by the second semester, then it must be taken over the summer.
  8. Select four courses from STAT 500 or above, at least one of which must be selected from STAT 513, 517, 520 or 535, which are the options of the Carolina Core integrative course for the Statistics major.
    1. A student with an additional major in Mathematics may use STAT 511 [=MATH 511] to satisfy a major requirement in both programs.
    2. Major credit will be given for only one of STAT 509 or STAT 515. Neither STAT 509 nor STAT 515 may be taken concurrently with, or after, STAT 513. A student who has started the Statistics major after taking STAT 512 may replace the STAT 509/STAT 515 requirement with an additional 3-hour Major Elective course chosen from STAT 500 or above.
    3. A student with an additional major in Economics (in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences) may use the combination of both ECON 436 and STAT 506 in place of the combination of both STAT 516 and one of the STAT 500 or above Major Elective courses for the Statistics major. In this case ECON 436 may satisfy a major requirement in both programs. ECON 436 and STAT 516 may not both be used to satisfy major requirements in Statistics.
    4. Whichever of STAT 540 or STAT 542 was not used as a Major Course may be used as a Major Elective.
  9. The McCausland College of Arts and Sciences requires one U.S. History and one non-U.S. History course, both of which must be chosen from the approved Carolina Core GHS courses. Whichever is not fulfilled through the Carolina Core GHS requirement must be fulfilled through this college requirement.
  10. No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. The McCausland College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences.
  11. Students who have previously completed MATH 544 will not be required to take MATH 344.

Program Notes

  • Courses identified as “critical” must be completed in the student’s first 60 semester hours of work in order for these courses to be credited toward graduation.
  • All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade that covers the founding documents. This course may fulfill any requirement in the program of study. Courses that meet this requirement are listed in the academic bulletin.
  • To be retained in the program, a student must obtain a grade of C or higher in at most two attempts in all mathematics, computer science, and statistics courses required for graduation.
  • The last 30 credit hours toward your degree must be earned in residence at the University of South Carolina-Columbia.

Code Definitions

University Requirements: Bachelor’s degree-seeking students must meet Carolina Core (general education) requirements.

Code Definition
CC Carolina Core
CC-AIU Carolina Core – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding
CC-ARP Carolina Core – Analytical Reasoning and Problem-Solving
CC-CMS Carolina Core – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component
CC-CMW Carolina Core – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written Component
CC-GFL Carolina Core – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language
CC-GHS Carolina Core – Historical Thinking
CC-GSS Carolina Core – Social Sciences
CC-INF Carolina Core – Information Literacy
CC-INT Carolina Core – Integrative Course
CC-SCI Carolina Core – Scientific Literacy
CC-VSR Carolina Core – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility
CR College Requirement
MR Major Requirement
PR Program Requirement

Disclaimer: Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.


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