Statistical Science (BA)

College of Arts and Sciences

Program Website

Program Description

The Statistical Science undergraduate major, open to students in the College of Arts and Sciences, provides an interdisciplinary academic program in the study of empirical quantitative reasoning in its biological, physical and social sciences contexts. The Statistical Science major has been designed to ensure that students have both a firm grounding in the major area and substantial depth in a particular area of application.

Admission to the Major

Prerequisites to apply for the major include a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA and grades of C or higher in the following courses to ensure foundational mathematical, computational and statistical ability:

Calculus I

  • MATH 1110 Calculus I  ​
    • Students may have this requirement waived by adequate performance in AP Calculus AB. For Statistical Science majors, Arts & Sciences requires a score of 4 or 5 in AP Calculus AB (see Advanced Placement for Calculus).
    • Students may have this requirement waived with a passing score (“S”) on the CASE Exam for MATH 1110.
    • Students may have this requirement waived if credit is earned for MATH 1110 due to adequate scores on GCE “A” level exams or IB higher-level exams (see Advanced Placement for Calculus).

Calculus II

Statistical Methods I

Adding the Statistical Science Major

First-year and sophomore students adding Statistical Science as a major must have credit in Calculus I, Calculus II and Statistical Methods I.

Juniors and seniors adding Statistical Science as a major must have credit in Calculus I, Calculus II, Statistical Methods I, Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, and Statistical Methods II.

Once in the major, all courses must be taken for a letter grade and students must earn a grade of C- or above.

Grades & Good Academic Standing

Courses required for the major must be taken for letter grades. To remain in good standing in the major, a student must have:

  • A GPA of at least 2.30 in all courses required for the major, including advanced electives.
  • Grades of C- or better in every required course. If a student receives a lower grade in a required course, the course can be retaken until a C- or better is earned, or the requirement can be satisfied by another course.

Transfer and Study Abroad Courses

Students may petition the Director of Undergraduate Studies to count transfer courses, study abroad courses and/or other relevant Cornell coursework towards core or elective requirements. Credits must be approved by the Department of Statistics and Data Science and CALS before courses can be applied towards the major.

Departmental Honors

Beginning with the December 2026 degree conferral date, Statistical Science students can earn “Honors in Statistics and Data Science” by meeting the following requirements:

  1. A cumulative GPA >= 3.50 ​
  2. Enrollment in STSCI 4990/BTRY 4990 for 3 or more credits. Through this course the student will complete Independent Research with a Statistics and Data Science faculty member, with grades of A- or better. 
  3. At least one additional STSCI course (at least 3 credit hours) at or above the 4000 level with a grade of A- or better; no seminar or 2-credit project courses.