The Department of Statistics offers a Statistical Science Bachelor’s/Master's pathway. Undergraduate students in certain majors can apply to the pathway in order to earn a B.S. degree in their own major together with an M.S. degree in Statistical Science. Approved programs are:
- B.S. in Applied Physics, Astrophysics, or Physics
- B.S. in Computer Science
- B.S. in Economics/Mathematics
- B.A. in Mathematics (Pure Math and Computational)
Sample planners for the pathway are available through the Baskin Engineering Graduate Affairs Office website. Qualified undergraduates from other undergraduate majors may also apply to the pathway and their applications will be considered on a case by case basis.
Depending on the student’s progress, the B.S./M.S. pathway can be completed in five years.
Admission Requirements and Process
The requirements for admission into the 4+1 pathway are: (1) a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or more; (2) to have taken, or to have a plan to take, foundational coursework in univariate and multivariate calculus, linear algebra, introductory statistics, and programming; and (3) to have completed both STAT 131 and STAT 132 with an A- or above. (Please see Course Requirements section below for details.)
Interested students should schedule a meeting with the STAT graduate director to discuss their curriculum plan and fill the application form. The ultimate deadline for application to the pathway is the end of their junior year (ninth quarter of study at UC Santa Cruz), although students are encouraged to apply significantly earlier, ideally at the same time as their major declaration.
All students who apply to the pathway will be admitted into it, provided they satisfy the requirements. However, approval of an undergraduate student into a five-year bachelor’s/master’s path does not automatically guarantee admission into the one-year master’s program.
Students apply for admission into the M.S. program during their senior year using the same procedure and timeline as all other applicants to the program, and they will be considered for the M.S. program along with regular applicants. The pathway assists qualified enrolled students with a simplified graduate application process that does not require students to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. This will be made clear to students admitted into the pathway, as early as possible.