BA in Statistics & Computer Science

Mathematics, statistics, and computer science are the subjects making up the mathematical and computational sciences. The joint major in Statistics & Computer Science allows students to explore all of these related disciplines. It is appropriate for Mathematics majors in the Statistics track with an interest in applications in computer science and Computer Science majors wishing to have more breadth in mathematical foundations and statistics. Statistics & Computer Science majors should have advisors in both the Mathematics & Statistics Department and the Computer Science Department, with their principal advisor being in Computer Science.

Learning Outcomes

Students completing the major in Statistics & Computer Science will have:

• In-depth knowledge in the mathematical, probabilistic, and statistical foundations.
• Programming software engineering skills.
• Ability to apply statistical analysis and modeling to reason from data in a principled manner.
• Combined theoretical and technical skills to use for real-world applications.

Hub Requirements

All BU undergraduate students, including both entering first-year and transfer students, will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, the University’s general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience. BU Hub requirements can be satisfied in a number of ways, including coursework in and beyond the major as well as through cocurricular activities. Students majoring in Statistics & Computer Science will ordinarily, through coursework in the major, satisfy BU Hub requirements in Quantitative Reasoning and some of the Intellectual Toolkit. Remaining BU Hub requirements will be satisfied by selecting from a wide range of available courses outside the major or, in some cases, cocurricular experiences.

Degree Requirements

Statistics & Computer Science major students must meet the following requirements in the lower and upper divisions:

Lower Division

• CAS CS 111 Introduction to Computer Science I
• CAS CS 112 Introduction to Computer Science  II
• CAS CS 210 Computer Systems
• CAS MA 123 Calculus and CAS MA 124 Calculus II OR one (1) of the following:
  • CAS MA 127 Enriched Calculus, CAS MA 129 Honors Calculus, or equivalent
• CAS MA 213 Introduction to Statistics
• CAS MA 214 Applied Statistics
• CAS MA 225 Multivariate Calculus
• CAS MA 242 Linear Algebra
• CAS MA 293 Discrete Mathematics OR CAS CS 131 Combinatoric Structures
• CAS MA 581 Probability⁺ OR CAS CS 237 Probability in Computing
  • ⁺CAS MA 581 preferred for higher-level statistics courses

Upper Division

• CAS CS 330 Introduction to Analysis of Algorithms
• Two (2) of the following:
  • CAS CS 320 Concepts of Programming Languages
  • CAS CS 332 Elements of the Theory of Computation
  • CAS CS 350 Fundamentals of Computing Systems
• Two (2) CS courses level 400 or above
• One (1) MA course level 200 or above in statistics or probability
• CAS MA 575 Linear Models
• CAS MA 582 Mathematical Statistics OR CAS MA 589 Computational Statistics