Department of Statistics

Statistics is the science of gleaning insights from data. With the increasing relevance of data, studying statistics and data science empowers you to solve problems in health sciences, business, government, technology and more.

Statisticians and data scientists use creative approaches to solve problems in the physical and natural sciences, medicine and healthcare, social science, politics, business and economics, government, sports, technology and many more fields.

You can explore your interests and start solving real-world problems through applied statistics. You can also contribute to the field through research to develop new methods and tools to work with data and explore the mathematical foundations of statistics.

Flexible paths to study statistics

Our program offers multiple options for students earning degrees in statistics. Take our general major or add a concentration to prepare for a career as an actuary. Statistics also makes an ideal double major or minor for students in fields such as health sciences, business, political science and more. We also offer two advanced degrees.

Build community beyond the classrooms

Our department is always sharing ideas. Whether it’s through student clubs and organization or from the guest speakers we invite to present on campus, you have options to explore your interests in statistics. We encourage students at all levels to gain hands-on experiences through research.

Employment in fields like statistics and data science is expected to grow significantly over the next decade, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Get experience in data science

The fields of data science and big data analytics are heating up as companies realize the importance of learning from large data sets. You can benefit from our partnership with USC’s Department of Computer Science to study data science as a second major or a minor.

A double major in statistics and data science is ideal for students who wish to prepare for graduate study or employment in data science and have great interest in the statistical theory behind the field.

Classes like Applied Multivariate Statistics and Data Mining or Big Data Analytics provide you with the skills you need to start as a data scientist. Learn more.

Department of Statistics News

Welcome new faculty and students

The Department of Statistics is pleased to welcome Drs. William Consagra, Yuexuan Wu, and Shanghong Xie as new faculty members.

USC’s Edsel Peña, incoming statistics department chair, elected IMS Fellow

Edsel Peña has reached a high point in his nearly 40-year career. The professor in USC's Department of Statistics has been named a fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS), one of the biggest honors for a statistician. In addition, Peña has received an award from the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering.

USC class goes beyond the books to study stats history

History of Probability and Statistics offered students from the Honors College and the College of Arts and Sciences an overview of the people and experiments that led to the development of the field of statistics, from the early pioneers of the 17th century to the innovators of the modern era.

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