Statistics Department Mission and Learning Objectives

Our Mission Statement

The proliferation of quantitative information in society demands that we help to develop the next generation of statistics professionals while increasing the statistical literacy of Cal Poly students and the frequency of collaboration with our colleagues. To meet these objectives, the mission of the Cal Poly Statistics Department is to:

• Deliver a high-quality statistics program for our majors and minors that prepares them for either the workplace or further study in graduate programs;
• Offer service courses for the university that meet the needs of the various majors and enhance the statistical literacy of the students;
• Provide university-wide support for research and professional development of faculty and students;
• Support continued growth of Statistics faculty members as teacher-scholars.

Our Learning Objectives

The Statistics Department offers a degree program leading to the B.S. degree in Statistics in the College of Science and Mathematics.

The Statistics Department graduate will:

• Have good working knowledge of the most commonly used statistical methods, including
  • statistical modeling and the omnipresent role of variability
  • efficient design of studies and construction of effective sampling plans
  • exploratory data analysis
  • formal inference process
• Have background in probability, statistical theory, and mathematics, including especially calculus, linear algebra and symbolic and abstract thinking
• Be able to synthesize and apply knowledge of common inferential methods, understanding the limitations of the procedures and the appropriate scope of conclusions
• Communicate effectively (written and oral) with skills in collaboration (within and between disciplines) and teamwork, and in organizing and managing projects
• Have good mastery of several standard statistical software packages and facility with data management strategies
• Have a focused concentration in an area of application outside the discipline of statistics

The Statistics Department graduate will have received:

• Experience with real data and authentic applications
• Frequent opportunities to develop communication skills
• Capstone experiences for students
• Frequent interaction with faculty and their peers and timely advising
• Exposure to statisticians and statistical applications outside the Cal Poly community