Statistics Program
The statistics major is designed for students interested in the mathematical study of data and data analysis. It gives students a powerful understanding of how and why statistical investigations and inference work. It provides exposure to real-life questions that involve both the gentle handling of small amounts of data and the computer software crunching power needed for large data sets.
To search for statistics courses, please visit the Course Catalog. To learn more about completing the degree in three years, visit the Three-Year Programs Majors website.
Requirements for the Major
- MA106, 107, Calculus and Analytic Geometry I, II
- MA162 Elementary Statistics
- MA310 Linear Algebra
- MA360 Probability Theory I
- MA361 Statistical Theory
- MA362 Linear Regression and Time Series
- MA364 Design of Experiments
- MA369 Multivariate Statistical Methods
- MA467 Nonparametric Statistical Methods
- MA468 Predictive Analytics and Data Mining
- MA469 Advanced Statistical Computing
- CS142Introduction to Computer Science and Programming
One of the following:
- ID390 Community Projects/Career Development
- MA492 Professional Experience for Majors
- MA491 Internship
Suggested 4 Year Schedule
First Two Years
First Year
- Fall
- MA106/MA107
- MA162
- FYS & foreign Language
- Core electives
- Spring
- MA107
- CS142
- FYS & foreign Language
Second Year
- Fall
- MA310
- MA360
- GHS
- Spring
- MA361
- GHS
Third and Fouth Years—Fall of third year is odd numbered
Third Year (odd fall/even spring)
- Fall
- MA369
- MA362
- MA364
- CS142 (if not previously taken)
- Apply for summer internships
- Spring
- MA364
- MA468
Fourth Year (even fall/odd spring)
- Fall
- MA467
- MA369 (if not previously taken)
- Internship or Senior Seminar
- Spring
- MA469
- Internship or Senior Seminar
Third and Fourth Years—fall of third year is even numbered
Third Year (even fall/odd spring)
- Fall
- MA467
- MA362
- MA369
- CS142 (if not previously taken)
- Apply for summer insternships
- Spring
- MA469
Fourth Year (odd fall/even spring)
- Fall
- MA369 (if not previously taken)
- Internship or Senior Seminar
- Spring
- MA364
- MA468
- Internship or Senior Seminar
NOTE: The information found on this website with respect to major/minor/program requirements is primarily directed at providing prospective students a general roadmap of the curriculum. Current Butler students are expected to review their degree audit report at my.butler.edu and speak with their advisor regularly for detailed information regarding their specific degree requirements and their progress toward degree completion.
Advising Blueprint for Career Development
We have compiled an Advising Blueprint for Statistics Majors, which gives suggested activities during your four years at Butler to better support your future career.
Sarah Engle
Master’s Student in Social Data Science at the University of Copenhagen and part-time SQL Development Student Helper with The LEGO Group
Statistics and Anthropology (Minors in French and Data Science), 2021
How did your degree help prepare you for your career?
Having degrees in both Mathematics and Social Sciences gave me a combination of tools that are helpful in navigating a career space. I am able to use both quantitative and qualitative analysis in my work and my data science minor prepared me with a strong base of coding experience that I am able to bring to my Master’s program and my student position. It’s important to me to be constantly growing and learning and I was able to gain tools from Butler and the Math Department to aid me in this pursuit.
What advice would you give to current students to help them prepare for their careers?
Look outside of the box! Your skillsets gained from Butler and the Maths Department can be applicable in so many fields and positions. Don’t be scared to put yourself out there and apply for things that may feel out of your comfort zone. Be confident in your abilities and don’t sell yourself short!
What is a great memory you have from your time at Butler?
Linear Algebra was not my highest performing class – by a longshot – but I had friends in the Math department who kept me accountable to show up to the late-night study session. I remember having so much joy from mutual frustration over matrix transformations and was so lucky that I had friends to struggle alongside, and I felt so proud when the concepts finally “clicked.”
Travis Freytag
Hannover Re, Actuary
Actuarial Science, Statistics, and Economics, 2019
How did your degree help prepare you for your career?
First and foremost, my education in actuarial science gave me a great foundation of knowledge for the variety of mathematical concepts I’ve come across in my career. The math department gave a lot of support in me taking actuarial exams while still in college, which helped give me a great head start in my career and showed me how to study for all of the exams I would eventually take. Outside of just my primary degree, the overall liberal arts education that Butler provided exposed me to many different topics and many different people from all walks of life. This has helped me in more of the soft skills and networking side of my career, which has become even more and more important as I’ve advanced.
What advice would you give to current students to help them prepare for their careers?
I would encourage them to be as open as the can to trying completely new things and challenging themselves. Everyone talks about how college is a time to try so many things to find out who you are and what you want to do in life. That is absolutely true, but it doesn’t stop when you graduate. The first job you get will almost certainly not be your job forever, and you may discover that it might not even be in the right industry. Go try things you think you will like, try some things you aren’t sure if you will like, and keep learning about yourself and what you like to do.
What is a great memory you have from your time at Butler?
Rushing the basketball court after Butler beat Villanova when they were one of the best teams in the country. Hinkle Fieldhouse is such a cool place to watch basketball, and I will never forget the moment we won and all the students started running onto the court.
Tara Rondinelli
Chubb, Actuarial Trainee
Actuarial Science and Statistics, 2023
How did your degree help prepare you for your career?
Butler helped create a strong foundation of technical and soft skills that I have already used in my first 6 months at Chubb. From the variety of classes required or recommended for my major, I walked away feeling confident about working on a variety of different projects in different coding languages or in different platforms, having a better understanding of how insurance companies as a whole work, and communicating effectively and professionally with my colleagues.
What advice would you give to current students to help them prepare for their careers?
Work hard and give everything your best effort, but also don’t forget to have fun and enjoy your college experience! Indianapolis is so close to Butler and has so many things to do, explore! Passing exams in college is great, but don’t stress too much about it. At Chubb, everyone in the actuarial program is coming from a unique background with a different number of exams passed, we all get the same support from the program and each other.
What is a great memory you have from your time at Butler?
It is hard to pick just one great memory from my time at Butler, a couple from my senior year would be running the Indy Mini on the same day as graduation with one of my best friends and getting the opportunity to research and propose an idea to improve school bus safety to Indianapolis Public Schools and Indianapolis Police Department.