This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2024-2025 VCU Bulletin. We may add courses that expose our students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning. We may also add content to the general education program that focuses on racial literacy and a racial literacy graduation requirement, and may receive notification of additional program approvals after the launch. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.

The Certificate in Statistics is open to students who have received bachelor’s degrees in other areas. The primary goal of the program is to allow students with undergraduate majors in science, engineering and the social sciences an opportunity to acquire the formal training in statistics that is currently in demand in industry and government. Some students also may find the program a useful way to prepare for graduate study in statistics.

To be admitted to the program, a student must complete a baccalaureate degree. Application materials and further information may be obtained by calling (804) 828-0001 or TDD (804) 828-0100, or by writing to the following address: Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Statistical Sciences and Operations Research, Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Statistics, P.O. Box 843083, Richmond, VA 23284-3083.

The certificate program in statistics requires completion of the mathematics and statistics courses listed below. A maximum of 15 credits toward certification may be transferred from course work completed before or after receiving a bachelor’s degree. At least 18 approved credits must be from STAT courses at the 300 level or higher and must be taken at VCU. No more than six of these 18 credits can be from courses taken before admission to the certificate program. The student must achieve a minimum GPA (on courses taken at VCU) of 2.5 with no grade below C. All requirements for the certificate must be completed within five years of admission to the program.

The following courses are required (right column contains credit hours for VCU courses):

Course Title Hours
Required courses
MATH 200Calculus with Analytic Geometry I4
MATH 201Calculus with Analytic Geometry II4
MATH 307Multivariate Calculus4
STAT 210Basic Practice of Statistics3
or STAT 212 Concepts of Statistics
STAT 305Intermediate Statistics3-4
or STAT 314 Applications of Statistics
STAT 309Introduction to Probability Theory3
STAT 310Introduction to Statistical Inference3
STAT 321Introduction to Statistical Computing3
Electives
Choose two from the following:6
Introduction to Stochastic Processes
Applied Statistical Computing Using R
Nonparametric Statistics
Multivariate Statistics
Industrial Statistics
Regression
Introduction to Statistical Data Science
Time Series
Total Hours33-34

The minimum number of credit hours required for this certificate is 33.

Students accepted to the program will have access to the program coordinator and undergraduate advisers to best determine a plan of study. Statistics courses taught in other units of the university (for example, SCMA 301 and SCMA 302) may be credited toward the certificate with the permission of the program coordinator.