Dallas Hall is a historic building on the SMU campus and is home to the B.S. in Statistical Science program.

Undergraduate programs

Statistical science

B.S.

Minor

Overview

A dramatic increase in the number of people trained in statistics and data analysis is required to fill the ever-increasing data analysis needs of our society. Consequently, professionals who can appropriately analyze and interpret data are in high demand. For students who want to become proficient in the methods of statistics and data analysis, SMU offers a B.S. in statistical science and a minor in statistical science. Curriculum is designed to serve students seeking careers in industry, government and business, as well as those preparing for graduate study in statistical science.

Statistical science is a collaborative, interdisciplinary subject that is valuable as a double major or minor. The B.S. in statistical science prepares students for a career in data science and for advanced study in statistical science, such as graduate work in the field or in a related discipline.

Top 20%

Best National Universities

U.S. News & World Report (2026)

11:1

Undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio

90+

Undergraduate majors at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

Admissions

Deadlines and details

Key dates and admissions information to help plan your application with confidence.

Transfer students

Everything transfer students need to know about admission requirements.

International students

All the essential admission requirements international students need to know.

Additional links

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Tuition and financial aid

2 out of 3 first-year students are awarded grants and/or scholarships with an average total of $38,598.

Tuition and costs

Explore the cost breakdown of tuition for undergraduate programs.

Financial aid

Find information on scholarships and financial support available at SMU.

Curriculum and learning

Featured courses

STAT 3341

Statistical Learning via Sports Analytics

Contains modules on ethical web scraping, data visualization, and model building .

STAT 3312

Categorical Data Analysis

Examines techniques for analyzing data that are described by categories or classes.

STAT 3366

Applied Regression Analysis and Data Visualization

Learning applied regression methods (multiple regression, logistic regression, log-linear models, and generalized linear models) to analyze real-world datasets.

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Outside the classroom

Student success

The SMU Department of Statistics and Data Science is a nationally recognized department with a history of producing outstanding, highly marketable graduates and being at the forefront of statistical research and innovation.

Student stories

B.S. Statistical Science graduate Anne Hulme says the degree program offers small classes and academic rigor.

Anne Hulme ’24

“The program fosters a supportive and encouraging environment while still being academically rigorous, with small class sizes and a great balance between theory and application. One of the things I appreciated most was how kind and involved the faculty are; they truly care about helping students understand the material and enjoy learning it.”

Faculty

The department faculty are widely recognized for their expertise in applying statistical science in very diverse settings including clinical trials, air pollution, medical imagery, census adjustment, educational testing and genetics.

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Jing Cao, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor
steven chiou portrait

Steven Chiou

Assistant Professor
Ashley Edison

Ashley Edison

Lecturer

Niloofar Ghorbani, Ph.D.

Lecturer

Ian Harris

Ian Richard Harris, Ph.D.

Associate Professor Director of Undergraduate Studies
Dan heitjan portrait

Daniel F. Heitjan, Ph.D.

Professor

Marcin Jurek

Assistant Professor

Danhyang Lee

Assistant Professor

Monnie McGee, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Chul moon portrait

Chul Moon

Associate Professor Director of Graduate Studies
Stephen robertson

Stephen Robertson, Ph.D.

Senior Lecturer II Director of Data Science and Applied Statistics Master's Program

David Saah, Ph.D.

Lecturer

Bivin Sadler

Clinical Assistant Professor
Charles south

Charles South, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the SMU Statistical Consulting Center
Raanju Ragavendar Sundararajan

Raanju R. Sundararajan

Associate Professor

Jonathan Thompson

Assistant Director, Masters Programs and Department Administrator

Jessica Wickersham

Lecturer

Facilities

Mane Frame is one of the fastest high-performance computing environments among private universities in Texas.

ManeFrame (M3)

Features state-of-the-art CPUs, networking and storage technologies – making it one of the fastest HPC environments of any private university in Texas.

Heroy Hall hosts classes for the Master of Science in Data Science and Applied Statistics at SMU.

Heroy Hall

Hosts the Department of Earth Sciences; the Institute for the Study of Earth and Man; and the Statistical Science, Anthropology and Sociology departments.

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Frequently asked questions

The explosion of data from devices such as sensors, cell phones and medical instruments, as well as from business processes, surveys and social media has created an accelerating demand for specialists who are trained in data collection and analysis. As a result, the field of statistics will be increasingly more fundamental to academia, business and government in order to accommodate the escalating dependence on data-driven decisions.

A statistics degree is a better choice if the goal is graduate school; the data science degree is a better choice for immediate employment after graduation.

Yes. The SMU Department of Statistics and Data Science prepares students for a booming job market. Overall employment of statisticians is projected to grow eight percent from between now and 2034, much faster than the average for other occupations.

The median annual wage for statisticians was $103,300 in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Students have the opportunity to pursue common interests with faculty members through informal discussions and joint research activities. Research has been funded by major grants from private organizations and governmental agencies, including the Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency, National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, Department of Education, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the National Institutes of Health, Department of Veteran Affairs, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Statistical scientists specialize in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data. An attractive aspect of the discipline of statistics is the wide variety of problems that it addresses:

  • Government agencies such as the U.S. Census Bureau employ statisticians to conduct and analyze social and economic surveys; statisticians at the Food and Drug Administration have a critical role in the design of clinical trials and in the review of applications to market new drugs and devices.
  • Manufacturing and related industries employ statisticians to work in areas such as quality control and process optimization.
  • Banks and insurance companies hire statisticians to assist in modeling financial data.
  • Medical schools, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies employ statisticians to work on research problems in clinical, population and basic science.

Yes. A dramatic increase in the number of people trained in statistics and data analysis is required to fill the ever-increasing data analysis needs of our society. Consequently, professionals who can appropriately analyze and interpret data are in high demand. The statistical science degree prepares students to become proficient in the methods of statistics and data analysis.

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