The field of Statistics has undergone tremendous change over the last two decades, driven in large part by rapid increases in computational power and the development of techniques that take advantage of that power. This trend has significantly increased the demand for data-savvy statisticians with strong computational skills combined with a firm grasp of the growing catalog of computationally-intense statistical techniques.
The statistical subfield of data analytics is now driving many contemporary applications, from online commerce to medicine and healthcare to climate science and environmental monitoring. The massive size of datasets, continuing to emerge from these and many other fields, is in itself driving demand for statisticians who can bring knowledge of sophisticated methodologies paired with the necessary computational skills for their proper execution. The Statistical Data Science option is specifically aimed at producing market-ready students with this in-demand suite of knowledge and skills, who will be ready to contribute across the full spectrum of statistical applications. Students completing this option will also be well-prepared to pursue an applications-oriented graduate degree.
