Major Prerequisites

Major Prerequisites

See the Statistics Major page for updates to the Fall 2022 Grading Policy for the Statistics Department

Courses

Requirement

UC Berkeley Course

Alternative

Calculus I

Math 1A

  • Equivalent Advanced Placement, IB, or A-Levels per Math Department; or equivalent CA Community College course work per Assist.org; or equivalent course work from another 4-year college or out-of-state community college as evaluated by the Math Department.

  • Math 56 may be taken in lieu of Math 54. Math 91 "Linear Algebra" from Fall 2022 is also acceptable.

Calculus II

Math 1B

Multivariable Calculus

Math 53

Linear Algebra and Differential Equations

Math 54

Lower Division Statistics

Stat 20 or
Data/Stat/CS/Info C8

Requirements to Declare

1. Students must earn a minimum 2.0 Grade Point Average in the following courses:

  • Math 1A Calculus (or the Summer version Math N1A)
  • Math 1B Calculus II (or the Summer version Math N1B)
  • Math 53 Multivariable Calculus (or the Summer version Math N53, or web-based version Math W53)
  • Math 54 Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (or the Summer version Math N54)
  • Stat 20 or Data C8

If you have completed any of the math prerequisites at a non-UC institution, please look at Frequently Asked Questions below.

2. Students must earn a minimum C grade in Math 53, Math 54, and Stat 20 / Data C8.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the move of the Statistics Major and Minor to the newly established College of Computing, Data Science and Society (CDSS) mean for me?

Please refer to FAQs: Undergraduate Students in Computer Science, Data Science, and Statistics. The interview with CDSS Associate Dean of Students, Prof. Deborah Nolan, may also answer some of your questions.

What are the Statistics Department grading policies for semesters during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Please see the Statistics Department grading policies for the SP20, FA20, SP21, and SUM21 semesters linked here

If I took the AP Exam, A-Levels, IB, or courses at another college, can I waive out of the pre-major Math requirements?

The Statistics Department defers to the Mathematics Department’s evaluation of course equivalence to the pre-major requirements. Here are currently established standards:

AP Credit

If you received a score of 3 or higher on the AP Calculus AB Exam, or a score of 3 or 4 on the AP Calculus BC Exam, then Math 1A requirement is waived. If you received a 5 on the AP Calculus BC Exam, both the Math 1A and Math 1B requirements are waived. 

Transfer Credit, A-Levels, and IB

Students who took courses at a California community college can determine whether those courses are equivalent to UC Berkeley courses using the Assist.org tool. Courses taken at another 4-year institution or a community college outside of California need to be evaluated by the Mathematics Department. Upload the completed evaluation(s) with you when you are ready to declare the major.

If you have A-Level Math exam credits or an International Baccalaureate (IB) Math Exam Credit, you can waive out of Math 1A and/or Math 1B. We abide by what the Math Department deems as equivalent, which is subject to change:

  • A-Level Math (grade of ''B'' or better) = Math 1A Equivalency      
  • A-Level Further Math (grade of ''B'' or better) = Math 1A & Math 1B Equivalency
  • Singapore A-Level Exams H1 Math = Math 16A, H2 Math = Math 1A, and H2 Further Math = Math 1A and Math 1B Equivalency
  • Refer to Math Department for IB Exam Credit

Students lacking partial material of any of the lower division prerequisites should see the Mathematics Department to discuss completing Mathematics 49. For example, students lacking the material on linear algebra in Mathematics 54 may learn this material by enrolling in Mathematics 49 and attending the portion of Math 54 on Linear Algebra. See information from the Mathematics Department on their Course Equivalency page.

What if I took the Math 16A-B series at UC Berkeley? Math 10A-10B at UC Berkeley? XMath 1A-1B through Fall Program for First Semester (FPF)?

If you have only completed Math 16A, you must still complete Math 1A or equivalent (at another college is fine as long as it is equivalent according to assist.org or the Math Department). If you took both Math 16A and Math 16B, you can waive out of Math 1A, but must take Math 1B or equivalent. Students can no longer take Math 49 to learn the Math 1B material lacking in Math 16B.

Students who have completed the Math 10A-10B series should see the Head Undergraduate Faculty Advisor. Send a copy of your transcript.

Per the Math Department website, XMath 1A and XMath 1B offered through the Fall Program for First Semester ARE equivalent to UC Berkeley's Math 1A and 1B (see https://math.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/major/frequently-asked-questions#faqs2) so they can be used to satisfy Statistics major prerequisites.

Does taking the online Math X11 or Math X12 through UC Berkeley Extension fulfill Math 1A-B at UC Berkeley?

Generally, NO. The Statistics Department defers to the evaluation of the UC Extension courses by the UC Berkeley Math Department. In Spring 2012, the Math Department faculty reviewed the X11 and X12 (formerly known as  Math X1A and Math X1B) curriculum and deemed the online X11 and X12 courses not equivalent to Math 1A-B at UC Berkeley. Students who have not yet taken X11 or X12 should NOT take them to satisfy Statistics major requirements. Students who have already taken X11-X12 may request an evaluation from the Math Department to determine if Math 1A or 1B needs to be taken. Grades in other math courses like Math 53 and Math 54 are factored into whether or not a student would need to take 1A or 1B.

Please note: XMATH 1A and XMATH 1B (offered through the Fall Program for First Semester) ARE equivalent to Math 1A and 1B and are accepted as prerequisites for the Statistics major. These courses are different from the online Math X11 and X12 offered through UC Extension.

Does Math N1A, Math N1B, Math W53, Math N54 and Math W54 satisfy the math prerequisites?

Yes, Math N1A, N1B, N53 and N54 taught at UC Berkeley are summer versions of Math 1A, 1B, 53, and 54; and Math W53 and W54 are the web-versions of Math 53 and 54. The format of these courses are different than those offered in Fall and Spring but the content is the same so they can be used to satisfy Statistics major math prerequisites.

I took a prerequisite and earned a P. Can I declare?

No, you must take all major prerequisites for a letter grade and earn at least a C in Math 53, Math 54, and Stat 20 / Data C8 before you can declare and meet the minimum 2.0 prerequisite GPA. To calculate the GPA, a letter grade is required. You will need to repeat the course or see the Head Undergraduate Faculty Advisor about alternatives. These kinds of exceptions are considered on an individual basis by the Head Undergraduate Faculty Advisor and are rare.

Due to the extenuating circumstances of Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021, or Fall 2022 please see Response to P/NP Default Grading Option For Spring 2020,  FA20 and SP21 Grading Policy for the Statistics Major, or FA22 Grading Policy for the Statistics Department which outline exceptions to the letter grade requirement. The FA20 and SP21 grading policy is applicable to Summer 2021 as well. 

I received a C- in Math 53, Math 54, or Stat 20 / Data C8. Can I declare?

No, you must earn at least a C in Math 53, Math 54, and Stat 20 / Data C8 before you can declare as well as have at least a 2.0 GPA in the major prerequisite courses. Please see an advisor about your options to declare the major.

I am enrolled in my last prerequisite. Can I declare?

You can submit an application, but you will not be declared until all prerequisites are completed. We do not offer conditional declarations.

Is there a deadline to declare?

No, you may declare the Statistics major as long has you have completed the prerequisite requirements and your grades are verifiable. However, the College of Letters & Science has policies relating to units caps and may not approve Statistics as a second major if successful completion of the major is not feasible within the allowed timeframe. Students wishing to double/triple major must declare at least one semester prior to graduation. There are no exceptions.

It is advisable to declare as early as possible so we can track your progress and ensure that your applied cluster courses are approved before you take them. Additionally, declared students receive priority when registering for upper division Statistics courses. Students may generally submit their application during the semester in which they are finishing their last prerequisite(s), but applications are only processed at designated times.