Thank you, Ya Ya. That was very helpful. However, I only listed UCD as an example for aluminum_boat for a school that offers both stats and applied stats. I used to attend UCD, but now I am at an CC trying to transfer to SF state. Because of CSU’s hands-on approach as opposed to the UCs theoretical approach, SF state’s stat’s major is more like what a Applied Stats major at an UC: [Mathematics</a> - San Francisco State University Bulletin 2013 - 2014](<a href=“SF State Bulletin 2023–2024 < San Francisco State University”>SF State Bulletin 2023–2024 < San Francisco State University)</p>
<p>Sf state requires stats majors to choose an emphasis, and the options are economics, business, and science. </p>
<p>I was aware that the profession of actuarial work would require exams, which have very low passing rates. Do you think I would be employable with a stats degree with emphasis in economics even if i don’t pass those exams? Of course not in actuarial work, but in other jobs? I was hoping that the stats degree would show employers that I have quantitative skills and that I know Economics, which is always helpful. I know i’m not in a position to be too picky, so honestly, i really would take any job that a high school diploma alone can’t land me. In this economy and a time at which almost everyone has a degree, there are actually very few majors that would do that, so do you think stats with emphasis in econ would be one of them?</p>
<p>I don’t know.
I checked SF State, and it looks like you don’t need any second major at all.
Do you need to declare your emphasis immediately or they give you some time to decide? Can you change this emphasis later if you change your mind?
Because the best advice you can get will come from students, professors and Career center at SF State. You’ll start taking classes, start asking questions, you’ll see where people get internships and where they get jobs. You’ll get the picture.</p>
<p>I don’t think they need you to declare emphasis immediately, and even if so, they would probably give you the option to change if you later change your mind. </p>
<p>Anyways, thanks for your help, everyone! I was so lost. Now i think i feel much better :D</p>
<p>One warning about a actuarial work- it’s near impossible to get employed if you need visa sponsorship. </p>
<p>As for the exams, the first one is cake -it will be exactly what you learn in your calc-based stats classes. Bayes Theorem, Conditional Probability, Expectation, Variance, etc. </p>
<p>The second one is a first semester corporate finance course and some other topics. Interest rates,discount rates, bonds, duration, convexity, annuities, perpetuities, and some basic derivative theory. </p>
<p>The third one and onwards branch out quite a bit. </p>
<p>The passing rate is about 50%. Probably “real” rate is closer to 65% since so many people take it without studying and bring the percentage down. </p>
<p>You need 1 exam for an internship and two for a job. The job hunt is significantly easier with an internship. </p>
<p>I think the stats major makes you very employable. Actuarial or not.</p>
Thank you very much that was very very very helpful! i sure do hope stats major would make me employable, because I’ve heard how employers often employ stats people with at least masters degrees. </p>
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hmm this is interesting. I wonder why that is. I guess the technical jobs ( engineering, programmer, etc) are the only ones that employers are willing to sponsor visas for. It doesn’t concern me at all, since I was born and raised in the U.S. I just find it interesting.</p>
<p>I did not say anything about the difficulty of a stats major. I was talking about the difficulty of the type of degree you would’ve seen here at Cal Poly Pomona, that combines Applied Math & Statistics and requires you to do the theroetical courses. When I was referring to a mediocre CSU, I was not talking about my own. I would say the Cal Poly’s have the most prestige in the system in regards to STEM disciplines, which is what I thought you were interested in. I know several CSU Northridge MechE graduates that have not gotten jobs as well as at Fresno State. A lot of big companies recruit here from Pomona. I think all of my friends have obtained internships. If you’re good at what you do, you’re not going to be limited too much. I went to a talk about a girl’s experience at MIT over the summer the other day that goes here. Plenty of people here also get internships at Caltech’s JPL. I think if you’re a graduate student here in the College of Science JPL has recently started a partnership for doing research over there as part of your graduate studies. So, if you’re looking for a good STEM program, I’d say go to a Cal Poly. Honestly, it’s not that hard to get in as a math major here, it’s the staying in the major that is the hard part. I knew two math majors here that went to work at Oakridge Lab after JPL and another started work recently at Raytheon, who showed up recruiting students I think this past career fair. The Cal Poly’s are networked pretty good with industry and since you want a hands-on approach, a Cal Poly is perfect because that’s even our motto. I have one chick on my friends list that goes to SF State for Electrical. If you’re deadset on going to SF State, why not just do engineering if you’re so concerned with getting a job?</p>
that was very very very helpful! i sure do hope stats major would make me employable, because I’ve heard how employers often employ stats people with at least masters degrees. </p>