The Undergraduate Curriculum of the Future

• Activity Number: 12
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Sunday, August 9, 2015 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Johanna Hardin*
• Companies: Pomona College
• Keywords: curriculum ; guidelines ; data science

Abstract

The ASA recognizes the importance of undergraduate programs in statistics, and they endorsed curricular guidelines in 2000. The number of undergraduate statistics majors (while still small in absolute number) has increased more than 140% from 2003 to 2013 (with a 23% increase from 2012 to 2013). While many aspects of our 2014 recommendations remain the same as the previous guidelines, much has changed and needs to be made more specific and detailed. The proposed new guidelines reflect the increased importance of data-related skills in modern practice, with more emphasis on teamwork, communications, and related experiences (e.g., internships, REUs, and capstones). In this talk, I provide details of the new curriculum guidelines as they reflect changes already implemented in many current curricula as well as changes in expectations of undergraduates going into the workforce.