Frequently Asked Questions
CMPSC 8/9/16
CMPSC 8/9/16
Q: I took ENGR 3 instead of CMPSC 8 but it’s not showing up on my major progress check. What should I do? Do I need to take CMPSC 8?
ENGR 3 will satisfy your CMPSC 8 requirement since CMPSC 8 is not open to students who have passed ENGR 3 with a D- or higher (or a P). Submit a
Credit and Enrollment Clarification petition to this
Google form to have this processed.
Q: If I’ve already taken a CMPSC 9, 16, or higher equivalent course, do I still need to take CMPSC 8?
No. CMPSC 8 is not open to students who have completed higher level coursework such as CMPSC 9 or CMPSC 16. Our department will waive that requirement so you will not need to take CMPSC 8. Submit a
Credit and Enrollment Clarification petition to this
Google form for CMPSC 8 to be waived.
PSTAT 8/MATH 8
Q: Should I take PSTAT 8 or Math 8?
PSTAT 8 meets the Math 8 prerequisite for these upper division Math courses ONLY: Math 117 and Math 104A-B-C. All other upper division Math courses require Math 8 and do not accept PSTAT 8 as a prerequisite.
For STSDS and ACTSC Majors: PSTAT 8 is recommended over Math 8 because you only receive Pass 1 priority for PSTAT 8. However, you should take Math 8 if you want other UD Math courses to count towards your major requirements.
For FMS Majors: You should take PSTAT 8 if you are planning to ONLY take the required Math courses for the FMS major (Math 117 and Math 104A-B-C) without other UD Math courses. Math 8 is usually recommended over PSTAT 8, as PSTAT 8 limits your elective options, and students receive Pass 1 priority for BOTH courses.
For students considering a double major or minor in Math: You should take Math 8. PSTAT 8 will not satisfy the Math 8 prerequisite for upper division Math courses other than Math 117 and Math 104A-B-C.
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Q: What are the prerequisites for PSTAT 8?
The prerequisites for PSTAT 8 are the same as those for Math 8: Mathematics 3C or 3CI or 4A or 4AI or 4B or 4BI or 5A or 5AI or 5B or 5BI or 5C or 6A or 6AI or 6B with a grade of B or better.
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Q: Do PSTAT majors receive registration priority for PSTAT 8 and Math 8?
Yes. STSDS and ACTSC majors receive Pass 1 priority for PSTAT 8 and Pass 2 priority for MATH 8. FMS majors will receive Pass 1 priority for BOTH PSTAT 8 and Math 8.
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Q: Can I take PSTAT 8 and MATH 8 together during the same quarter?
No, since PSTAT 8 is an illegal repeat of MATH 8, you will need to choose to take either MATH 8 or PSTAT 8. Taking both together will result in no credit for one of them.
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Q: I took MATH 8 and failed. Can I take PSTAT 8 to meet the MATH 8/PSTAT 8 requirement?
PSTAT 8 is an illegal repeat of Math 8, so if you received any unit credit for Math 8, you will not be able to take PSTAT 8.
If you received a D- or higher or a P in Math 8, you will not be able to take PSTAT 8. If you enroll in PSTAT 8, you will be dropped by the Registrar's office.
If you received an F, NP, or W, which results in 0.0 units given in Math 8, you can take PSTAT 8.
For students declaring a full PSTAT major: we allow a maximum of two attempts across PSTAT 8 and MATH 8 to complete the MATH 8/PSTAT 8 requirement.
Only acceptable combinations include:
PSTAT 8 (C- or lower or a NP) + PSTAT 8 (retake; pass with a C or higher)
MATH 8 (C- or lower or a NP) + MATH 8 (retake; pass with a C or higher)
PSTAT 8 (C- or lower or a NP) + MATH 8 (pass with a C or higher)
MATH 8 (fail with an F or NP) + PSTAT 8 (pass with a C or higher)
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PSTAT Major and Pre-Major
Q: What's the difference between the BA and BS in Statistics and Data Science?
The BA in Statistics and Data Science is a general statistics degree intended for students interested in general training in statistics and the use of statistical methods in the social and decision sciences. It is suitable as a terminal baccalaureate degree, or as preparation for advanced training in business administration, management science, or operations research.
The BS in Statistics and Data Science is a specialized statistics degree intended for students interested in the use of statistical theory and methods in the biological, physical, and technological sciences. It is suitable as a terminal baccalaureate degree, or as preparation for advanced training in applied statistics, or probability and statistics. Students interested in applications of mathematics and statistics to risk management and insurance should consider a separate specialized degree of BS in Actuarial Science.
In terms of requirements, the pre-major and preparation for the major requirements are identical. The BS requires 48 upper-division units while the BA requires 36 upper-division units. PSTAT 122 is required for the BS and is an optional elective for the BA. The BA may require additional General Education requirements depending on your IGETC/UC Reciprocity status.
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Q: What is a pre-major? How and when do I declare the full major?
Students are considered a pre-major while they are completing pre-major requirements. Please see your major sheet for a list of pre-major and preparation for the major requirements for your designated major.
Declaring the full major requires a change of major petition, which you may apply for during the quarter you are enrolled in your last pre-major course. Change of major petitions will not be reviewed until grades are finalized in all pre-major courses. Please see our Change of Major Policy page for more information on how to submit a major change petition.
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Q: Can I enroll in upper division courses as a pre-major?
PSTAT pre-majors may enroll in PSTAT 120A during Pass 1. All other upper division courses will be restricted to full PSTAT majors during Pass 1 and Pass 2. Students with a change of major petition in progress may request clearance for select upper division PSTAT courses. See our Change of Major Policy page for more information on course clearances. All major restrictions for all PSTAT courses are lifted during Pass 3.
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Q: I have an outdated catalog year declared so my major progress check on GOLD still shows the old requirements (2021-2022 catalog year and prior). What should I do?
Pre-PSTAT majors: declare the most up to date catalog year when submitting the pre>full change of major petition.
Note: You can view your current catalog year listed next to “MAJOR REQUIREMENTS” at the top left of your major progress check on GOLD.
PSTAT Courses
Q: I’m taking a class at another university, is it equivalent to PSTAT ###?
Students can email us at advising@pstat.ucsb.edu with information on the course to determine if it is equivalent to anything. Courses from other universities will need to be reviewed by the PSTAT Department for approval for either major substitutions or equivalencies within PSTAT classes. It is recommended students have the course reviewed prior to enrolling in the course, since approval for credit towards the major is not guaranteed. Students should include the following information:
- Perm number
- University name that course is coming from, course name, course description, and syllabus.
- What UCSB PSTAT course they think the course may cover.
Note: California Community College articulations can be checked online at
assist.org. Upper division credit may only come from a 4-year institution.
Q: I’m trying to take PSTAT 5A (or PSTAT 5LS) for my major, but GOLD is not letting me enroll. What should I do?
PSTAT 5A is not open for credit to students who have AP credit for Statistics; or completed PSTAT 5LS, Psychology 5, Economics 5, Sociology 3, EEMB 30, Communications 87, or other introductory statistics courses.
Similarly, PSTAT 5LS is not open for credit to students who have AP credit for Statistics; or completed PSTAT 5A, Psychology 5, Economics 5, Sociology 3, EEMB 30, Communications 87, or other introductory statistics courses.
Please contact your major advisor if you need to substitute a course for your statistics requirement. If you earned credit for (D- or higher) but did not earn the desired grade in PSTAT 5A or PSTAT 5LS, you can retake the same course you have already attempted for a better grade following the
UCSB Repeat Policy.
Q: I took a class Pass/No pass, but now I need it for my major. How do I change the grading?
All courses part of a student’s major requirement need to be taken for a letter grade. Students should check the Office of the Registrar’s registration deadlines webpage to find a quarter’s deadline date for the last day to change grading options within a quarter.
If you are in the major and miss the deadline date to change a major requirement to the required letter grade option, then you will need to speak with a PSTAT advisor for further steps.
Q: I got below a C in one of my required classes, do I still get credit towards my major/minor?
It depends! You will earn unit credit for courses that you earn a D- or higher in. That being said, a C or higher is often needed in order to meet prerequisites for future PSTAT courses you need (or would like to) take. Prerequisite information can be found on GOLD or on the General Catalog.
Keep in mind you must maintain a 2.0 GPA in the upper division portion of your major (or minor) and your overall major (or minor) in order to graduate.
Q: Can I repeat a class if I get a C or higher?
No, students are only able to repeat a course once if they receive a grade of C- or lower, or a NP. This is a
College of Letters and Science policy and is not something the PSTAT Department can override.
Q: How do I go about repeating a class for a third time? Can I even do that?
Students are only able to legally repeat a course once. This means if you are trying to take a course for a 2nd repeat (3rd time) you will need to complete a petition through the College of Letters and Science. There is no guarantee that the College will approve the 2nd repeat petition.
Registration
Q: If the class is full/becomes full, what do I do?
Students will need to add to the waitlist on GOLD. Waitlists become active on GOLD during Pass 2. If spots become available in a course, GOLD will automatically add students from the waitlist up until the end of the 5th day of instruction. The students who are added to the course will be notified if this happens.
All enrollment after the waitlist is deactivated is handled by the instructor of the course. Please do not contact the PSTAT Department for an approval code.
Q: What number am I on the waitlist?
Students can check their waitlist status on GOLD where it will show your waitlist position for each lecture and discussion section you have selected.
The department recommends students be as flexible as possible with the discussion sections students select on their waitlist to increase the possibility of getting into the course.
Q: I was enrolled in PSTAT ###, but I accidently dropped it so can I get an add code?
No. When students are registering on GOLD they need to be careful since add codes are not given for students who accidentally drop a course. Since waitlists are automatic the available spot created by the drop will go automatically to the next student on the waitlist. Students will need to follow the waitlist instructions to try and add the course again, and follow the crashing procedure if they are not back in the class by the start of the quarter.
Students can add or modify their waitlist preferences without dropping a course. To add new sections to your waitlist settings for a particular course students click on the “modify” button in GOLD.
Q: My discussion section conflicts with another course, what do I do?
If you are in one of your assigned pass times, and there is room in another section that does not conflict, then you can directly switch into the non-conflicting section by choosing the “switch” function on that course in your GOLD account. This will allow you to remain in the current lecture, but switch to a new section with openings. You should not drop the course to switch sections.
If there is not room in an alternative section time, but you would like to try and attend another section, please contact your instructor and TA to see if they would approve of an unofficial section switch to a different discussion section for the same lecture.
