The courses offered by the Department encompass three important areas: Applied Statistics, Statistical Theory, and Probability. An individually tailored program emphasizing one or several of these areas of concentration may be developed by the student in consultation with an academic advisor. The advisor is appointed when the student declares the major of Statistics, upon becoming a junior at Florida State University. At that point the student enrolls in the statistics courses that will constitute his or her major.

Research is a vital, dynamic activity in the Department, supported by grants, contracts and development programs in numerous areas such as biostatistics, image processing and analysis, probability and statistical theory, environmental science, quality control, and reliability theory. Students benefit from their formal and informal contacts with a faculty so actively involved in scientific research. Furthermore, courses offered by the department are kept up-to-date in accord with latest developments in statistical theory and practice.

Consulting is another key activity in the Department. Through its Statistical Consulting Center, the Department assists University and State researchers in planning experiments and data analysis.

Leading to the B.S. degree in Statistics, the undergraduate program prepares individuals to embark upon careers as statisticians or statistical specialist in an outside field. Also, the program provides an opportunity for continued academic study as it will form a suitable foundation that can be applied toward work on the M.S. or Ph.D. degree. Such advanced training is offered by the Department itself, making the overall curriculum one of the most comprehensive statistics programs in the nation. Indeed, the department is one of only five statistics departments which have been supported by the National Science Foundation as "centers of excellence." Also, the Department has been designated in the state of Florida as a "program of distinction." Therefore, the Department of Statistics at Florida State University represents a unique opportunity for students considering a career in the statistical profession.