Modern statistics is an exciting subject that affects most aspects of modern living. It has been developed to deal rationally and objectively with the uncertainty that accompanies variation in phenomena as highly complex as the interplay of the many factors that affect our environment. It derives vitality in coping with practical problems arising in all fields of scientific activity, including the social, business, biological, agricultural, medical, natural, and engineering sciences. Investigators’ efforts to learn about a specific phenomenon, be it the response of a patient to a certain medical treatment or the effectiveness of a particular instructional program on a student’s learning, are impacted by the presence of natural variation. The field of statistics is concerned with valid and efficient ways to learn more about these phenomena in the presence of such variation. It is an inductive science in which information is extracted from sample data in order to draw inferences. This process most often involves planning experiments or designing studies to ensure that valid answers to questions are obtained from the sample.
How to Get in
To declare the statistics major, students should schedule an appointment with a statistics major advisor prior to attaining senior standing (86 credits). Information regarding major declaration and how to schedule an appointment is available on the major webpage.
Students must have a 2.000 GPA on coursework counting in the major, and a 2.000 GPA on any upper-level work in the major completed prior to declaration. No specific coursework must be completed to declare.
University Requirements
All undergraduate students must complete both the following Core General Education (Core GenEd) and University Degree and Quality of Work requirements. The requirements below apply to students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution is Summer 2026 or later.
Students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution occurred before Summer 2026 should refer to the archived Guide for the requirements that apply to them.
Core General Education (Core GenEd) Requirements
| Civics & Perspectives | 3 credits of Civics & Perspectives coursework. |
| Communication & Literacy | 6 credits of Communication & Literacy coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingenglishplacement |
| Humanities & Arts | 6 credits of Humanities & Arts coursework. |
| Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning | 6 credits of Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingmathplacement |
| Natural Science & Wellness | Complete both:
|
| Social & Behavioral Science | 3 credits of Social & Behavioral Science coursework. |
| Total Credits | 30 credits. |
For more information see the policy.
University Degree and Quality of Work Requirements
All undergraduate degree recipients must complete the following minimum requirements. Requirements for some programs will exceed these requirements; see program requirements for additional information.
| Total Degree | 120 degree credits. |
| Residency | Complete 30 credits in residence. A course is considered “in residence” if it is taken when in undergraduate degree-seeking status and:
|
| Quality of Work | Achieve at least the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, and/or academic program. |
| Math | Demonstrate minimal mathematics competence by: |
| English Language | If required to take the UW-Madison English as a Second Language Assessment Test (MSN-ESLAT), demonstrate minimal English language competence by:
|
| Language | Complete one:
|
| Major Declaration | Declare and complete the requirements for at least one major. |
College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. Some courses satisfy more than one L&S degree requirement (visit College of Letters & Science: Requirements for details).
This major can be paired with either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree requirements.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
| Communication | Complete both:
|
| Quantitative Reasoning | Complete both:
|
| Ethnic Studies | one 3+ credit course with the Ethnic Studies designation |
| Language | Complete either:
|
| L&S Breadth: Humanities | Complete 12 credits with the Humanities or Literature designation, which must include at least 6 credits with the Literature designation. |
| L&S Breadth: Social Sciences | Complete 12 credits with the Social Science designation. |
| L&S Breadth: Natural Sciences | Complete 12 credits with the Natural Science, Biological Science, or Physical Science designations, which must include both:
|
| Liberal Arts and Science (LAS) Coursework | at least 108 credits |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | at least 60 credits at the Intermediate or Advanced level |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one major. |
| Total Credits | at least 120 credits |
| UW-Madison Experience |
|
| Quality of Work |
|
Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their School/College to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.
Requirements for the Major
Mathematics
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Calculus 1: | 5 | |
| Calculus and Analytic Geometry 1 1 | ||
| Calculus 2: | ||
| Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2 1 | ||
| Calculus 3 (Complete one): | 4-5 | |
| Calculus--Functions of Several Variables 1 | ||
| Topics in Multi-Variable Calculus and Differential Equations | ||
| Linear Algebra (Complete one): | 3-5 | |
| Elementary Matrix and Linear Algebra | ||
| Linear Algebra | ||
| Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | ||
| Topics in Multi-Variable Calculus and Linear Algebra | ||
| Linear Algebra and Optimization | ||
| Total Credits | 12-15 | |
Computer Programming
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of: | 3-4 | |
| Programming I | ||
| Data Science Programming I | ||
| Programming II | ||
| Data Science Programming II | ||
| Programming III | ||
| Introduction to Numerical Methods | ||
| Total Credits | 3-4 | |
Statistics
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Statistics & Basic Statistical Language: | 4-5 | |
| Data Science Modeling I | ||
or STAT 301 | Introduction to Statistical Methods | |
or STAT 324 | Introduction to Statistics for Science and Engineering | |
or STAT 371 | Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences | |
| R for Statistics I | ||
| Statistical Models: | 6-7 | |
| Applied Regression Analysis | ||
or STAT 340 | Data Science Modeling II | |
| Statistical Experimental Design | ||
| Probability (Complete one): | 3 | |
| Introduction to Probability and Mathematical Statistics I | ||
| Introduction to Theory and Methods of Mathematical Statistics I | ||
| Introduction to the Theory of Probability | ||
| Probability Theory | ||
| Inference: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Probability and Mathematical Statistics II | ||
| Electives: | 15 | |
Students will complete a total of 15 credits of electives with a maximum of 6 credits from the domain electives | ||
| Core Electives | 9-15 | |
| R for Statistics II | ||
| R for Statistics III | ||
| Introduction to Time Series | ||
| Introductory Nonparametric Statistics | ||
| Study Abroad: Topics in Statistics | ||
| Data Science Computing Project | ||
| An Introduction to Sample Survey Theory and Methods | ||
| Applied Categorical Data Analysis | ||
| Data Science with R | ||
| Classification and Regression Trees | ||
| Statistical Data Visualization | ||
| Advanced Sports Analytics | ||
| Introduction to Machine Learning and Statistical Pattern Classification | ||
| Introduction to Deep Learning and Generative Models | ||
| Applied Multivariate Analysis | ||
| Financial Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Computational Statistics | ||
| Special Topics in Statistics 2 | ||
| Statistical Methods for Spatial Data | ||
| Introduction to Stochastic Processes | ||
| Statistical Methods for Clinical Trials | ||
| Statistical Methods for Epidemiology | ||
| Special Topics in Statistics 2 | ||
| Theory & Algorithms for Data Science | ||
| Domain Electives | 0-6 | |
| Advanced Short-Term Actuarial Modeling | ||
| Regression and Time Series for Actuaries | ||
| Matrix Methods in Machine Learning | ||
| Probability and Information Theory in Machine Learning | ||
| Fundamentals of Data Analytics for Economists | ||
| Foundations of Statistical Learning for Business Analytics | ||
| Advanced Quantitative Methods | ||
| Machine Learning in Action for Industrial Engineers | ||
| An Introduction to Brownian Motion and Stochastic Calculus | ||
| Statistics for Sociologists III | ||
| Introduction to Mathematical Sociology | ||
| Introduction to Combinatorics | ||
| Linear Optimization | ||
| Statistics in Human Genetics | ||
| Clinical Trial Design, Implementation, and Analysis | ||
| Total Credits | 40-54 | |
Residence & Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all STAT and major courses
- 2.000 GPA on 15 Upper-Level Major credits, taken In Residence 3
- 15 credits in STAT courses, taken on the UW-Madison campus
Honors in the Major
Students may declare Honors in the Statistics Major in consultation with the Statistics major advisor(s). To be admitted to the Honors Program in Statistics, students must have declared Statistics, must have a 3.3 University GPA, and must have completed and an Introductory Statistics Course (STAT 240, STAT 301, STAT 324 or STAT 371), STAT/MATH 309, and STAT 333 or STAT 340 (or other courses with the approval of the advisor) with a GPA of 3.500 or higher in these three classes.
Honors in the Statistics Major: Requirements
To earn Honors in the Major in Statistics, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major (above) and the following additional requirements:
- Earn a 3.300 University GPA
- Earn a 3.500 GPA for all STAT courses
- Complete two STAT major courses (excluding 699) for a total of 6 Honors credits or complete 18 total credits of electives in the major where 12-18 credits come from the core elective category and 0-6 credits from the domain elective category
- STAT 681 -STAT 682, for a total of 6 credits, under the supervision of a member of the Statistics faculty or 6 credits of pre-approved research credits outside of the Statistics Department.
Footnotes
- 1
A grade of C or higher is required for this course to meet the requirement.
- 2
STAT 479 and STAT 679 can be repeated for elective credit when enrolled for different topics.
- 3
Courses that are considered Upper-Level in the major are STAT 303, STAT 304, STAT 305, STAT/MATH 309, MATH 531, STAT/MATH 310, STAT 311, STAT 312, STAT 333, STAT 340, STAT 349, STAT 351, STAT 360, STAT 405, STAT 411, STAT 421, STAT 424,STAT/MATH 431, STAT 436,STAT 441, STAT 443, STAT 451, STAT 453, STAT 456, STAT 461, STAT/COMP SCI 471, STAT 479, STAT 575, STAT/I SY E/MATH/OTM 632, STAT/B M I 641, STAT/B M I 642, STAT 679,COMP SCI 541 STAT 699, ACT SCI 653, ACT SCI 654, COMP SCI/E C E/M E 532, COMP SCI/E C E 561, ECON 570, GEN BUS 656, GEOG 560, I SY E 521, MATH 635, SOC 362, SOC 375, STAT/COMP SCI/MATH 475, STAT/COMP SCI/I SY E/MATH 525, STAT/B M I 620, STAT/B M I 643
Learning Outcomes
- Frame a scientific question with the appropriate mode of data analysis, to analyze such data correctly, and to summarize and interpret the results in a useful manner. Master a number of key statistical techniques, certainly including significance testing, goodness-of-fit testing, and regression analysis, which are common tools in analyzing data. This will include a careful checking of assumptions that underlie the techniques.
- Design experiments/studies — in conjunction with scientists proposing the study — that will lead in an efficient manner to the collection of data that can be properly analyzed. Design studies with multiple factors taking variable reduction techniques into account. Interpret and critique designs they encounter in analyzing data.
- Use tools from mathematical statistics and probability to assess the quality of point estimators, confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests. Demonstrate the skills to connect methods of application to their theoretical underpinnings.
- Use a statistical language (with emphasis on R) to manipulate data and perform exploratory data analysis using basic statistical methods. Write structured R programs using conditional expressions, loops, and functions and to use regular expressions to extract data from text and make high-level visualizations.
- Evaluate critically articles that use statistical argumentation. Assess whether or not the statistical arguments have been developed properly and the conclusions are reliable. If the arguments are not properly developed, they will be able to provide specific evidence for this.
Four-Year Plan
This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Communication A | 3 | MATH 222 | 4 |
| MATH 221 | 5 | COMP SCI 200 or 220 | 3-4 |
| Language | 4 | Ethnic Studies course | 4 |
| Physical Science Breadth | 3 | Language | 4 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| MATH 234 | 4 | STAT 303 | 1 |
| Introductory Statistics course | 3-4 | STAT 333 or 340 | 3-4 |
| Communications B | 3 | INTER-LS 210 | 1 |
| Social Science Breadth | 3 | MATH 340 or 341 | 3 |
| Humanities Breadth | 3 | Biological Science Breadth | 3 |
| Literature Breadth | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| STAT/MATH 309 | 3 | STAT/MATH 310 | 3 |
| STAT 424 | 3 | STAT elective course | 3 |
| Social Science Breadth | 6 | Literature Breadth | 3 |
| Humanities Breadth | 3 | Social Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| STAT elective course | 6 | STAT elective course | 6 |
| Elective | 9 | Elective | 9 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Advising and Careers
Students who are interested in academic advising for the Statistics major should visit the Undergraduate Statistics Advising website or contact the advisor group by email: advising@stat.wisc.edu.
So what can you do with a Statistics major after you graduate?
Well-trained statisticians are in strong demand and have excellent employment prospects. Statisticians work in industry and business, in government, and in universities and other research institutions.
In most cases, a student who completed the Statistics major can find employment as a quantitative analyst or other “generalist” position. A number of our graduates have been successful following this path. However, in most cases, positions aimed at professional statisticians require a master‘s degree or PhD. As a professional statistician, typical employment in industry might be as a statistical consultant to biologists, engineers, or other scientists in a research-and-development branch of a large company.
The best place to look for statistics jobs is the American Statistical Association Career Center. Consult with a Statistics undergraduate advisor about the best fit for you.
Statistical training is seen as very desirable in many other areas (e.g., agricultural, biological, engineering, and social sciences, business, and economics) where the primary activity may not be statistics. In view of this, statistics may often be a strong choice for a second or additional major.
Study Abroad
Learning in Letters & Science emphasizes discovery, growth, understanding different perspectives, and challenging yourself, which makes studying abroad an excellent fit for many L&S students: studyabroad.wisc.edu
As a university with global influence, we have more than 300 study abroad programs in over 80 countries. These vary in length, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and level of independence. There are many programs to complement every major and any year of college (including the final semester)—and all meet UW–Madison’s high academic standards. Students admitted into Letters & Science can even choose a short program in the summer before they start college or their whole first year: studyabroad.wisc.edu/launch. Talk with your academic advisor about how studying abroad might fit with your academic plan.
SuccessWorks
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Through one-on-one career advising, events, and resources, you can explore career options, build valuable internship and research experience, and connect with supportive alumni and employers who open doors of opportunity.
- What you can do with your major (Major Skills & Outcomes Sheets)
- Make a career advising appointment
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Try “Jobs, Internships, & How to Get Them,” an interactive guide in Canvas for enrolled UW–Madison students