Welcome SOAR Students Interested in Statistics!
We welcome you to UW-Madison and appreciate your interest in the Statistics major. Below is some information specific to Freshman SOAR students and Transfer SOAR students interested in eventually declaring Statistics. We have included some of the common questions we get so that hopefully you are able to get quick answers, but we are happy to chat more in the fall if your situation is more complex.
Please at the start of the semester, once classes begin. Instructions to declare the major are available on our Statistics major webpage.
Freshman SOAR Students
Freshman students interested in the Statistics major will be able to work with a generalist advisor at SOAR to help pick the appropriate courses to explore the major.
If after your SOAR date you have specific questions that were not addressed at SOAR, you are welcome to email the Statistics advisors (advising@stat.wisc.edu). We do not have the capacity to have appointments during the summer with incoming freshmen students, these appointments will be canceled.
If you are assigned to meet with a Statistics advisor as your generalist advisor for freshmen SOAR please note that this does NOT count as your Statistics major declaration meeting.
Please see the FAQ below to see if your question is addressed there.
Transfer SOAR Students
An advisor from the Statistics major will be available each week of transfer SOAR for remote advising to work with incoming transfer SOAR students regarding Statistics major course selection.
Statistics advisor availability
There will be a statistics advisor will be available during Summer and January SOAR.
If after your SOAR date you have specific questions that were not addressed at SOAR, you are welcome to email the Statistics advisors (advising@stat.wisc.edu) or make an appointment via Starfish.
Transfer students interested in either or both Statistics and Data Science are recommended to meet with Carmela Diosana as she advises for both majors.
Please see the FAQ below for some important information.
Statistics Major SOAR FAQs
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What should I take this fall for the Statistics major?
In the Guide for the Statistics major you will find a sample four-year plan that outlines the recommended order and pacing for Statistics major courses. If you have completed some of those courses, then continue to look at the plan and see what courses you have yet to take and plan to take those.
A good way to see how the courses build knowledge to prepare students for more advanced work is to review the Statistics major course flow chart.
Students are recommended to take no more than 2 quantitative or programming based classes, especially in their first semester at UW-Madison.
Transfer students are strongly recommended to talk with a Statistics advisor during SOAR to discuss their plan and gain access to held seats in intermediate and advanced-level courses, as appropriate.
Only in very unusual situations will freshman students be given access to held seats in intermediate and advanced-level courses.
What is the difference between the different Statistics Introductory Courses?
STAT 240 is an introductory course for those also interested in data science. Statistical programming will be introduced and utilized. Must have Quantitative Reasoning A (QRA) satisfied to enroll. If you are interested in possibly double majoring or the certificate in Data Science this is the best option for you. See more about the Data Science major or Data Science certificate.
STAT 301 is an introductory course for those who are not excited about math. The course teaches statistics in less mathematical, more applied focused methods. Must have Quantitative Reasoning A (QRA) satisfied to enroll. Not the best option if you are planning to be a Statistics major.
STAT 324 is an intro course for those who are interested in engineering or tech fields. The course requires knowledge of Calculus 1. You will be introduced to a statistical programming language.
STAT 371 is an intro course for those who are interested in life sciences. The course requires knowledge of trigonometry and college algebra. You will also be introduced to a statistical programming language. Requires trigonometry and college algebra.
Any of the four introductory statistics courses will suitably prepare you for taking future statistics courses.
Please note that STAT 302 is no longer offered.
What is the difference between the Statistics and Data Science majors?
This is a really good question and the Statistics advisors would be happy to chat with you more about this in the fall. In the mean time, we recommend reviewing the Statistics major sample 4-year plan and enrolling in a few courses to begin your exploration of Statistics.
I have some weird credits on my record that transfer as something like STAT X16, MATH X20, or the like. What do those count for?
Most likely, based on the information had at the time your course was equated, there wasn’t enough to determine that your previous course is a direct equivalent to an existing course at UW-Madison. If you feel that you should have a direct equivalent please submit a syllabus for a course reevaluation request (https://registrar.wisc.edu/course-reevaluation-request/).
I want to do a double major with Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, or Economics. What should I enroll in for the fall?
On the Statistics major page you will find a section called “Planning for your Statistics major”. In this section, you will find sample four year plans for these common double majors with Statistics. For other double majors students should refer to the 4 year plan for both majors of interest in the Guide.
SOAR students considering majoring in Math should check out the Math SOAR webpage (https://math.wisc.edu/undergraduate/programs/soar/).
I have been recommended to take the accelerated Math sequence starting with MATH 375. Can I use that for the Statistics major?
Yes, absolutely, if you are recommended to take the accelerated calculus sequence or you qualify to enroll in the sequence and wish to complete it (https://math.wisc.edu/undergraduate/honors-calculus/), we welcome you to do so and it will count towards the Statistics major.
I have credit for MATH 211, does that count for the Statistics major?
Unfortunately, MATH 211 does not count towards the Statistics major. We would recommend that you either take MATH 221 (which may require you to re-take the placement test) or consider the credit by exam option for MATH 221 (https://math.wisc.edu/undergraduate/calculusexam/).
If you have transfer credit for MATH 211, but you feel that the course you took is more similar to MATH 221, you should check out this page and consider asking to have the class re-evaluated.
Information on re-evaluation, retaking the placement test, and the calculus by exam can all be found on the Math department’s webpage for new students (https://math.wisc.edu/undergraduate/new-student/).
I took the equivalent to MATH 221 in high school, but don't have credit for that class. What should I do?
We recommend that you first talk to your general SOAR advisor and see what they recommend. You may need to reach out to the Math department (https://math.wisc.edu/undergraduate/placement/help/) to discuss how to enroll in MATH 221 and/or possibly consider the credit by exam option for MATH 221 (https://math.wisc.edu/undergraduate/calculusexam/). Even if a student has credit for MATH 222, but doesn’t have MATH 221, MATH 221 is required for the Statistics major and recommend credit by exam.
What about a certificate in Statistics?
The Statistics Certificate was launched in Fall 2023 and you are able to declare after you start on campus. Please view the Statistics certificate website to learn more. https://stat.wisc.edu/statistics-certificate/
Be aware that some combinations of Statistics Majors/Certificates are not allowed. You can review the combination chart.