University of Wisconsin–Madison

Statistics Major

Modern statistics is an exciting field that has become central to many aspects of daily living. The conceptual core of statistics deals with making decisions in the face of uncertainty. Statistics finds uses in many areas of scientific investigation, ranging from agricultural, medical, and engineering sciences to business, law, government, finance, accounting, and actuarial work.

The Statistics department offers a high-quality undergraduate Statistics Major that provides rigorous training in the basic theory and methodology of statistics along with substantial experience with applications, including the design and analysis of scientific studies. We also offer a variety of introductory courses for non-majors; non-majors with the appropriate background can also profit from many of our intermediate courses for Statistics Majors. Our requirements make it quite straightforward for the motivated student to combine a Statistics Major with a major in another field.

Below you will find information on declaring Statistics, major requirements, advising, and general Statistics related FAQs.  To the right you will find links to additional information and resources for our students.

Additional Resources for Statistics Majors

Planning Your Statistics Major

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In-person appointments must check-in before their meeting! What does this look like?

When you arrive to the Student Advising and Support Services suite (SASS, 2580 Morgridge Hall), use either the Starfish Kiosk via either the iPad stand or the iPad on the front desk. Enter your name and 10-digit campus ID. Advisors will be notified that you have arrived and will come to get you at the start of your appointment.

Virtual appointments (including drop-ins) do NOT require a sign-in. This process is for in-person appointments only.

Summer & Fall 2026 enrollment information has been released. All students declared in the Statistics major have been sent enrollment information via email.  Here is a PDF copy of the information for those not declared or who might have missed the email.

Fall 2026 Enrollment Newsletter

Students with questions are encouraged to reach out to the Statistics advisors via email, an appointment, or drop-in advising.

The curriculum is available in the Guide.  Please visit this page and then select either the Statistics BS or BA to see more.

A great way to understand how the Statistics Major courses build upon each other is to view the Statistics Major Flow Chart.

If you are interested in adding the Statistics Major with another Stats/DS program, please review this combination chart first to see which combinations are allowable and not allowable.

Statistics faculty recommend a maximum of 2 quantitative or coding courses per fall/spring semester (up to 3 if students are in multiple quantitative majors), and only 1 of such courses in the summer term. Students are recommended to enroll in general education/breadth courses each semester along with major courses.

Viewing example 4-year are a great way to plan for your own academics and understand how to progress in the major. They are a tool to assist students and you should use it—along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools—to make your own plan based on your placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests. It is common for your plan to change multiple times throughout your college career.

 

Planning to double major with Statistics? View our Double Major Information webpage for information and sample 4-year enrollment planning guides.

Students must apply for graduation via their Student Center to indicate that they are nearing completion of their degree.

Visit the Office of the Registrar’s website for information and instructions about this process.   Once you apply for graduation, an advisor will review your degree audit report. Applying to graduate sooner can help your advisors identify if there is an issue.

We advise students to do the following:

  • Look at your DARS report. Read it over carefully to find deficiencies-if you are meeting all requirements to graduate, everything will be GREEN. Be aware that each major (if you have more than one) will have its own DARS report.
    • Keep in mind that your DARS is showing in-progress classes as classes you will keep and pass. If you do not pass your classes, or get the GPA you need, this could influence your graduation date.
  • Check to make sure your major(s) is/are declared correctly in your Student Center. Make sure you have officially added and/or dropped majors so that the list of majors on record is exactly what you want for graduation. If not, go to the individual departments to add or drop a major. This also applies if you have declared Honors in the Liberal Arts (L&S students) or Honors in the Major.
    • Certificates, additional majors, and other non-degree programs are not displayed but are included in your degree application for graduation.
  • Talk to an advisor about questions you have about meeting requirements or something you may not understand on your DARS.
  • Review the Commencement website for graduation check lists, and the Statistics Department Graduation Celebration website. 

How to Declare the Statistics Major

Declaration Process

  1. Review Statistics major requirements on the Guide or run a “What-If” DARS Report to assess your remaining required courses.
  2. Attend one declaration event (more information about these options can be found by clicking to expand)
    1. Option 1: Group Major Declaration Session
    2. Option 2: Individual Advising Appointment
  3. Review the Department of Statistics Advising Expectations webpage
  4. Complete the online major declaration form

    • Students who submit a declaration form prior to attending a declaration event will have their form deleted. If the form is submitted more than one year from after the declaration event is attended, students will need to schedule another advising appointment. There are no exceptions made to the declaration process.
      • Once you have completed both steps your declaration will be processed (usually within 1-2 business days) and you will receive an email.

    It is not necessary to have completed statistics coursework, but prospective majors are strongly recommended to start the major with the Math 221-222-234 calculus sequence and an introductory statistics course (Stat 240, 301, 324, and 371).

Declaration Requirements

No specific coursework must be completed in order to declare Statistics. You are eligible to declare if:

  • You are under 86 credits (senior standing)
  • You have earned a 2.00 GPA on any coursework counting in the major completed prior to declaring*
    • including a 2.00 GPA on any previously completed upper-level work in the major
  • You are enrolled in the current semester

If you are currently on probation or have one or both Statistics major GPAs below a 2.0, you must schedule an individual meeting and should not use a declaration session or drop-in advising to declare.

Students cannot declare the Statistics major prior to your first term at UW-Madison.

F-1 students: as per the new regulations (https://iss.wisc.edu/new-duration-of-status-rule/), you cannot declare a major until you have completed two (2) semesters on campus.

*If you are a first-semester UW student with no statistics major GPA or completed courses, you ARE eligible to declare

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  • For students in L&S, the Statistics major can be paired with either a BA or BS degree option. If you need to change your degree program you may do so online, Statistics staff cannot make this change for you
  • Students who are in an L&S specialized degree such as AMEP or students outside of L&S will have their degree associated with their home school or college and will not complete L&S BA or BS degree requirements
  • Students in the process of transferring to L&S from another school or college at UW-Madison will first need to have their transfer to L&S processed before they can be declared in Statistics
  • Engineering students are required to meet progression in an engineering program before declaring double majors or certificates; students in this situation who need to declare for Statistics course access but cannot, should schedule a meeting with a Statistics advisor
  • Students in CALS must schedule an individual meeting for declaration so that the CALS double major paperwork can be completed

Online sessions: will take place via Zoom and prior registration is required, students must register (click on hyperlink below for a specific session) and attend themselves to have their attendance counted towards meeting the declaration event requirement (registration closes @ 9AM the day of the event – Links to register will be deactivated at that time). Declaration sessions last about 20-30 minutes with time to ask questions afterwards.

Declaration sessions will resume in the Fall semester.

Students who are currently on probation or who may have one or both Statistics major GPAs below a 2.0 must  schedule an individual meeting and cannot use a declaration session or drop-in advising to declare.

Students are welcome to make individual advising appointments year-round with the Statistics major advisors to declare the Statistics major IF they are a current student at UW-Madison.

Students who have significant questions, have exceeded 86 credits, are on probation, are currently not in L&S, or with other more complicated situations are recommended to make an individual appointment for their declaration event. Appointments are scheduled via Starfish.

Students who are currently on probation or who may have one or both Statistics major GPAs below a 2.0 need to schedule an individual meeting and should not use a declaration session or drop-in advising to declare.

Advanced planning is strongly recommended for individual meetings during the enrollment period for the following semester as the advisors’ calendars tend to fill quickly during this time.

The Statistics major advisors typically offer drop-in advising for one hour each week during the fall and spring semesters.

Drop – In advising is for quick questions only.

Fall 2026 drop-in advising is available on Wednesdays, from 1-2:00pm on Zoom from September 2nd- December 9th. There will be no drop-ins Wednesday, September 16

To attend click onto Drop-In Advising  hit the button to join the Zoom waiting room during drop-in advising hours: Join Drop -In Advising

Students will be seen first-come, first-served and a wait of up to 10 minutes may be expected. Please have your 10-digit campus ID number ready for advisors.

In-person drop-in advising is not available.

No longer interested in the Statistics Major?

Switch to the Statistics Certificate
Cancel your Statistics major

Statistics Advising

Please take some time to review our Advising Expectations webpage to ensure a common understanding about the role of academic advisors.

Statistics Major Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Courses and Enrollment

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Great question!  Take a look at our Choosing Courses Page!

Please note that STAT 302 is no longer offered.

Great question!  Take a look at our Choosing Courses Page!

You may have declared the Statistics Major before a course was added to the Statistics Major.

If they do not appear on your DARS, don’t worry.

IF you have taken one of these courses, an advisor will be entering this information to be added into your DARS, IF you do not see this in your DARS after 10/7 (for fall) or 2/7 (for spring) send an email to advising@stat.wisc.edu so we can make sure the course is accounted for correctly.

For those of you who declared the Statistics Major prior to Fall 2022, the Domain Electives do not show up in the list on your DARS since this is a recent change it will be added manually.

You are allowed to use Domain Electives (up to 6 credits are allowed) towards your 15 credits of Statistics major electives.

It will not show up until it is added after the class add deadline each semester (usually the Friday of the first full week of classes.)

IF you have taken one of these courses, an advisor will be entering this information to be added into your DARS, IF you do not see this in your DARS after 10/1 (for fall) or 2/1 (for spring) send an email to advising@stat.wisc.edu so we can make sure the course is accounted for correctly.

Statistics 479: Special Topics in Statistics is a topics course. This means that each semester, the course may have a different topic or we may offer multiple lectures of Stat 479 with different topics.

Topics in the past have included: the subjective basis of probability; Bayes’ theorem; posterior inference in conjugate models; subjective and objective prior elicitation; Bayesian hypothesis testing; hierarchical and multi-level models; Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods for sampling from intractable posteriors; and applied modeling in R.

Please check out our enrollment FAQ page for information on enrollment errors you may be having for STAT classes.  Be sure to READ the requisites at the section level carefully.  Make sure you are enrolling in the appropriate section.  (Sections that mention MS are for our graduate students)

Students are often worried about how a dropped course, dropped major, withdrawal, etc. will appear on their transcript and this is a very normal concern.  Please check out this page from the Registrar’s Office that explains how everything (including, GPA, degree(s), dropped course, honors, etc.) will appear on your transcript.

Students in the Statistics major will pursue double majors and/or certificates. Because data analytic skills can be used in many fields, you are encouraged to explore how you want to utilize your statistical knowledge and skills. One great way to do so is to complement Statistics Major with another area of study.

Common double major paths for students in Statistics are Computer Science, Data Science, Economics,  and Math among others. Please view the links to the Guide pages for major requirements and follow the instructions to declare those majors.

We have collaborated with other major advisors to create sample 4-year double major plans. These showcase a recommended plan of progression for students in the common double major paths. Note that these are a sample; as always, please consult your respective major advisors for individual course planning questions. You can view the plans on the Double Major Information webpage.

Common certificates for Statistics Majors to pursue include: Data Science, Mathematics, Computer Science, Economic Analytics, Sports Communication, Environmental Studies, Sustainability, History, & Business.

Information on certificate requirements can be found on the Guide page. Please view the links to the Guide pages for major requirements and follow the instructions to declare those certificates.

See section above under “Planning Your Statistics Major” Menu Item: “Graduation Information”

If you’re under the old statistics major requirements, meaning you declared prior to Fall 2019, the 2018-2019 Guide outlines your requirements for completing the major.

For the Applied Concentration – select at least 12 credits of coursework at the intermediate or advanced level in an area of application of statistical methods as approved by your statistics advisor. This area of application can represent study areas where statistical methods are applied, such as in the natural and social sciences and engineering. This requirement can often be met by the completion of a major in such a study area.

For the Mathematics Concentration – select at least 6 additional credits of the following: Math 319, Math 421, Math 443, Math/Comp Sci/Stat 475, Math/Comp Sci 514, Math 521, Math 522, Math 541, Math 605, Math 629, Math/I SY E/OTM/Stat 632.

We encourage students who are under the older statistics major requirements to talk with their statistics advisor early about which concentration they plan to complete as well as what courses they plan to use for their concentration.

Resources and Involvement

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There are a number of campus resources to help with career exploration, post-graduation, and internships:

 

Still unsure? The Career Exploration Center can help when you need more assistance with what you want to do.

Studying abroad is a great option for students who want to broaden their horizons and immerse themselves in new cultures. Statistics students interested in studying abroad should consult with Study Abroad advisors for assistance with identifying and applying to programs.

Students in the Stats major should typically expect to complete general education/breadth courses while abroad, as there are limited programs with courses equivalent to Stats major requirements.  Please reference the Study Abroad Major Advising pages and the Statistics page in particular, for ideas of programs that may have relevant courses.

Student organizations are a great way for Statistics students to get involved on campus. Find a list of current student organizations on https://win.wisc.edu/.  Use keywords that interest you when searching for organizations like “statistics,” “computer science,” “data,” “coding,” etc.

Several student orgs that Statistics students may take an interest in are:

Please see the Department of Statistics page on undergraduate research for more information about how to find research opportunities as an undergraduate at UW-Madison. Students can explore the following research resources too.

Here are some options that have worked well for other students:

  1. Start with your instructors! Your TA or your professor will host office hours (time/location can be found in your course syllabus) that is time set aside specifically for students to come ask questions. Use this time to clarify content from lecture, troubleshoot problems on homework/projects, or go over exam questions that you got wrong to prepare for the final. If your instructor’s office hours do not work within your schedule, typically you can set up an individual appointment–email your instructor if this is the case.
  2. Different departments have learning centers available for FREE drop-in tutoring for certain courses. Check them out:
  1. Other academic resources on campus:
  1. Form a study group with peers from class! Your fellow students in classes can be a great resources when studying. Quiz each other, ask each other questions, and try to explain course material to others so you can check your own understanding. Important reminder: make sure that you are only doing group work if your instructor specifies that group work is allowed on certain assignments or projects.

Check out our international student FAQ for resources specific to international students, including Terra Dotta forms.

UW offers a variety of resources for students. Please take a look at this list (organized in alphabetical order) to determine if your needs are met. If you still have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to an advisor and we can point you to the right place.

  • Academic calendar: find important dates & deadlines for the academic year.
  • Dean of Students Office: a primary resource for students navigating personal, academic, or health issues to supportive campus and/or community resources.
  • Financial Aid Office: advising appointments, emergency support, and workshops/events.
    • Basic Needs Support: The Basic Needs Support team is dedicated to promoting overall wellness to students while attending UW-Madison. Our team supports students in gaining access to food, housing and insurance through campus resources as well as programs such as FoodShare and BadgerCare.  Our Basic Needs Team also facilitates the Purposity program that allows student to anonymously request any tangible basic need they may have.
    • Success Coaching: Success Coaches meet with students to help them successfully navigate the UW-Madison Experience. Through regular 1:1 meetings, students develop a comprehensive success plan in collaboration with their Success Coach.  Key areas of focus could include: time management, goal-setting, wellness, reflection, academic success, and student employment.  Success Coaches also strive to provide warm referrals to campus partners to ensure students are gaining the best resources and support.
  • Enrollment resources: find tools, tips, demos, FAQs, and other resources to help make enrolling in classes easier.
  • Food Assistance: a list of a variety of resources that are available to students who may be struggling with food insecurity.
  • Gender & Sexuality Campus Center: the Center provides education, outreach, advocacy, and resources for UW-Madison communities and allies to improve campus climate and daily intersectional experiences.
  • GPA Calculator: enter semester grades and connect to UW learning support resources.
  • Hate/Bias Incident Report: hate or bias should never be a part of the Wisconsin Experience. If you or someone you know is hurting, there are resources to provide support.
  • University Health Services: for medical, mental health, wellness, prevention, survivor services, and health insurance, please visit their website.
    • 24 hour Crisis Services: please call 608-265-5600 (option 9) if you are thinking about suicide, or if you’re concerned for the well-being of someone you know to speak with an on-call crisis counselor, available 24/7, 365 days a year.
  • UW-Libraries: access journal subscription databases, connect with Librarians, reserve spaces & equipment, and more!
  • L&S Academic Deans’ Services: an office that assists students in reaching their academic potential and attaining their undergraduate degrees by providing information abut L&S academic rules and procedures and a variety of other services.
  • McBurney Disability Resource Center: for students and instructors both new to or already familiar with campus to explore disability-related accommodations or reach out about accessibility concerns.
  • Multicultural Student Center: engage in community building, dialogue groups, cultural programs, and exploring affiliated student organizations for marginalized identities.
  • Office of Student Assistance and Support: helps students navigate personal, academic, or health issues. If you don’t know where to start, connect with them, and they can guide you toward the help you need.
  • Undocumented Student Resources: UW Madison welcomes and supports students without regard to their immigration status. The Dean of Students points to resources including the Center for DREAMers.
  • University Veteran Services: supporting the experience of military-connected students in key areas including education benefits, student success, and education/advocacy.