Statistics program
Undergrad major Undergrad minor Graduate programLearn to collect, analyze and interpret data.
Statistics helps us understand and describe phenomena in our world from population health to weather forecasting to business profits. Using data, statisticians can draw reliable conclusions and help guide important decisions. Statistics can be studied by itself or in conjunction with other fields such as the biological and life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and social sciences.
The UW-La Crosse Department of Mathematics & Statistics serves a diverse group of students. The department nurtures all liberal arts students, giving students a solid foundation from which to study both the natural and social sciences and providing the tools needed in professional programs. The program is also dedicated to cultivating mathematics and statistics majors
Careers in statistics
Students who graduate with degrees statistics pursue a wide variety of careers. Many statistics majors go on to jobs in industry as analysts, statisticians, and actuaries while others go on to professional programs such as law, medicine and health professions, or business.
Positions
- Statistics professor
- Software engineer
- Manager of manufacturing process engineering
- Actuary
- Plant Manager
- Statistician
- Data analyst
- Supplier quality/component engineer
Further education
- Applied mathematics
- Statistics
- Engineering
- Computer science
What distinguishes UWL's Statistics program?
A major or minor in Statistics works well in conjunction with almost any program at UWL, especially those in STEM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science) and the Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, and Economics).
Class sizes are small; calculus classes are typically 25 to 30 students and upper level classes are typically 10 to 20 students.
Faculty in the department are involved in research in areas of algebra, analysis, topology and geometry, statistics, applied mathematics, numerical analysis, education, and combinatorics and graph theory. This research is widely published in prestigious research journals, and many faculty have received numerous grants.
A student run Mathematics and Statistics Club meets at various times during each semester. Activities include talks by students and invited speakers, picnics, travel to conferences and friendly sporting contests with other clubs or faculty.
Many students participate in undergraduate research projects that result in publications and presentations at national conferences. The department has several research fellowships that provide funding for reserch.
Students can participate in local, regional and international mathematics or statistics modeling contests.
Mathematics and Statistics Resource Room is located within the department. This room is a place for math majors to study and socialize. There are also computers available for use.
Math majors can work from 5-15 hours a week as a tutor in the Murphy Learning Center or as a peer teaching assistant.
Students can obtain internships and part-time jobs with local business and engineering firms, public utilities, and medical and governmental research institutions.
Areas of study
Actuarial Science Concentration
Undergrad major View a sample plan for Actuarial Science ConcentrationBachelor of Science in Statistics & Master of Science in Applied Statistics Dual Degree Program
Undergrad major Graduate program View a sample plan for Bachelor of Science in Statistics & Master of Science in Applied Statistics Dual Degree ProgramSample courses
STAT 345 Statistical Computing An introductory course covering fundamentals of modern statistical computing. Topics include core programming concepts such as functions, data structures and debugging. Stochastic simulations and random variable generation are introduced, as well as accessing, filtering, and analyzing data from other resources. The R language will be used. Prerequisite: STAT 245 and CS 120. Offered Spring.
STAT 405 Statistical Methods A survey of statistical methods from the point of view of how these methods are implemented with a standard statistics software package. Topics include descriptive statistics, graphical methods, tests of location, goodness of fit, simple and multiple regression, design of experiments, ANOVA, multiple comparisons, chi-square tests. Both parametric and nonparametric methods are treated. Computer use is an integral part of the course. This course is taught largely at an undergraduate level. Graduate students will have additional course requirements/expectations. Prerequisite: grade of "C" or better in STAT 145 or STAT 245; junior standing. Offered Fall.
STAT 445 Correlation and Regression Analysis An introduction to simple linear regression, multiple regression, polynomial regression. Inferences, appropriateness of model, model diagnostics/adequacy, difficulties in the application of models are discussed. A computer package will be used. Course participants will be involved with hands-on statistical applications and consulting. This course is taught largely at an undergraduate level. Graduate students will have additional course requirements/expectations. Prerequisite: grade of "C" or better in STAT 245 or STAT 405; junior standing. Offered Fall.
STAT 449 Applied Multivariate Statistics An introduction to applied multivariate statistical methods covering multivariate analysis of variance, multivariate analysis of covariance, repeated measures design, factor analysis, principle component analysis, cluster analysis, discriminate analysis, and multivariate regression. Course participants will be involved with hands-on statistical applications. This course is taught largely at an undergraduate level. Graduate students will have additional course requirements/expectations. Prerequisite: grade of "C" or better in STAT 245 or STAT 405; junior standing. Offered Fall - Odd Numbered Years.