The Department of Statistics at the University of Wisconsin‐Madison was established in 1960 by Professor George Box. This department has strong research and training programs covering the breadth and diversity of the subject of statistics in both theory and practice, and is one of the premier statistics departments in the world from its inception, generally ranked among the top five to ten in the country on various measures of quality. There are currently over 20 faculty members of diverse and strong research programs, as well as a growing number of staff members providing critical support for our teaching and research missions.
Program Overview
The Department of Statistics invites international students to take a variety of courses in statistics and data science within our highly ranked department. Students will have a mix of coursework including a core set of courses for 15 credits and a choice of electives.
After their first year as a non-degree visiting student, VISP students have the option to apply to continue their studies in the MS Statistics: Statistics and Data Science graduate degree program. Those intending to apply may be able to take some of the MS Statistics: Statistics and Data Science course requirements as a VISP student. However, admission to the graduate program is a separate admissions process and is not to be considered a guaranteed element of the VISP thematic track program offering. Questions regarding admission to the graduate program should be addressed to visp-msds@stat.wisc.edu.
Student Support
From the time you apply to the end of your stay, the VISP staff will be there to assist you. As a VISP participant you have full access to all academic and student support services, such as libraries, computer labs, clubs, and sports facilities; the opportunity to participate in VISP sponsored social and cultural events; and upon completion you will receive an official UW-Madison transcript.
Program Eligibility
Participants must meet the VISP eligibility criteria for admission into this program. Applicants to this Thematic Track must also have completed the following coursework:
- Calculus I, II, and III (for example MATH 221, 222, 234 at UW-Madison)
- Linear algebra (for example MATH 340 or 341 at UW-Madison)
- Single variable calculus (for example MATH 421 at UW-Madison)
If you aren’t sure if you meet these requirements, please contact the Statistics Department for assistance.
This Thematic Track admits students at the Undergraduate level.
Available Terms
Participants must start in the fall term and stay for an academic year.
Academics & Course Offerings
Thematic Track participants will take a mix of required core courses and electives. You can find course descriptions for all Statistics classes online in the UW-Madison Guide.
The core courses include:
- STAT 303, 304, and 305 R for Statistics I, II, and III (each is 1 cr for a total of 3 cr, fall)
- STAT 601 Statistical Methods I (4 cr, fall)
- STAT 610 Introduction to Statistical Inference (4 cr, fall)
- STAT 615 Statistical Learning (3 cr, spring)
A variety of electives are available through the Department of Statistics for students to choose from to achieve full time enrollment.
Cost of Attendance
Estimated cost of attendance information is available on the VISP website.
Application Instructions
Application deadline: March 15 for the following academic year. Applications may be accepted after this date on a space available basis. Contact the VISP coordinators for more information.
Submit your VISP application and in your essay please include: “I am applying for the Statistics VISP track.”
Questions? Please contact the VISP coordinators.
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