| The Statistics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was
established in 1960 by Professor George Box. The original philosophy on
the organizational structure was to have most Statistics faculty in one
central department but also to have faculty with interests in applications
of statistics to a wide variety of scientific disciplines that would be
represented in various units on campus. This philosophy has been maintained to
the present day, and due to this the Department offers strong programs of
training with a balance of both the theory and applications of statistics. From
its inception, the Department has evolved into one of the premier Departments of
Statistics in the world. Since the 1970s, it has consistently been ranked among
the top five departments in the country on various measures of quality of
faculty and graduate programs. Today it reflects the breadth and diversity of
the subject of statistics in both theory and practice. Since 1963 over 290 Ph.D.
degrees and over 435 Master's degrees have been granted.
The Department offers a broad range of both undergraduate and graduate
instructional programs to fulfill needs of students at many different levels. At
the undergraduate level, there are several introductory courses and these lead
to many more advanced courses. The Department has an undergraduate major in
statistics, including an option for concentration of coursework in an area of
application, such as biological sciences, computer sciences, economics,
engineering, and many other areas. The Department's graduate M.S. and Ph.D.
programs stress a balance between statistical theory and practical applications,
preparing students for careers in academia, industry, medical research,
business, agriculture, and government. Graduate students learn not only the
theoretical aspects of statistics, but also the application of statistics to
real world problems in diverse areas. In addition to the general program, there
are specialized programs which provide students with an opportunity to pursue a
particular area of statistical application. The Department has approximately 100 graduate
students who come from all parts of the world.
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