Students in the Data Science major will be able to apply computational, mathematical, and statistical thinking to data-rich problems in a wide variety of fields in a responsible and ethical manner. This includes the ability to manage, process, model, gain meaning and knowledge, and present data. Data Science is one of the fastest growing career sectors in Wisconsin and across the nation.

By its very nature, the field of data science is one that teaches novel and cutting-edge ways to engage in the “continual sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

To declare the data science major, student should meet with a data science major advisor prior to attaining senior standing (86 credits).

Students must have a 2.000 GPA on coursework counting in the major, and a 2.000 GPA on any upper-level work in the major completed prior to declaration. No specific coursework must be completed to declare.

Please see the Data Science major page on the Department of Statistics website for information on how to declare the major and meet with advisors.

Students declared in the Data Science certificate may not be declared in the Data Science major at the same time. Students who do wish to declare this major must first cancel their declaration in the Data Science certificate.

Students declared in the Statistics certificate may not be declared in the Data Science major at the same time. Students who do wish to declare this major must first cancel their declaration in the Statistics certificate.

University General Education Requirements

All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.

College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum.

Bachelor of Arts degree requirements

Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major

Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.

Requirements for the Major

University Degree Requirements

1. Integrate foundational concepts and tools from mathematics, computer science, and statistics to solve data science problems.
2. Demonstrate competencies with tools and processes necessary for data management and reproducibility.
3. Produce meaning from data employing modeling strategies.
4. Demonstrate critical thinking related to data science concepts and methods.
5. Conduct data science activities aware of and according to policy, privacy, security and ethical considerations.
6. Demonstrate oral, written, and visual communication skills related to data science.

Sample Four-Year Plan

This Sample Four-Year Plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it—along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools—to make their own four-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests. As students become involved in athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, volunteer experiences, and/or work, they might adjust the order of their courses to accommodate these experiences. Students will likely revise their own four-year plan several times during college.

Sample Three-Year Plan

This Sample Three-Year Plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it —along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools — to make their own three-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests.

Three-year plans may vary considerably from student to student, depending on their individual preparation and circumstances. Students interested in graduating in three years should meet with an advisor as early as possible to discuss feasibility, appropriate course sequencing, post-graduation plans (careers, graduate school, etc.), and opportunities they might forgo in pursuit of a three-year graduation plan.

Departmental Expectations

A three-year degree is feasible for students with a variety of backgrounds and specific preparation. Students should ideally be entering the University with a minimum of 30 advanced standing credits, and have satisfied the following requirements with course credit or via placement examination:

• MATH 221 Calculus and Analytic Geometry 1
• MATH 222 Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2
• 3-4 units of foreign language

Looking for Data Science advising?

Information on group declaration sessions, individual advising appointments, drop-in advising, and contact information for advisors is available on our website.

What do Data Scientists Do?

Data Scientists are trained to manage, process, model, gain meaning and knowledge, and present data.  These skills can be employed in a wide variety of different sectors of employment.  Examples of interests of our students include finance, banking, sports analytics, marketing, retail, humanities, psychology, biosciences, healthcare, and consulting, just to name a few.  Students are encouraged to combine data science with majors, certificates, and courses from differing areas to best be able to apply their data science in the area of their choosing.

Data science is one of the fastest growing area of jobs in the U.S. and in Wisconsin. All of the major job search engines regularly list a multitude of positions, for example, in 2022 Data Scientist was the #3 job on the web site Glassdoor with over 10,000 jobs, Indeed.com had over 20,000 jobs for data science, and thousands of positions in multiple data oriented categories can be found on Monster.com.

Additionally, the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the job growth outlook from 2021-31 for Data Scientists to be 36% (much faster than average).

Some students may want to continue to develop additional advanced data science skills through graduate education.

L&S career resources

Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities.  SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.

In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.

Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.

• SuccessWorks
• Set up a career advising appointment
• Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
  • INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
  • INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
• Learn about internships and internship funding
  • INTER-LS 260 Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
• Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives

Advising Staff

Information regarding the Data Science advisors and how to make appointment can be found on the program page.

Data Science Major Program Committee

• Tyler Caraza-Harter (Computer Sciences)
• Michael Ferris (Computer Sciences)
• B. Ian Hutchins (iSchool)
• Bret Larget, Program Director (Statistics), committee chair
• Sebastien Roch (Mathematics)
• Sara Rodock (Statistics), advising representative

Helpful resources can be found at scholarships and Wisconsin Scholarship Hub. Additional information specific to Data Science students can be found on our major webpage and opportunities are regularly sent to declared students via our weekly newsletter.