Mathematics is the science and art of pattern and idea; statistics is the science of collecting, analyzing, and making inferences from data. There is no area that does not require some form of mathematical or statistical thought. It is an integral part of the liberal arts education and is the foundation for many areas of study. In filling many roles at UW-La Crosse, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics serves a diverse group of students; we nurture all liberal arts students, give students a solid foundation from which to study both the natural and social sciences, provide the tools needed by students in professional programs, and cultivate mathematics and statistics majors. As disciplines, mathematics and statistics can be studied by themselves or in conjunction with other fields such as the biological and life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and social sciences.

Students who graduate with degrees in mathematics or statistics pursue a wide variety of careers. Our math education majors are sought after to fill a huge need for quality math teachers in our country. Many of our statistics and applied math 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. With degrees from our program, students have gone to graduate programs in mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics, engineering, and computer science.

Career Opportunities

Demand has been strong, and promises to be so in the future, for the mathematically trained person. Some graduates choose to further their education by attending graduate school in mathematics or a related discipline. For those entering the job market, graduates have found numerous job opportunities that utilize their knowledge and competencies.