Statistics

Christopher Vahl, Head
Juan Du, Director of Graduate Studies
Michael Higgins, Director of Graduate Studies

101 Dickens Hall
785-532-6883
gradrec@ksu.edu
http://www.ksu.edu/stats/

Careers

To solve problems we need information. But, what kind? How much? How to get it? And after we get it, what do we do with it? Statisticians deal with numerical information usually called data. Their job is to advise on data collection based on the problem to be solved, offer inferential procedures and conduct data analysis, and interpret results in appropriate settings. All areas that involve the retrieval, collection and analysis of data can significantly benefit from the skills of a statistician to help advance their fields, regardless of sciences, medicine, engineering or education. Monitoring the environment, developing new vaccines, making more reliable products, growing crops more efficiently, setting insurance rates, and providing recommender systems are just some endeavors in which statisticians have had a significant impact on. Statistics is a field in which experts have virtually unlimited opportunities.

One area of careers in statistics are those in the state and federal governments. Professionals are not only hired into such areas as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of the Census, but are in demand in many service agencies.

Universities hire statisticians in many academic departments, including public health, mathematics, management sciences, economics, genetics, history, and psychology, and at the administrative and service levels, including business affairs, research support, and personnel.

Private industry is a heavy user of the skills of the statistician. For example, the pharmaceutical industry employs many statisticians to design studies and analyze data to show the safety and effectiveness of new drug compounds. Manufacturing industries are increasingly using statisticians to help them improve quality and productivity. Private consulting can be lucrative for the experienced statistician who works with both private industry and government. Companies of all sizes employ statisticians to keep the business progressing and competitive.

Preparation

The Department of Statistics accepts students with a strong quantitative background. The graduate programs welcome students from many different disciplines. Students entering the M. S. program should have a background of calculus, matrix algebra, computer programming, and introductory statistics. Students entering the Ph.D. program should have additional course work in statistics and mathematics.

Degree Programs

The Department of Statistics offers four-degree programs: B.S. in statistics, a concurrent B.S./M.S. in statistics, M.S in statistics (Mathematical Statistics Track or Data Science and Analytics Track), and Ph.D. in statistics. A master’s degree is recommended for a career in industry or government. The Ph.D. degree is usually required for post-secondary teaching and higher level positions. The department offers concentrations in applied, computational, and mathematical probability and statistics.

Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistics

The department offers the Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistics to recognize the preparation and proficiency of non-majors in data analysis in a wide variety of subject matter areas. Graduate students in a variety of academic disciplines are conducting research that requires knowledge in applied statistics. Such students may wish to demonstrate proficiency in applied statistics as it may be useful when looking for meaningful employment opportunities, in addition to helping them become better researchers in their chosen fields. In order to strengthen their educational programs and the quality of graduate education, a Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistics has been developed.

Consulting opportunities

The department does a tremendous amount of consulting work for researchers and students on campus and for individuals and agencies off campus. Projects vary in length of time and sophistication of methods needed to complete them. Students may contact the department head to find out what is available. Those who wish to do consulting will be assigned a faculty member to direct the work. At the student’s discretion, up to 2 hours credit may be earned for consulting by registering for STAT 945.