Statistics

Professional statisticians use statistical methods to collect and analyze data for the purposes of solving real-world problems in business, engineering, health care and many other fields. The BS in Statistics program provides training in contemporary statistical techniques, as well as their theoretical backgrounds and applications. The program will be tailored to lead you to a wide variety of career choices in business or industry, or to prepare you for further studies in graduate school. Current faculty research interests are wide-ranging and include Count Modeling, Data Mining, Applied Statistics, Statistical Computing, and Statistics Education.

What makes Misericordia’s Statistics program stand out from all the rest:

The disciplinary area of statistics provides students with expanded opportunities to cultivate higher order critical thinking skills through its mathematics based study and practice. Misericordia University is the only College/University in the Northeastern Pennsylvania region who offers a Bachelor’s program in Statistics. Students who complete the Bachelor of Science in Statistics will automatically fulfill the necessary requirements for the Mathematics minor.

Program degree options:

• Bachelor of Science in Statistics (with a Minor in Mathematics)
• A Minor in Statistics is also available for students from other majors.

Job opportunities for a Statistics degree include the following fields:

• Health and Medicine:

  • Animal health

  • Genetics
  • Epidemiology
  • Biostatistics
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical trials
  • Public health
• Business and Industry:
  • Agriculture
  • Engineering
  • Marketing
  • Chemistry
  • Finance
  • Quality Improvement
  • Computer Science
  • Insurance
  • Reliability
  • Economics
  • Manufacturing
• Government:
  • Bureau of Justice Statistics
  • Government Regulation
  • Population Research
  • Census
  • Law
  • Risk Assessment
  • Ecology
  • National Defense
  • Surveys
• Athletics:
  • Sports analyst
  • Sports broadcasting
  • Sports teams

Research/internships and other opportunities available at:

• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF)
• Internships are available with many local businesses and organizations including:
  • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Railriders
  • Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Co.
  • Masonic Villages
• Student Clubs/Activities:
  • Math and Computer Science Club

Mission

The Statistics major will contribute to the mission of the university by fostering intellectual curiosity and critical thinking and by affirming the institution’s liberal arts character. The department’s mission statement designates that “The academic development of each student at the undergraduate level is ensured by the Mathematics Department's commitment to provide a learning experience that cultivates higher order thinking skills through the study and practice of mathematics.” As the disciplinary area of statistics provides students with expanded opportunities to cultivate higher order thinking skills through its (mathematics based) study and practice, the degree in Statistics complements the department’s mission. The Statistics program complements the department’s goals of providing a cooperative and quality academic environment from which students can graduate with an undergraduate liberal arts based degree and in which faculty are enabled to develop professionally.

Goals

The following are program goals for the Statistics major, in which students will:

1. Think critically, reason analytically and solve problems creatively.
2. Succeed in their careers in business, industry or government, as well as in graduate school.
3. Effectively communicate statistical ideas and arguments.
4. Use SPSS or similar statistical computer packages to perform data analysis.
5. Use statistical methods in their future endeavors not only within the discipline, but in other disciplines as well.

Outcomes

The Statistics major program goals are realized in the following student learning outcomes:

1. Solve applied problems in differential and integral calculus, and probability theory.
2. Use a variety of statistical software packages to enter and manage data, and to calculate and combine descriptive statistical parameters.
3. Differentiate between various sampling techniques.
4. Utilize inferential statistics.
5. Calculate test statistics.
6. Use various test statistics to assess the significance of a model.
7. Utilize regression analysis to construct a predictive model.
8. Design and analyze experiments using a variety of techniques.
9. Gain entrance into careers as well as in graduate or professional school.

Professional statisticians use statistical methods to collect and analyze data to help solve real-world problems in business, engineering, health care and many other fields.

According to the 2016-17 U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, statisticians work in fields such as:

• Business and industry
• Biostatistics
• Computer science
• Education
• Finance
• Marketing
• Psychology
• Sports
• Government
• Health care
• Research and development
• and any other field that requires the collection and analysis of data

“We’re entering an era of tremendous growth in the profession of statistics,’’ said American Statistical Association (ASA) President David R. Morganstein, who compared the boom in the field to the 1970s demand for computing professionals. “We’re seeing similar trajectory in statistics. Advances in computing, technology and Big Data continue to raise the demand for statisticians.’’

The job outlook for statisticians is robust, according to several jobs reports as they attribute growth from the more widespread use of statistical analysis in making informed business and health care decisions. The National Center for Education Statistics and the Education Advisory Board recently noted that statistics is the fastest growing STEM degree. LinkedIn, the popular career website, reported in January 2016 that statistician ranked second among the 25 most in-demand job skills in 2014.

Furthermore, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that jobs for statisticians will increase 34 percent by 2024, much faster than the average for other occupations.