GUIDE TO MAJORS AND PROGRAMS
College of Arts & Sciences
Statistics
Overview
Statisticians act as interpreters of the vast
accumulation of facts and figures available
today. They provide ways of gaining new
insights into the behavior of many phenomena
people encounter in a variety of fields of
specialization. Statistics is a field in which
experts have virtually unlimited opportunities.
The existence of modern-day computers
relieves the statistician of tedious computations
and elevates his or her professional activity to
dealing with people and/or engaging in basic
research.
Statisticians are in high demand in private
industry, government and education. There is
no area in which a statistician’s skills are not
needed. It is a discipline that teaches how to
make intelligent judgments and informed
decisions in the presence of uncertainty and
variation, using available data and facts. The
modern computer is the primary tool of each
statistics professional, and statisticians are an
integral part of the improvements and progress
made every day in computer design and use.
A background in statistics is also excellent
preparation for many other fields of study.
Professional options
Employers
Perhaps the most recognizable 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 Census Bureau, but also are in demand
in many service agencies. Universities hire
statisticians in many academic departments,
including mathematics, management sciences,
economics, genetics, history and psychology,
and at administrative and service levels,
Points of pride
The Princeton Review picked K-State among
the best colleges in the country. K-State is
a national leader among state-supported
universities in its total of Rhodes, Marshall,
Truman, Goldwater and Udall scholarship
winners.
including business affairs, research support and
personnel.
Private industry, including consulting, relies
on statisticians heavily. The legal profession
increasingly uses professionally derived statistics
to support or refute evidence. Private consulting
can be lucrative for the experienced statistician
who works with both private industry and
government. Companies of all sizes employ staff
statisticians to keep their businesses progressing
and competitive.
Statistics has extensive application in areas such
as:
n Actuarial science
n Agriculture and fisheries
n Biology
n Business
n Economics
n Education
n Engineering
n Health and medicine
n Market research
n Psychology
n Quality control
n Social sciences
Academics
Degree options
Bachelor’s degrees
The Department of Statistics offers a Bachelor of
Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.
Both degrees require the completion of
the general College of Arts & Sciences core,
which includes introductory work in English
composition, speech and electives in the
humanities and social sciences. The B.A. requires
some additional work in modern languages; the
B.S. requires further work in some sciences and
formal reasoning.
Both degrees require extensive statistics
course work. A dual degree program with
mathematics is available. The department
and the current Kansas State University
undergraduate catalog can offer specific
requirements. Visit catalog.k-state.edu.
k-state.edu/admissions/academics
Minor
Students interested in quantitative methods
to complement their major area of study may
select a minor in statistics. A minor in statistics
can enhance a student’s resume and make him
or her more marketable to those employers
seeking quantitative skills and the ability to
analyze and interpret data.
Dual majors and dual degrees
Students may major in statistics and another
discipline within the College of Arts & Sciences.
The degree requirements of both departments
must be met. For instance, it is possible to
complete a dual statistics-mathematics degree
in four years.
Students may obtain a dual degree in statistics
and a field in another college such as business
administration or engineering. The degree
requirements of both colleges must be met and
a minimum of 150 hours must be completed.
Students who choose this option should
complete the calculus sequence by the end of
their sophomore year.
Advanced degrees
The department of statistics offers studies
leading to a Master of Science or a Doctor
of Philosophy degree. A master’s degree is
recommended for a career in industry or
government. The Ph.D. is usually required
for postsecondary teaching and higher level
positions.
Preparation
Students entering the Department of Statistics
at K-State should have a strong background in
math.
Facilities
The department of statistics offers a help lab
in 4 Dickens Hall where students can get help
with homework or class projects. Other forms
of assistance, such as with research projects,
are available through the consulting lab in 12
Dickens Hall. A stat lab in 10 Dickens is also
available to undergraduate and graduate
statistics majors. This lab contains computers
and a printer, as well as an open area for
students to gather and to discuss ideas. 1
Dickens also is a campus computing lab that is
open to students 24/7.
Activities
Clubs
Statistics club
The statistics club promotes enthusiasm and
interest in statistics on campus and helps
students overcome intimidation of statistics in a
casual, friendly and fun atmosphere. Members
receive a better all-around understanding of
the statistics profession, meet other statistics
students and faculty, and engage in activities
designed to promote statistical and general
scholarly development. The club’s activities have
included pizza parties during finals, ice skating,
T-shirt sales at the Conference on Applied
Statistics in Agriculture and Halloween pumpkin
carving contests.
Research
The department has an excellent reputation for
turning out students who can solve real-world
problems. Students are strongly encouraged to
become involved in the collaborative research
and consulting activities of the department.
Interested students work closely with faculty on
a range of problems. For example, the student
can assist with data analysis of a split-plot design
in an agricultural project, designing a survey in a
sociological project, or coding an analysis under
a statistical analysis computer package.
Projects vary in length of time and
sophistication of the statistical methods needed
to complete them. Students gain formal training
in statistical consulting and communication
through STAT 945.
Financial assistance
Scholarships
The Holly and Beth Fryer Scholarship
This scholarship is available to any regularly
enrolled student at Kansas State University who
is majoring in statistics. Scholastic performance
is the criterion used in selecting a recipient.
Winners will be expected to enroll in a statistics
curriculum during the current academic year.
The scholarships will be paid out in two sums,
half being provided upon enrollment for each of
the two semesters of the academic year.
The Ronald and Rae Iman Scholarship
This scholarship is open only to students are
properly enrolled in the Department of Statistics
and who have graduated from an accredited
high school in one of the following states:
Kansas, Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New
Mexico, Oklahoma or Texas. Preference will be
given to strong students who meet criteria in
the following order:
ndergraduates who graduated from an
U
accredited high school in rural Kansas.
n Undergraduates who graduated from an
accredited high school in Kansas.
n Undergraduates who graduated from an
accredited high school in one of the states
listed above.
n Graduate students who graduated from an
accredited high school in one of the states
listed above and did undergraduate work
in engineering.
n
Arthur D. and Lavonia B. Dayton Scholarship
This scholarship is available to any
undergraduate or graduate student properly
enrolled in the Department of Statistics at
Kansas State University.
Dr. Lynn Ying-Shiang Lin Statistics Graduate
Research Scholarship
The recipient of this scholarship will be a
graduate research assistant in good academic
standing, as determined by the Department
of Statistics Scholarship Committee, who is
properly enrolled in the department of statistics
at Kansas State University. Preference will be
given to a student with financial need.
Howard Siepman Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship is available to any Ph.D. student
properly enrolled in the department of statistics
at Kansas State University.
The Statistics Scholarship
This scholarship is available to any student
enrolled in the Department of Statistics.
Other opportunities
The department may hire undergraduates
for grading or tutoring duties. Additionally,
assistance is available for students who wish to
attend local chapter meetings of the American
Statistical Association and accompanying
workshops.
Suggested course work
Students who major in statistics may seek a Bachelor
of Arts degree or a Bachelor of Science degree by
satisfying the general requirements of that degree and
by completing the following:
Hrs.Courses
4
MATH 220
Analytic Geometry and Calculus I
4
MATH 221
Analytic Geometry and Calculus II
4
MATH 222Analytic Geometry and
Calculus III
One of: CIS 200 Fundamentals of Software Design
(4 hours) or CIS 111 Fundamentals of Computer
Programming (3 hours)
3One course selected from MATH 551, CIS 209,
CIS 300
3ENGL 516Written Communication for the
Sciences
3
One of STAT 325, 340 or 350
3
STAT 341 or 351
3STAT 510 Introductory Probability and
Statistics I
3
STAT 511Introductory Probability and
Statistics II
3
STAT 705Regression and Analysis of
Variance
One of STAT 710, 720, or 722 (3 hours)
One additional STAT course at 700 level (3 hours)
*Upper-division quantitative electives to give a total
of 46 credit hours. Courses must be at the 400 level
or above, and may include, math, computer science,
statistics or course in other area with substantial
quantitative content. Courses must be approved by an
academic advisor.
**A minimum of 2.0 GPA in STAT courses taken as part
of the major is required for graduation.
***STAT courses at the 400 level or higher may replace
either or both of the 300-level STAT courses.
Minor
Students interested in quantitative methods to
complement their major area of study may select a
minor in statistics. Requirements are as follows:
n One of STAT 325, 340, 350 or 510
n One of STAT 341, 351 or 511
n STAT 705
n Six additional hours that require statistics
as a prerequisite. Courses may be statistics
courses or quantitative courses from another
department containing substantial statistical
content. These courses must be preapproved
by the Department of Statistics.
For more information about statistics,
contact:
Department of Statistics
Kansas State University
101 Dickens Hall
1116 Mid-Campus Dr North
Manhattan, KS 66506–0802
785-532-6883
statdept@k-state.edu
k-state.edu/stats
Additional department information:
Suzanne Dubnicka, dubnicka@k-state.edu
Christopher Vahl, vahl@k-state.edu
For more information about
Kansas State University, contact:
Office of Admissions
Kansas State University
119 Anderson Hall
919 Mid-Campus Dr North
Manhattan, KS 66506–0102
1-800-432-8270 (toll free) or
785-532-6250
k-state@k-state.edu
k-state.edu/admissions
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may be reached at 103 Edwards Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
66506, (785) 532-6277.
2016