Graduate Studies

Applied Statistics and Decision Analytics

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

Program Overview

The School of Accounting, Finance, Economics and Decision Sciences offers courses leading to the Master of Science degree in Applied Statistics and Decision Analytics. Further information concerning the program and areas of specialization may be obtained from the school director.

The Master of Science in Applied Statistics and Decision Analytics is a multidisciplinary graduate degree program with a unique focus on applied statistics and decision analytics. This program is intended for graduates from undergraduate programs in the quantitative and biological sciences, mathematics, sociology, psychology, business, computer sciences, physics, engineering, and education, as well as working professionals desiring to sharpen their data-analysis and analytical skills and learn advanced statistical methods. The 30-semester-hour curriculum provides students with a firm foundation of statistical analysis and modeling commonly used in many fields, including education, science, technology, health care, government, business, or social science research. The graduates of the program will be trained on industry-standard software packages, such as SAS and/or R, and gain modern analytical skills that are sought after in many fields, particularly in the areas of business and decision analytics or data analytics. The program is designed to include 21 semester hours (s.h.) of core courses, 6 s.h. of directed electives, and 3 s.h. from one of the following: a thesis option, an internship option, or a capstone project option.

Why Choose Applied Statistics and Decision Analytics at WIU?

Building on the recommendations of the American Statistical Association (ASA)’s professional panel of experts (see, Amstat News, February 2013, http://magazine.amstat.org): “Preparing Master’s Statistics Students for Success: A Perspective from Recent Graduates and Employers,” graduates of our master of science in applied statistics and decision analytics degree program will be able to:

  1. apply advanced statistical methodologies, including a) descriptive statistics and graphical displays; b) probability models for uncertainty, stochastic processes, and distribution theory; c) hypothesis testing and confidence intervals; d) ANOVA and regression models (including linear, and multiple linear) and analysis of residuals from models and trends; and e) predictive modeling, forecasting, design of experiments, and stochastic models in applied statistics and decision analytics;
  2. derive and understand basic theory underlying these methodologies;
  3. formulate and model practical problems for solutions using these methodologies;
  4. produce relevant computer output using necessary and sufficient programming skills and standard statistical software (e.g., SAS, R, STATA, etc.) and interpret the results appropriately;
  5. communicate statistical concepts and analytical results clearly and appropriately to others;
  6. understand theory, concepts, and terminology at a level that supports lifelong learning of related methodologies; and
  7. identify areas where ethical issues may arise in statistics.

Our Faculty

The faculty members in the School of Accounting, Finance, Economics and Decision Sciences take an active and sincere interest in student success. Faculty members are active in research which means the skills students learn will be state of the art.

Career Opportunities

The need for skilled data professionals is real and growing. This program seeks to combine the course work of statistical decision making and analytic tools to meet the demand for skilled workers in the U.S. and Illinois job markets. With three Fortune 100 companies in the region—John Deere, Caterpillar, and State Farm—the degree program is designed to address strong regional needs and/or a shortage of graduates in the fields of applied statistics and decision analytics. Due to the shortage of skilled data and business analysts, the market demand is strong for graduates in this field. Companies hiring include Caterpillar, John Deere, Hewlett-Packard, Honeywell, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, American Medical Association, Chicago Board of Trade, U.S. Treasury, U.S. Comptroller of the Currency, Tennessee Department of Commerce, Principal Financial Group, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Exxon, Illinois Power, Newsweek, and WalMart.


Quick View

Degrees Available:

  • M.S.

Locations:

  • Macomb
  • Quad Cities
  • Online

Required GPA:

  • Cumulative: 3.0
  • Last 2 years: 3.0

Admission Requirements:

  • Transcripts

Interesting Facts: Fall 2023

  • Currently enrolled: 92
  • International: 87
  • Minority: 1
  • Students with Assistantships: 11

School Contact Information:

Stipes Hall 431
309/298-1152
decisionanalytics@wiu.edu