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for the past 2 years i have been employed at a consulting firm focused on helping LAWYERS present TRUTH with accurate and statistically verified data.

I am a graduate student in a pair of MS programs. One is in Business Analytics and U of Mich Dearborn. The other is an MA in Applied Stats at EMU. On top of that, I already have an MS in applied and computational mathematics from U of M-Dearborn.

Already has 2 Master's degrees. One master’s degree is in Applied and Computational Mathematics. the second Master’s degree, I had to combine coursework from 2 different master’s degrees into one.

still working out the topic: maybe something like "What makes a statistician?"

1)      Some places don’t care what you know. Only the type of degree is important.

2)      Some places feel experience in a multitude of areas is important and won’t consider you otherwise.

3)      Data scientists use DBMS systems for data analysis; Statisticians believe using your desktop for everything is the right way to go, for everything.

In my experience, statistics students are expected to pick up programming along the way, sometimes with a formal series of lectures, but this can leave gaps in their mental models of common programming concepts.  There is also the issue of efficiency, which is of particular importance in conducting simulation studies.  The differences in speed between thoughtful, well-written code and cargo-cult programming can often be measured in orders of magnitude.  Finally, demonstrable coding experience can provide an advantage for graduates entering the job market.

In summary, students of statistics (at all levels) could do with more exposure to programming, for both academic and practical purposes. This article will highlight ways to acquire said exposure and give an accessible overview of key programming concepts for statistics and data science.

I received my Master's degree in January, 1981. During 1981-2 I was enrolled in a PhD program in statistics which I never completed due to various aspects of life getting in the way.

This May I will complete 34 years providing statistical service to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. Initially I was employed by several companies. Beginning in mid-1995 I've owned and served as principal consultant for a small statistics consulting company, a position I continue in. 

The gist of my proposed article is to briefly describe my career and to use my own history to illustrate how someone with a Master's can advance in rank and responsibility within industry to the point where he or she can make the leap to becoming an independent statistical consultant providing solid practical advice followed-up by hands-on delivery of results. There is also the opportunity to work in areas where Master's-level statisticians are not usually thought of as a viable resource.