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Data Analysis and Applied Statistics Master's Program Students Graduate

The first cohort of students, four in all, graduated this past May from the Department of Statistics’ Data Analysis and Applied Statistics master of arts program in the Greater Washington, D.C., metro area.

“It was wonderful,” said Tom Woteki, director of both the Data Analysis and Applied Statistics (DAAS) program and the Academy of Data Science about watching the first graduates finish their degrees. 

In May, the program had 15 students enrolled, four of whom graduated in May. Four more students will graduate in December, Woteki said. DAAS, which turned to full online status in the wake of the pandemic, is designated as a part-time program as the vast majority of its students work full time.

“We expect the program to grow and it’s serving the targeted audience we want to serve,” Woteki said. 

Graduates spoke highly of the program. 

“This degree will help me in my new career by showing employers that I know the concepts behind analyzing data, as much as I know how to visualize it. I believe that ability to know the theoretical concepts is what makes DAAS’s program stand out.”

— Sadaf Rhohani (M.S. 2021) was on the web panel Predictive Analytics Meets Pandemic, co-sponsored by the College of Science

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Sadaf Rohani

“I wanted to become a better storyteller with data. One of the most valuable skills is influencing and being able to influence decision makers — there is no better way to [influence a story] than with data. The course also helped Tuck earn an industry-recognized Machine Learning [ML] certification.”

 — Marshall Tuck (M.S. 2021), Virginia Tech graduate with bachelor degrees in  economics and finance

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Marshall Tuck