With the market for quantitative candidates continuing to gain momentum, Burtch Works
spoke with Jennifer Priestley, Professor of Statistics and Data Science at Kennesaw
State University - and friend of Burtch Works - about the job market for quantitative
students, the beginnings of her MS in Applied Statistics program, and her thoughts
on SAS vs. R.
Burtch Works: Tell me about the makeup of your class, do you find that many of your
students are coming straight from undergrad or mid-career and retraining?
Jennifer Priestley: I would say 40% of our students come in direct from undergrad;
the other 60% are coming in with work experience, and are doing a mid-career change.
What’s fascinating to me is that we’re getting increasing numbers of MBA’s. For a
long time, an MBA would suffice, and it almost didn’t matter where it came from, but
those days are over. Maybe from the top five programs they still matter, but for the
most part an MBA is a way to round out qualifications. It would be naïve to think
that an undergrad degree in business and an MBA will get you somewhere.
BW: I’ve heard similar things from other programs about the influx of MBA students.
Do you get many international students in your program?
JP: Some, but not as many as I’ve heard in other programs. Many of the students are
first generation college students, so upon taking their first course here they will
be the most educated in their family. Our students are motivated, driven, and hungry
for success. We have a 0% unemployment rate, and when these undergraduate students
are placed into white collar, professional jobs making $50,000 a year, they’ll be
making more money than their parents. That’s what inspires me to do this, because
you’ve fundamentally changed their path and lineage. They may start their education
at X County Comprehensive High School, where only 3% of students even go to college
at all, and by the time they graduate our program they’re working as a business analyst
at Equifax. That’s a huge step.
