Streamlining stats

10/4/2010 - MBA students have a lot on their plates: coursework, professional and community obligations, and preparing for their next career move. Mastering several data analysis software programs on top of all that can be a daunting task.

But the load will get a little lighter this year for Kellogg students, who will enjoy free access to Stata, a data analysis and statistical software that will be used in all Kellogg courses.

In the past, some students had to learn up to three different statistical software packages for different courses.

“With this new addition to the Kellogg curriculum, students will be able to go straight into application in courses that use statistical analysis instead of spending time learning a new system,” said Jan Van Mieghem, senior associate dean of curriculum and teaching.

Stata covers a wide range of statistical techniques and is programmable, allowing the user to add new commands. It includes a variety of tools to analyze complex survey data, panel data and survival analysis. Stata’s flexibility makes it easy to use in all Kellogg courses, from the statistics core courses to advanced electives, said Kellogg Professor Angela Lee, who chaired a faculty committee that spent two years exploring software options.

“It’s not easy for everybody to set aside their preferred preferences, but faculty across the board worked hard to come to a solution that was best for the school and the students,” said Lee, the Mechthild Esser Nemmers Professor of Marketing.

Full-Time, Part-Time, Joint-Degree and Executive MBA students now can install a free copy of Stata through Kellogg Information Systems.

All classes will use Stata as the standard software in any coursework that requires statistical analysis.

First-year students will learn how to use the Stata software in the DECS434 Statistical Methods for Management Decisions course. Each student will have a copy of Stata that will be licensed to them for lifetime use.

Faculty also will be trained in Stata and course textbooks, and other tutorial materials have been updated to be compatible with the Stata software.

Students can download their copy of Stata through the KIS website. KIS will be holding Stata support hours to assist in the rollout of the program for faculty and students.