Get Smart This Summer
I was the kid who skipped recess to help grade quizzes; the graduate student who delayed getting a degree because it meant the end of school; the professor who told students that he was now in the 33rd grade and still loved school.
Even now I can’t resist reviewing great opportunities for more coursework and learning that can help Versta and its clients do smarter work.
A number of top universities offer condensed summer coursework and seminars on topics critical to market research. Knowledge and innovation in these areas advance quickly, so staying on top of this learning is essential. Here are some that we highly recommend:
The Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor offers four-week courses in June and July on topics such as basic statistics for the social sciences, advanced regression modeling, Bayesian statistics, network analysis, data mining, and how to use R. The program is sponsored by the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research.
The Summer Institute in Survey Research Techniques, also at the University of Michigan, offers four-week courses in June and July on standard topics such as questionnaire design, sampling, analysis of survey data, qualitative data analysis, and techniques for combining qualitative and quantitative methods.
The University of Maryland offers a 3-day workshop in Bayesian statistical modeling, which is an ideal way to learn about this important and emerging method in a condensed, intensive format.
Statistical Horizons is a company staffed by faculty from places like University of Pennsylvania, University of North Carolina, Michigan State, and other top schools. They offer 2-day seminars on statistical topics not commonly taught in graduate school, but which are growing in importance in the business world, including Bayesian modeling and data mining.
University of Kansas Stats Camp offers one-week intensive courses on topics ranging from basic statistics, to structural equation modeling, item response theory, and statistical analysis with R.
The best thing about research is that it demands an ongoing professional commitment to learning. It’s what we love to do. And best of all is when we are learning new answers to questions that our clients need to make smart decisions.
