Professional Development

Professional Development (PD) is a fundamental component of the professional life of statisticians, increasing the value of their contributions to society. PD is the process of improving and broadening the knowledge, skill, and personal qualities needed to be successful in the practice of statistics. To meet your Professional Development needs, the ASA offers Continuing Education and Personal Skills Development courses and workshops and web-based lectures.

Courses and Workshops at ASA Meetings and Conferences

Joint Statistical Meetings

Classes in methodology and practice that keep you abreast of new techniques and theory, help you stay connected with best practice, allow you to grow in areas not previously studied (or refresh forgotten material), and aid in gathering ideas and direction for future research

Workshops in technology that help you learn about new computational techniques and software tools so you can stay on top of trends in technology and new sources of data

Workshops in “soft skills” such as effective communication, collaboration, leadership, and influence that are vital to the impact of individual contributions and the visibility of our profession

Conference on Statistical Practice

Courses and Practical Computing Demonstrations that provide opportunities to learn new statistical methodologies and best practices in statistical analysis, design, consulting, and statistical programming

Women in Statistics and Data Science

Courses for academic, industry, and government professionals and students working in statistics, biostatistics, and data science that focus on both technology and techniques for women to use to advance their careers

ASA Biopharmaceutical Section Regulatory-Industry Statistics Workshop

This workshop for statisticians from industry, academia, and the FDA offers short courses on related topics the day prior to the workshop

International Conference on Health Policy Statistics

Workshops focusing on the dissemination of statistical methods in health policy and health services research

Videos, Traveling Courses, and Webinars

Career Planning and Leadership Videos

Various ASA members have created webcasts in “soft skills” such as leadership development and career planning that add valuable insight into how to improve, change, or advance careers in the statistics profession.

Council of Chapters Traveling Courses

The Council of Chapters sponsors short courses that travel to local chapters of the ASA. Each year, 15–20 chapters across the United States and Canada host a Council of Chapters Traveling Course that provides low-cost, high-quality, continuing education to ASA members in those areas.

Web-Based Lectures

Web-based training is becoming increasingly popular as a cost-effective alternative to live training courses. Let the training come through your computer so you don’t have to leave your work environment. If you work with a team of statisticians, register once and gather your colleagues in a conference room so you can view the training session together and maximize your professional development budgets. Each web-based lecture is roughly two hours in length and features top statisticians talking about their specialties.