New Degree Programs Help Meet the Demand for Analytic Talent

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for people with analytics skills and expertise is growing much faster than other occupations.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for people with analytics skills and expertise is growing much faster than other occupations. BLS forecasts more than 20 percent growth in demand for mathematicians, operations research analysts and management analysts across all industries. To help provide the educational background needed for many of these roles, colleges and universities are introducing new degree and certificate programs focused on data mining, data analytics and business intelligence. Below are a few examples: 

Master of Science in Analytics

In 2007, North Carolina State University began offering the first graduate degree in Analytics. In just 10 months, students can earn a Master of Science in Analytics through the university’s Institute for Advanced Analytics. The degree program addresses data collection and integration, statistical methods and models and complex processes for enterprise decision making.

Master of Science in Predictive Analytics

In 2010, DePaul University announced a Master of Science in Predictive Analytics (MSPA) through its Center for Data Mining and Predictive Analytics, a joint venture between the School of Computing and the School of Marketing. The DePaul program covers data mining, predictive analytics and business intelligence.

Northwestern University will begin its first MSPA degree program in the fall of 2011. The new MSPA degree is offered entirely online and provides core basics such as data mining concepts and applications, and extends into advanced data analysis, advanced statistics, database management, financial analysis, web analytics, predictive modeling and marketing analytics.

Master of Science in Business Intelligence

Students can earn a Master of Science in Business Intelligence (MSBI) from Saint Joseph’s University. The program offers evening classes and addresses technology integration, quantitative skills and analytics within a business context.

The University of Denver also offers an MSBI degree program through the Daniels College of Business. The program focuses on how to gather and leverage information to lead organizations and guide decisions. The cross-functional coursework covers data warehousing, marketing, finance and operations and incorporates real project work.

Master of Science in Business Analytics

The University of Tennessee Knoxville offers a Master of Science in Business Analytics through the College of Business Administration. The program provides students with an understanding of business and helps them learn the analytical skills needed to solve business problems. Students can choose one of three areas of concentration: Applied Statistics, Process Optimization or Business Intelligence.

Master of Science in Data Mining

Since 2003, Central Connecticut State University has offered a Master of Science in Data Mining degree. The program helps students master the cross-industry standard process for data mining, become proficient with leading data mining software, and to understand and apply a wide variety of mathematical and statistical techniques. It also introduces students to the latest data mining techniques and applications such as text mining and mining genomics data.

Graduate Certificate in Data Mining

A non-degree Graduate Certificate in Data Mining is now offered by several colleges and universities across the country such as George Mason University, Oklahoma State University, Penn State University, Stanford University, University of Central Florida and the University of Louisville.

Steve McDonnell
Spotfire Blogging Team