Online Master’s in Data Analytics Program: What To Expect
The business world needs data analytics experts to help keep up with the exponential growth of Big Data. Today, predictive analysis and data modeling are desperately needed in departments ranging from marketing to business intelligence, product design, inventory control, and customer service if a business wishes to remain competitive.
Obtaining a masters in business analytics, masters in data analytics or a masters in business data analytics can help prepare students to enter the workforce in the versatile capacity of data specialists, ready to derive compelling business intelligence from previously unsifted data.
Because many grad school applicants may already be employed full-time, an online degree program that accommodates work schedules and offers portability can be very attractive. Obtaining an online MSBDA diploma requires dedication and intensive study, but the payoff can be well worth the investment.
Why A Master’s In Data Analytics?
Because data analytics is a relatively new field of study, evolving constantly from one day to the next, those who are interested in mastering the discipline often run across unaccredited crash-course options such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and data “boot camps.”
Unfortunately, MOOCs are self-guided. Nobody would trust a pilot who attained a license simply by listening to avionics lectures, so why would anyone trust a data expert who has never actually handled data? And data “boot camps” merely present students with a fast-paced introduction, allowing for very little practical application.
MS in Data Analytics degrees, on the other hand, are designed for “[those who] want to take time to let the new material absorb while learning in a structured environment with the full credentials of a university degree,” according to the DataScopeAnalytics.com blog post, “How Do I Become A Data Scientist? An Evaluation Of 3 Alternatives,” by data scientist Dean Malmgren, et al.
Data analysts with degrees from accredited schools will likely be taken more seriously by the corporate world. The higher salaries and more stable, professional positions are typically available to business data analysts with master’s degrees.
What Will Be Covered?
A data analytics program introduces students to the science of data analytics. Data analytics involves the examination of raw data for the purpose of extracting useful information through algorithmic or mechanical processes, according to accomplished project manager Avantika Monnappa in her Simplilearn.com article, “Data Science vs. Big Data vs. Data Analytics.”
After a brief introduction to business analytics, students will learn about database management, which will eventually be one of their main duties when they get a job. Coursework in database management will cover important principles that apply to database security and privacy laws.
Database principles take into account “the purpose for the information that is sought, components and respective relevance of the data at issue, technology that stores and manipulates the data, and validation processes to ensure that the data produced is what is expected,” according to the BauerleSolutions.com post, “6 Principles For Better Database Management.”
Another learning in an MSDA program is data mining. Researcher Alexander Furnas details the important points associated with data mining in his article, “Everything You Wanted To Know About Data Mining But Were Afraid To Ask,” in The Atlantic. Points include anomaly detection (finding atypical data), association learning (linking data to other data of the same type, such as Amazon’s suggested purchases), cluster detection (pattern recognition in groups of data), classification (making sense of data through categorization), and regression (forming predictive models based on data).
Students will also learn about data warehousing. “Data warehousing allows a company or organization to create a consolidated view of its enterprise data, optimized for reporting and analysis,” explains InformationBuilders.com on its “Data Warehousing (Data Warehouse)” article. “Basically, a data warehouse is an aggregate, sometimes summarized copy of transaction and non-transaction data specifically structured for dynamic queries and fast, efficient business analytics.”
Once students understand the basic concepts, they can begin to apply them to forecasting and predictive modeling, which is the ultimate goal of data analytics. Companies will task their business data analysts with predicting future trends or problems and modeling data in a way that will be easy for other departments to use in decision-making processes.
Online Training
Students can find the same quality of education in an online school setting that they do in a traditional classroom, especially when studying business data analytics. In fact, because they will eventually be handling data remotely and communicating with coworkers and clients over an internet connection, an online training environment could be ideal for MSDA students.
Students can log into an online classroom to have access to lectures, coursework, and group project forums. Online office hours can allow students to schedule individual one-on-one question-and-answer sessions with their instructor. The online classroom is designed to be simple, intuitive, and functional. Projects and assignments can be completed online and submitted for grading. Even tests can be taken through the online classroom environment.
Maryville University’s Master’s Degree In Data Analytics
The demand for business analytics experts lies at the heart of Maryville University’s online Master’s of Science in Data Analytics degree. Graduates of this online degree program can gain the skills to enter the workforce as a statistician, data scientist, data analyst, or actuary.
At Maryville University, students can learn how to handle datasets, orchestrate multiple infrastructures, monetize data and make decisions based on valuable analytics insights. Graduates will be exposed to the training and knowledge they will need to combine business operational data with the latest analytical tools, making them invaluable to employers.
Sources
How Do I Become A Data Scientist? And Evaluation Of 3 Alternatives
Data Science vs. Big Data vs. Data Analytics
6 Principles For Better Database Management
Everything You Wanted To Know About Data Mining But Were Afraid To Ask