The analytics program at the University of North Texas College of Business will receive its first class this fall, when 40-50 students will be able to be a part of either the part- or full-time program designed by the business school’s advisory board.
When the analytics program was first formed at the University of North Texas-Denton campus in 2011, it was intended to be an MS in Information Technology and Decision Sciences. The aim was to create a master’s degree program focused on business analytics, which was a serious need for companies in the area. Specifically, classes in data mining, predictive analytics and business intelligence helped to form the program.
Although the program initially made two separate MS degrees available for students, overlap between the programs resulted in their logical union. Additional business analytics courses were then added to the program to “…build both a breadth and depth of business analytics skills and knowledge,” according to Dr. Mary Jones, chair of the Information Technology and Decision Science department. “At that point, we renamed it to an MS in Business Analytics and revised the required courses.”
One of the strengths of the Business Analytics program at the U of NT is the hands-on experience of faculty members currently working in business analytics and modeling. In addition, the program was redesigned by the school’s advisory board representing more than thirty companies from a variety of industries.
A number of exciting advancements are in the works for the Business Analytics program including the possibility of IBM hosting an IBM Analytics workshop on campus. In addition, two new master’s courses in big data analytics and visualization will involve some of the corporate world’s newest and most relevant technology.
Jones encouraged undergraduates who are not yet certain of their path to pursue the program due to a high demand in the field. Between course offerings and hands-on experience through the internship program, the Business Analytics program will ensure graduates prepared for the workforce.