Beginning in fall 2018, data analytics will be offered as a new major to provide students with the knowledge and skill set to make meaningful contributions in a variety of fields including public health, product development, scientific research, marketing, and neuroscience. It will also provide the knowledge base for students intending to pursue graduate work in data science.
“There exists a sustained demand for well-educated data analysts who can analyze complex data sets and ask the right questions, communicate well, and address ethical concerns and issues,” said Joseph Alfano, Ph.D., assistant professor of mathematics and department chair of mathematics and computer science. “Drawing from Assumption’s expert mathematics and computer science faculty, as well as those from other departments, the institution has created a unique major and minor that will certainly complement other areas of study.”
Advances in computer technology have created an explosion in the acquisition and storage of vast quantities of data from every aspect of life. This sudden change has created the need for mathematically and computationally trained graduates who can analyze this data and make recommendations based on those investigations. In order to help meet this demand, the data analytics major will help students understand who we are and where we’re going—and how best to use that knowledge—by providing the research, programming, and critical analysis skills needed to make data-informed decisions in a variety of fields. Students will learn how to gather, process, and evaluate large amounts of information and what it means for the rest of the world.
