Analytics is a sister term, used mostly in business settings to characterize the analysis of business data to describe, predict, and improve business performance. These disciplines include statistical analysis, machine learning, data mining, probabilistic modeling, computer programming, distributed and high performance computing, and database management.

 Graduates of the data science & analytics program develop a thorough understanding of the field, learn to manage data effectively, are prepared to apply statistical techniques for the analysis of data, and learn to explore data, communicate data analysis findings through visualizations and build models from data to describe phenomena and make predictions on future occurrences and events. Students in this program learn to develop large scale data mining applications, as well as implementing algorithms and designing, building and managing large, distributed data (“big data”) systems

The School of Computer Science and Mathematics has recently announced that both a major and a minor in data science will be available to students starting in the fall 2016 semester. The field of data science has experienced exponential growth over the past few years with huge impacts on business, government, science, technology and academia.  Organizations now understand that using data to build models to predict future events and behaviors is key to revolutionizing the way they compete, produce and innovate. 

Major in Data Science and Analytics Areas of Emphasis:

• Implement algorithms for data aggregation, cleaning and analysis
• Manipulate large amounts of data and build models from the data which can be used to describe phenomena and make predictions about future occurrences and events.
• Explore data to identify its meaning and impact, and communicate data analysis findings with appropriate visualizations and graphical techniques.
• Design, build, and manage large, distributed “big data” systems