<aside> 🆕 This documentation shows an updated version of this program that began its roll-out during the 2024-2025 academic year. Courses from the prior version will run until they are no longer needed to ensure graduation timelines.
The previous documentation can be found here:
A summary of the changes made in this update can be found here:
Data Analytics Program Refresh Summary
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Studying business analytics is essential in today's data-driven world, as it empowers individuals to harness the power of data to make informed decisions, drive business growth, and gain a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
The Business Analytics program equips students with essential data analysis skills, including proficiency in SQL and Tableau. Through the use of low-code business analytics tools like spreadsheets and dashboards, students can tackle a wide range of business challenges.
Jobs for Data Analysts in 2023 offer starting salaries of $57,000 - $91,000, according to Glassdoor. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Financial Analysts earned a median salary of $96,220 in 2022, and Market Research Analysts earned a median salary of $68,230.
The introduction of Business Analytics allows colleges to offer a less technically demanding track that caters to a wide range of analytics careers. This updated program has been developed over the course of 3+ years, incorporating feedback and iterative improvements from instructors, students, and curriculum committees.
The creation of this program was driven by a clear demand from LCMC colleges. These institutions cater to a diverse student population, some of whom are less inclined towards math-intensive programs. Previously, having only one Data Analytics program attempted to serve both students pursuing careers in Data Analytics and Data Science, which posed challenges in aligning the curriculum with the varying needs of these two types of learners.
Furthermore, the program's structure and courses have undergone thorough review by multiple individuals from academia and the business sector. Some of these individuals are listed below for reference.
Our curriculum committees are staffed by subject matter experts from industry and academia, and both populations agree that separating the Data Analytics program into two tracks will improve student outcomes and experience. While students in the existing courses have successfully achieved the technical learning outcomes, the time dedicated to learning coding skills has resulted in delays in students performing meaningful analysis in the introductory courses. We are finding that there are increasingly distinct student populations based on their appetite for technical depth in data analytics, and by providing two distinct tracks we will offer better optionality and outcomes for students.
| Member | Organization | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ehren Bucholtz | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy | Academic representative |
| Kasey Chermak | Keystone College | Academic representative |
| Darlington Sabasi | University of the Cumberlands | Academic representative |
| Olawale Olasupo | Florida Institute of Technology | Academic representative |
| Fred Sakon | Nunez Community College | Industry representative |
| Rosa Liu | Stealth Mode | Industry representative |
| Charlie Zhang | Oliver Wyman | Industry representative |
| Khalil Malik | Deloitte | Industry representative |
| Kris Jamsa | Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. | Industry representative |
If you have any questions about technology requirements for Rize courses, please see below:
Technology requirements for Rize courses - AY 2025-2026