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New Two-Year College Data Science, Analytics Programs on the Rise

1 August 2022 2,821 views One Comment
Dozens of two-year colleges have started data science and analytics programs, with many offering degrees or certificates. To learn more, we reached out to several—including some that participated in the ASA-hosted and National Science Foundation–funded 2018 Two-Year College Data Science Summit—to learn about their program details. Following are reports from the County College of Morris, Wake Tech, Montgomery College, and College of DuPage. Looking for information about graduate school for data science and analytics programs? We covered that, too.

County College of Morris, New Jersey

A white woman with  long dark hair wears skinny rectangular glasses and smiles at the camera in a headshot.Kelly Fitzpatrick, associate professor of mathematics, has taught at County College of Morris since 2010. Prior to that, she worked in hedge fund management and developed quantitative strategies for various financial firms. Fitzpatrick is a graduate of Columbia University and the State University of New York at Geneseo. She is also the principal investigator for National Science Foundation ATE grant #2000887, Expanding Pathways to a Data Science Career by Developing a Certification in Data Science and Analytics, and chair of the ASA/AMATYC Joint Committee.

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Degree/certificate name: Data Analytics Certificate (16 credits)
Year in which first students graduated: 2021
Number of students currently enrolled: 14
Partnering departments: Mathematics, computer science, and engineering
Program format: In person with some courses offered online; 16 credits over two semesters

Describe the credentials you offer in data science/analytics, basic elements of the curriculum, and how the curriculum was developed.

The curriculum was developed using the research and tools from the Education Development Center and Two-Year College Data Science Summit. CCM also has a data science advisory board that consists of industry partners such as Intel and Atlantic Health.

The data science initiatives at CCM are supported by a $235,000 National Science Foundation grant for Expanding Pathways to a Data Science Career by Developing a Certification in Data Science and Analytics.

There is no programming experience required and low mathematical barriers to entry. Students will learn R, Python, Tableau, SQL, and machine learning techniques.

What was your primary motivation(s) for developing a data science/analytics program?

The motivation was to offer an in-demand, cutting-edge curriculum to our students in an area that offers high employment opportunities.

What’s been the reaction from students so far?

The students have been excited to learn about data science and the new technologies the courses offer. Students appreciate the opportunity to learn in-demand skills such as R, Python, Tableau, and SQL.

How has COVID-19 affected labor market demand in your region?

There is a strong labor market demand in Morris County for data practitioners, and several large firms are looking for data analysts and data scientists. The corporations in New Jersey looking for data analysts/scientists include those from pharmaceutical, finance, consulting, and health care. In the recent State of Innovation Report for NJ, digital technologies, big data, AI, and machine learning ranked as the top skill sets in high demand with low supply.

What were the biggest challenges for establishing the program?

The biggest challenges were going through the approval process that has an intense hierarchical system. This approval process is extremely lengthy with bottlenecks along the path.

What are you doing to attract and retain diverse students to your program?

To recruit new students, we host several events on campus such as ASA DataFest. We also host a data science table at our open houses and will be hosting a data science day in the fall.

For graduates employed in data science/analytics, please describe the types of jobs they took and sector and wage data. For graduates continuing their studies, what are they studying?

We have had students transfer to Columbia University, Ramapo College, and the University of Michigan. We also have a student completing his PhD in machine learning at Dartmouth.

Do you have any advice for institutions considering the establishment of such a certificate or degree?

My advice is to start early and set small goals each year toward development in data science initiatives. Over time, these small goals will turn into large accomplishments. You also need to have full support from your administrators.

What advice do you have for students considering data science/analytics studies at a community college?

In my opinion, this is the best path, and I believe every discipline or program should contain at least one course in data science or data visualization. Data drives business decisions and has become the most lucrative commodity of the modern world.

Wake Tech, North Carolina

A white woman wearing cat-eye glasses with wavy light brown hair smiles a little bit.Norene Kemp is head of the programming and information sciences department at Wake Tech. She holds a master’s in information systems technology and a bachelor’s in information systems from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining Wake Tech in 2019, Kemp worked at Horry-Georgetown Technical College in South Carolina for 10 years.

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Degree: Associate of Applied Science Business Analytics
Certificates: Business Intelligence; Business Analyst; Marketing Analytics; Logistics Analytics; Financial Analytics
Year in which first students graduated: 2016
Number of students currently enrolled: 660
Partnering departments: Data science programming and support services (lead) and programming and information sciences
Program format: In person and online; courses are project-based and capstone incorporates industry mentors; degree is 66 credits; certificates are 12–15 credits

Describe the credentials you offer in data science/analytics, basic elements of the curriculum, and how the curriculum was developed.

In August 2019 the business analytics degree program was moved from the business administration division to the information technology division under the leadership of the department head of programming and information sciences. There are three full-time faculty members who teach the nine business analytics courses.

This degree focuses on the skills needed to answer business questions or the front end of data analytics. The courses consist of Introduction to Analytics (Excel), Data Visualization (Tableau), Introduction to Analytical Programming (SAS), Applied Analytical Programming (SAS), Introduction to Predictive Modeling (Python), Applied Predictive Modeling (Python), Analytical Tools and Methods, and Advanced Analytical Tools and Methods (capstone). Students take Introduction to Data Science Programming (R) and take and learn skills in SQL. They also take a statistics course and can take a second course in statistics.

We have an advisory committee made up of local industry representatives from Wake County Information Services, Town of Cary, NC Electric Cooperatives, SAS, and Credit Suisse. Advisory committee members serve a two-year appointment and participate in information sessions, work-based-learning opportunities, and mentoring capstone students.

What are you doing to attract and retain diverse students to your program?

We are the only two-year community college in North Carolina to offer a AAS degree in business analytics. As of May 2022 we have a total 353 active students with 55 percent female, 16 percent Asian, 20 percent Black, 55 percent white. We offer an accelerated executive program that attracts students with advanced degrees looking to up-skill and add new skills for their current positions.

For graduates employed in data science/analytics, please describe the types of jobs they took and sector and wage data. For graduates continuing their studies, what are they studying?

Graduates have been hired as data specialists, systems analysts, data analysts, IT analysts, knowledge managers, supply chain analysts, and consultants with wages ranging from $50,000 to $90,000 per year.

We have also created articulation agreements with the following:

  • NC Wesleyan University: AAS graduates transfer up to 60 hours from the degree and may take an additional 15 hours of approved general education credit toward their degree of choice
  • Southern New Hampshire University: BS, Data Analytics
  • UNC Charlotte: BS, Data Science
  • William Peace University: BS, Business Analytics

Montgomery College, Maryland

Image shows a white woman wearing rectangular glasses. She has long dark hair and is smiling widely. Rachel Saidi an associate professor at Montgomery College in the math, statistics, and data science department; the college’s data science program director; and AMATYC’s data science subcommittee chair. She collaborates with faculty, administrators, and industry partners to improve the program.

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Degrees: AA in General Studies STEM with Data Science Concentration; AS in Data Science; Business Analytics (in future)
Certificates: Data Science, Business Analytics (in future)
Year in which first students graduated: 2019
Number of students currently enrolled: ~ 50 unique students
Partnering departments: Mathematics, statistics, and data science; computer science; geography; and philosophy departments
Program format: Online with free and open-source materials and software; assessments are project-based; most students are part time; capstone is a semester-long project partnering with a local industry or government organization

Describe the credentials you offer in data science/analytics, basic elements of the curriculum, and how the curriculum was developed.

For the data science certificate, students must complete five courses (16 credits): one introductory statistics class; introduction to data science; data visualization and communication; statistical methods in data science; and the capstone experience.

Students are able to complete this certificate in three semesters or two semesters if they have already taken a statistics course. All data classes are offered during fall and spring semesters, and the 100-level courses are offered during the summer semesters, as well. Data tools used include R Studio, Python, Tableau, Git/GitHub, and SQL.

The capstone course is where students display their accomplishments and the program gains its greatest visibility. Based on open data sets shared by Montgomery County, our capstone students may present their analyses to county officials and other stakeholders. The data sharing benefits both parties—students get real-world experience and county officials receive useful and sometimes eye-opening information.

We also offer students the option of earning an AA in general studies STEM with a data science concentration. This is a STEM degree with all program elective courses, including the four courses required for the certificate. Additionally, students must take general education requirements such as a communications, psychology, or computer programming course.

We just created a new AS in data science, and one of the greatest challenges was fitting all courses into two years with the limited 60 credits. Obviously, we had to satisfy articulation agreements, including general education requirements. But beyond meeting the needs of our transfer institutions, we attempted to provide our students with the best training and skills they could acquire from us. Those skills include mathematics, statistics, data ethics, data tools, and programming. Fitting all those skills into course sequences that fit prerequisites was a puzzle that necessitated negotiations with departments such as mathematics and computer science. We navigated through new territory, because data science does not necessarily fit with what has worked in the past.

What was your primary motivation(s) for developing a data science/analytics program? What’s been the reaction from students so far? From employers? How has COVID affected labor market demand in your region?

In 2015, faculty and administrators began working to create a data science certificate program for the college. There were no four-year schools with data science–related programs for which students could transfer into. So, they created open-ended learning outcomes that could evolve as the program changed over time. The first cohort to join the college’s data science certificate program in 2017 included 30 students. To date, we have more than 200 students who are either currently enrolled in or have taken data classes in the past.

Students comment that they appreciate the virtual classes held in the evening, making them accessible to those who work or take other classes during the day, and that all textbooks, software, and course materials are free and open sourced.

These aspects are crucial considerations for improving our recruiting and retention efforts. Additionally, one of our program’s greatest assets is the sheer diversity of our students’ backgrounds. Some students enter without any prior degree, while some students enter the program with prior undergraduate or graduate degrees, and age groups range from teens to retired professionals. We currently have 43 percent representation from Black and Hispanic students, and 41 percent of our students are female.

What were/are the biggest challenges for establishing the program?

Challenges we perpetually face include establishing appropriate articulation agreements with four-year institutions, advertising the program to prospective students, identifying students who are the right fit for learning data science skills, and connecting more students to networking and career opportunities. We continually need to address the question of “what is next” in terms of internship and career opportunities for when students complete the certificate or degree.

At the two-year college level, we must address differing requirements for transferring to different types of programs within various institutions. We must provide the greatest number of skills so a student can use them to directly find employment. We must work to teach students who enter our courses with varied backgrounds in mathematics, statistics, communications, and coding. Because our program is small, we continually have to advertise to the community to ensure we have enough enrollment for each of our classes.

What are you doing to attract and retain diverse students to your program?

We are following best practices regarding recruiting and retaining diverse students, which include strategies mentioned above such as holding classes in the evening virtually and only using free and open-source materials.

We have identified high schools in our county with high proportions of underserved and minority students and will direct our recruiting efforts toward these schools. We will also start an early college in data science program within the next year. We understand our students enter our 100-level classes with a wide range of skills, so we attempt to be welcoming of these diverse levels and accommodate all students as they acquire the skills they need to complete the program.

For graduates employed in data science/analytics, please describe the types of jobs they took and sector and wage data. For graduates continuing their studies, what are they studying?

Many of our graduates who became employed after completing the certificate already had prior undergraduate or graduate degrees and found it easy to find jobs. Many were hired with local organizations who contract out to the government. Other students were using the certificate to bolster their credentials to launch their graduate applications in data science. A small number of students completed the associates degree and transferred to our local four-year institution for a BS in information science. I only know anecdotally of a few students who are struggling to find a job or continue with their data science education.

Do you have any advice for institutions considering the establishment of such a certificate or degree?

Be sure to garner support from administrators, because they are absolutely necessary to shepherd the certificate or degree through all levels of approval.

There is no need to wait for funding to begin developing the program. It is a long process that can begin prior to having all the details hashed out.

Establish an advisory board with members from diverse settings; their expertise can be of great value.

Join local and national organizations and become involved—the American Statistical Association, American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, Academic Data Science Alliance, and Mathematical Association of America—to name a few.

Attend webinars, conferences, symposiums, meetings—anything to learn more about data science education and get to know people who are working in this area.

What advice do you have for students considering data science/analytics studies at a community college?

I believe that, currently, everyone should learn at least a little data science to be a more informed data consumer and producer. What better place to start than at a local community college? If students have never tried coding before, they can try a noncredit or 100-level data class in R or Python. Though coding is not for everyone, a good starting point to “dip your toes in” is at the community college.

If you are interested in transferring to a four-year institution, be sure to ask questions about transferability of courses. Inquire about what internship and employment partners the school might have to gain that all-important experience. Build a strong profile on LinkedIn: many of our students have found internships and been contacted about jobs by posting their data science credentials there.

College of DuPage, Illinois

An Asian man with thin metal-rimmed glasses and close-cropped hair smiles slightly at the camera. Dejang Liu, a full-time faculty member of computer and information science at the College of DuPage, has been teaching computer subjects for more than 25 years. Liu was a 2014 Fulbright Scholar and earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the University of Illinois in Chicago. He also earned an EdD in adult higher education specializing in data analysis from Northern Illinois University.

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Certificate: Data Analytics
Year in which first students are expected to graduate: 2023
Program format: Online, in person, and hybrid; part time and nontraditional

Describe the credentials you offer in data science/analytics, basic elements of the curriculum, and how the curriculum was developed.

This certificate requires 20 credits from the following courses: Understanding Computers, Information, and Systems; Microsoft Office for Professional Staff; Data Analysis with Spreadsheet; Advanced Spreadsheets with Business Intelligence; Database Application; Data Analytics and Visualization; and Statistics.

This program offers students who already possess a college degree the opportunity to enroll in a data science master’s degree at Elmhurst University after they complete the certificate at College of DuPage.

Since the main purpose of this certificate is to train an entry-level workforce, no coding skill/knowledge is required. An associate’s degree in data science, which is in the development process, does require a Python coding class.

What was your primary motivation(s) for developing a data science/analytics program? What’s been the reaction from students so far? From employers? How has COVID affected labor market demand in your region?

The college received many requests from the business community to offer a data analytics–related program to train the workforce. The data analytics program is a foundation for the AI program, which was also developed by the department.

Student enrollment increases from term to term. Since it is feasible for employees to work from home, COVID did not affect the labor market negatively.

What were/are the biggest challenges for establishing the program?

Qualified instructors and training programs available to faculty.

What are you doing to attract and retain diverse students to your program?

The college has an open-door policy, so any student can take classes as long as they meet the prerequisites.

For graduates employed in data science/analytics, please describe the types of jobs they took and sector and wage data. For graduates continuing their studies, what are they studying?

Students with a BS degree in any major can enroll in the data science master’s degree program at Elmhurst University based on the articulation agreement between the two institutions.

Do you have any advice for institutions considering the establishment of such a certificate or degree?

Seek support from the math department and any business-related departments (e.g., accounting, marketing, management, etc.).

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  • Abu Anwar said:

    I have always been interested to do a degree in Business Analytics. I am presently pursuing my degree with the University of Wollongong in Dubai. UOWD has a very simple approach emphasizing on data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) tools and techniques.https://www.uowdubai.ac.ae/degrees/bachelors/business/bachelor-business-analytics