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The Joseph W. Luter, III School of Business has introduced new coursework that aims to prepare students for the growing focus on analytics in the workplace. The classes teach statistical coding programs such as R, JMP and Python and instruct students on the high volume of data and the speed at which new data can be generated. Students also examine how to use data analytics to improve decision-making and consider applications of data mining in tandem with analytical thinking.
Associate Professor of Business Dr. Dimitry Shaltayev teaches the courses and says, “data analytics is one of the fastest-growing professions in the business sector. “We are training students to use programs that synthesize raw data and transform it into a database of information. They learn how data analysts sort through the data and search for patterns that can provide insights into anything from customer habits to market functions."
Shaltayev continues, “right now, the market for data analysts is very high. Jobs are in high demand, but the number of skilled applicants is low. We surveyed alumni and relevant businesses to discover what classes were needed to fill in the gap of our student’s education.”
Dr. Matt Hettche, chair of the Marketing and Management Department, has seen the positive effects of the new classes. “They give our students indispensable tools,” he says. “By learning these different programs, graduates can now gain a competitive advantage when searching for jobs by knowing exactly what tools are being used by major corporations like Booze Allen and Northrop Grumman.”
Senior Kaitlin Neitz has taken the classes and will enroll in the master of science in business analytics program at the College of William & Mary after graduating from CNU. “Now that we’re using these coding programs, we’re gaining experience that can lead to jobs at notable companies. These classes are what we need to know to get into the analytics field.”