In today's business world, understanding the vast amount of information generated by technology systems—and using it productively—can mean the difference between success or failure.
A new graduate program at the Woods College of Advancing Studies will help professionals interpret, evaluate, and effectively apply this growing sea of data.
The M.S. in Applied Analytics degree program, set to launch in fall 2022, will offer students a comprehensive focus on all aspects of data analysis, as well as grounding in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Both full-and part-time students will be able to complete the hybrid program fully online, fully on-campus, or in any mix of the two.
Karen Muncaster (Lee Pellegrini)
“Like all of the Woods College graduate programs, the MSAA responds to market needs,” said Woods College Dean Karen Muncaster. “We follow the research. It shows that demand for data analytics skills has soared, and shows the need for a strong, industry-aligned academic program to help professionals acquire those skills. Woods College is particularly qualified to meet that need.”
"Digital transformation and data-driven strategies are the hallmark of every industry today," said Aleksandar Tomic, associate dean for strategy, innovation, and technology at the Woods College, who will direct the new program.
Whether it's a company's daily operations, marketing efforts, interactions with customers, or management of staff, data is now front and center, he said—but making effective use of it to enhance overall efficiency and competitive advantage remains a daunting task, resulting in a nearly insatiable need for analytics talent.
"This new program will meet employer demand and address the current dearth of analytic talent in the market, while also complementing our existing offerings," Tomic said.
Aleksandar Tomic
In particular, the MSAA will draw on the strengths of the Woods College's successful M.S. in Applied Economics program, also led by Tomic. Launched in 2015, the MSAE—now among the top 25 economics master’s programs in the U.S. in terms of enrollment—prepares students to evaluate policies and programs, develop forecasts, understand consumer behavior, and analyze market efforts, all with an emphasis on ethical decision-making.
According to Tomic, however, research shows that today's professionals also require a deeper dive into more focused analytics offerings, notably in the area of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
"The new MSAA will fill these gaps," he said, "producing graduates capable of working on the cutting edge of ML/AI, as well as collaborating across the business to drive impact."
“Digital transformation and data-driven strategies are the hallmark of every industry today...This new program will meet employer demand and address the current dearth of analytic talent in the market, while also complementing our existing offerings.”
Core courses will include mathematical methods for machine learning, software tools and platforms, AI algorithms—including ethics and governance—and Big Data econometrics. Elective choices include regression models, data visualization and communication, ML product management, advanced AI algorithms, and predictive analysis and forecasting.
The Woods College also will offer an MSAE/MSAA dual-degree option for professionals who wish to strengthen their grounding in both arenas.
“This program is an obvious fit for us," said Tomic. "Boston College has a strong brand advantage in its reputation for academic excellence, its exceptional student and career services and alumni network, and its vibrant community. At the Woods College, we can build on the strengths of our successful MSAE program as we offer a strong, distinctive MSAA curriculum, and provide the real-world connections students seek, through our professional practitioner faculty, dedicated advisory board, and track record of career and academic coaching. These strengths have enabled us to attract students in otherwise crowded markets such as economics; we are confident that this will translate well to the new program."
“The BC MSAA is a world-class program spanning the breadth and depth needed for practitioners and leaders in today's marketplace—from hands-on skills development to responsible and ethical governance. Boston College's and the Woods College's reputation will make this a marquee, sought-after program.”
The MSAA curriculum is buttressed by the contributions of industry leaders, who share their expertise and experience as advisory board members for both the MSAE and the new program, as well as in MSAA course development and as teaching faculty in their respective areas.
“AI and ML are growing across many industries. Organizations need to deeply understand the approaches, challenges, and best practices to ensure successful implementation. However, there is a significant gap in skills to build and use this technology,” said Nurtekin Savas, vice president and head of enterprise products and platforms machine learning and data science at Capital One. “The Woods College is in a unique position to address this successfully due to its experience in delivering theory and application in complex and quantitative topics.”
“Information and data produced in today’s globally connected world requires highly-skilled professionals trained in powerful methods to uncover otherwise hidden trends, properties, and time-horizons," said Paul R. Garvey, a distinguished chief scientist at MITRE Corporation, a nonprofit organization that operates federally funded research and development centers for the U.S. government, and an adjunct faculty member in the Boston College Department of Mathematics.
"The BC M.S. in Applied Analytics is designed to meet the challenging needs in such fields as healthcare, business and finance, government and industry," Garvey said.
Derya Isler, who will advise and teach in the area of machine learning product management, is product leader at Instagram. “As we see the proliferation of consumer apps, the need for data is growing exponentially,” Isler said. “From analyzing the market, to understanding the user base, from daily operations to predicting future demand, companies depend on having high quality data as well as having people and technologies to drive insights from that data. Today, most of the practical skills we expect from people are gained through work experience and there is a gap where new graduates do not have the relevant data analytics experience that put them ahead in the game when they start a career, MSAA program will close this gap and help students to gain relevant skills and experiences in data analytics that will make them more relevant in a fast-changing market.”
The MSAA is a world-class program spanning the breadth and depth needed for practitioners and leaders in today's marketplace—from hands-on skills development to responsible and ethical governance," said MassMutual Head of AI Governance Ra'ad Siraj, who will help develop and deliver an AI ethics and model governance course. "Boston College's and the Woods College's reputation will make this a marquee, sought-after program."
Patricia Delaney | University Communications | March 2022