An exciting new opportunity presents itself to 25 ambitious individuals in pursuit of Wittenberg’s new launch of a Master of Science in Analytics program. Dean of the School of Community Education Thomas Kaplan believes such a program is “a perfect fit with our mission, given the priority we place on intellectual inquiry and wholeness of person.”
The program’s online homepage highlights a McKinsey Global Institute report that predicts a demand of 500,000 people in the U.S. needed with analytic skill by 2018 – only to be met by a projected supply of 300,000. The Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) program hopes to supply such a bracket to fit the talent gap.
“It is essential that educational institutions respond to this particular and growing need,” said Jana Buck, program coordinator. “We are faced with the fourth industrial revolution, which will have a huge impact on most industries. I firmly believe that this program will have a far-reaching effect on Wittenberg and its future,” she added.
“Issues related to data and analytics are central to the big problems and opportunities that exist in so many fields,” Kaplan said. “[The program] will also create a way for us to engage a new group of students at the graduate level . . . in ways that have not previously been possible here at Wittenberg.”
The 12-month program offers a cohort experience that allows students to pursue the degree while still balancing work and family responsibilities
“It is very popular, as it allows students to balance periods of immersive and intensive monthly classes,” Buck said. Classes are offered Thursday through Saturday with considerable offline learning between class meetings.
Wittenberg alumni will be offered a $5,000 discount for enrolling. Such benefits and more have attracted senior business management major Hunter Young, who is currently working on his application to the program.
“After I get married this June, I’ll use my bachelor’s degree to find a job which will allow me to pursue this master’s degree this fall, and then I plan to find a job in the Miami Valley area or in Columbus in which I can utilize my master’s degree,” Young said.
“The first program of its kind was started just eight or nine years ago at North Carolina State University, and the demand for that program is so strong now that it is really hard to get into. Plus, graduates of that program are averaging over $95,000 a year starting salary with over $10,000 signing bonuses once they get a job,” Young said.
Given Wittenberg’s current financial strains, Kaplan is hopeful such a program will offer much opportunity at the university level. “A successful launch of the analytics program will generate revenue in an entirely new area for us – which will be no small thing, given the current budget pressures we face,” Kaplan said.
Applications are now open, and a deadline had been set for Apr. 18. Classes begin Aug. 11, and applicants are not required to take the GMAT or GRE. For more information, visit the master’s in analytics page on the Wittenberg website.
