Online Master's in Data Analytics

Advanced Analytics extends analytics techniques from machine learning to artificial intelligence more broadly, including topics in neural networks, deep learning, and natural language processing. The course covers approaches to developing these models including PyTorch and TensorFlow. Students learn to apply a combination of techniques to solve complex business challenges including computer vision and sentiment analysis.

Optimization is a large class of business problems requiring the iterative algorithmic maximization or minimization or one or more variables. Students in this course will select and use a variety of optimization approaches to address various business needs. The course covers classes of optimization problems at a foundational level (continuous/discrete, linear/nonlinear, and bounded/unbounded) and the solving of linear optimization problems in both Python and R through the use of gradient and non-gradient-based algorithms. Analytics Programming is a prerequisite. 

Machine Learning comprises the broad discipline of developing algorithms and statistical models to predict, classify, or cluster data and iteratively improve over time. Machine Learning focuses on building, training, running, and testing supervised and unsupervised models and quantifying the accuracy and precision of those models to determine which may best be used in a particular business situation. Supervised methods discussed include k-nearest neighbors, decision trees, and support vector machines. Unsupervised models discussed include k-means clustering, hierarchical clustering, and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE). Ensemble methods are also presented. The following courses are prerequisites: Analytics Programming and Statistical Data Mining.

Data Science Capstone integrates the key concepts from the MSDA core with the knowledge gained in the three courses within the Data Science specialization. In this course, students will evaluate various needs and opportunities in an organization or marketplace. In addition, students will identify business requirements and translate those business requirements into technical requirements. Finally, students will create a comprehensive project plan to solve a problem in a way that satisfies customer or business needs. Projects within this specialization may include the design and construction of machine learning approaches, optimization, and the use of advanced analytics techniques as the project requires. There is no prerequisite for this course.

Cloud Databases covers the application of cloud architectures to large-scale data systems. The course discusses the differences between cloud-native approaches to data architectures and smaller-scale systems. Students in this course apply cloud computing concepts to address specific business scenarios. There is no prerequisite for this course.

The Data Engineering Capstone has learners utilize the skills learned throughout the MDSA core courses and the data engineering courses to examine a problem where data engineering is a solution and to build a cloud-native infrastructure that allows for data processing. Learners are asked to implement their solutions and tell a story using the data. Course material introduces the project and reminds learners of relevant learning resources from previous courses that will prove helpful in completing the performance assessment.

Data Analytics at Scale builds on previous data engineering courses and discusses approaches for analyzing large data sets. The course discusses map/reduce approaches, Apache Spark, and cloud–native solutions for developing, automating, and scaling data analytics. Also discussed are methods for integrating data processing pipelines and data stores to create comprehensive data analytics architectures.

Data Processing includes the practice of automating data flow into and out of components of an analytics system. Data processing comprises a major part of the analytics life cycle in modern organizations. This course covers concepts in extract, transform, and load (ETL) pipeline operations on data at scale and variations of ETL as a function of data repositories, including data warehouses and data lakes. Streaming and batch data operations and their differences are discussed, and students implement pipeline solutions in cloud-native environments. There is no prerequisite for this course.

Processes form the core of any organization and involve both manual and automated steps. Business Process Engineering introduces how to identify processes, visualize them, and how to design and implement operational methods that promote organizations’ overall efficiency. The course covers common process engineering frameworks, the stages of process engineering present in common frameworks, and introduces tools used to conduct business process reengineering.

Decision Intelligence is a domain that optimizes decision-making by balancing technology, processes, and people. In this course students learn the core principles of Decision Intelligence, exploring the augmentation of decision processes with machine learning, comprehensive decision modeling, and the pivotal role of a “human-in-the-loop” design.  Students will navigate decision theories and multi-criteria decision analysis, gaining insight into how biases and heuristics influence decision outcomes. The course emphasizes framing decisions using causal decision diagrams (CDD), implementing decision intelligence, evaluating the outcome using key performance indicators and determining the return on investment of the change, and using change management techniques to help the organization adapt to new decision making strategies.

The Decision Process Engineering capstone integrates the learning in the MSDA core and the three courses within the specialization. The learner evaluates various needs and opportunities in an organization or marketplace; identifies the business requirements; translates the business requirements into technical requirements; and creates a comprehensive project plan to solve the problem in a way that satisfies the customer or business needs.  Projects within this specialization include a project management plan, decision intelligence plan, or process engineering plan to deliver on the business need or opportunity.

Project Management is a thorough exploration of the inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs across the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). The essential concepts and practical scenarios included enable students to build the competencies of an effective project manager. There is no prerequisite for this course.