UW-RF adds new business analytics master's degree

The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

Feb. 13—RIVER FALLS — A new business analytics master's degree program at UW-River Falls will attempt to fill a growing need for more data analysists and data-informed professionals within the business sector, the university stated in a Monday news release.

According to UW-River Falls, the UW System Board of Regents voted Friday to approve an online master of science in business analytics degree program at the university.

The program is scheduled to kick-off in the fall and will consist of 30 graduate credits, the news release states. Full-time students will be able to complete the program in one year and part-time students in two years.

Dawn Hukai, interim dean of the College of Business and Economics and the College of Education and Professional studies, told the university the new program is made necessary as demand for data analysts and related business professionals continues to grow.

"Effective communication between organizational management and data analysts is essential," she stated in the news release. "Analysts must understand how leaders use information to create it effectively and efficiently. In turn, managers need to be able to interpret the information provided by analysts."

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that demand for data analyst positions will grow by about 20% by 2028. A search of jobs related to "business analytics" brought up 1,975 full-time job listings within a 100-mile radius of the Twin Cities, with almost half of those positions requiring a graduate degree, the university stated.

Those figures show "a growing need for graduates with technical, data and management skills," the kinds of abilities the new program will teach, stated Wes Chapin, associate vice chancellor of academic affairs and graduate studies at UW-River Falls, in the news release.

"Students will complete courses from economics, management, and marketing, making the program truly multi-disciplinary and preparing them well," Chapin stated. "Graduates will be well-positioned to advance in their chosen profession."

University officials expect that 20 students will enroll in the program the first year, the university stated. After five years, they expect to have 150 enrolled and 130 graduates.

For more information, email Program Director Leanne Van Allen at leanne.vanallen@uwrf.edu.