Capitol Responds to the Increasing Demand for Business Analytics and Data Science Professionals

January 31, 2020

Capitol Technology University has paid close attention to the trends of job openings for professionals skilled in business analytics and data science. So, when a new collaborative effort to increase the skilled business analytics and data science professionals across the country was made possible Capitol jumped at the opportunity by entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU), to allow graduates of NDMU’s M.S. in Analytics direct admission to Capitol’s Ph.D. in Business Analytics and Data Science program.

Capitol Technology University and Notre Dame of Maryland University logo

This partnership between two private non-profit Maryland institutions responds to national trends over the last decade which point to an increased growth of job openings for professionals skilled in business analytics and data science. The Harvard Business Review even published an article titled "Data Scientist: The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century" According to a joint report published by The Business-Higher Education Forum and PwC and a separate study conducted by Burning-Glass Technologies, business analytics and data science jobs will be increasingly more in-demand while new positions remain unfilled longer than the average time it takes to fill job openings in other fields1,2.

While both NDMU's master's program and Capitol's Ph.D. program are exceptional on their own, together the new Ph.D. pipeline will prepare students for the new "T-shaped" professional that employers search for to fill positions. The educational Advisory Board (EAB) defines T-shaped professionals as those who move beyond having either the technical skills or soft skills for a position in favor of "moving toward a conception of job readiness that" brings these two "both parts of the T" together3. 

“Capitol is always searching for innovative ways to increase access to the high-level, in-demand degrees offered by our University,” said Brad Sims, President of Capitol Technology University. “This partnership with NDMU is an additional pathway to one such degree that builds on Notre Dame’s M.S. in Analytics coursework to prepare students with the necessary tools to succeed in the rigorous, but rewarding Ph.D. in Business Analytics and Data Science.”

Through this MOU, graduates of NDMU’s master’s in Analytics program will be eligible to transfer credits from Notre Dame towards Capitol’s Ph.D. in Business Analytics and Data Science. An advanced degree in Business Analytics prepares students for careers in a rapidly expanding range of industries which require professionals with the expertise needed to utilize data effectively. Both degree programs are offered entirely online to afford students of all backgrounds the opportunity to obtain a graduate degree in the growing fields of business analytics and data science.

“NDMU is very pleased to partner with Capital Technology in providing an additional educational pathway and value for our students,” said Marylou Yam, President of Notre Dame of Maryland University. “At NDMU, we strive to encourage and support students’ pursuit of lifelong learning. In today’s changing economy, partnerships such as this are an important tool in providing students with opportunities and access to in-demand workforce areas.”

For more information on the MOU including the steps to transfer from NDMU to Capitol and the list of transferable courses, visit https://www.captechu.edu/news-events/capitol-tech-and-notre-dame-of-maryland-pen-mou-create-pathway-phd.

References:

1. PwC. (2017, April). Investing in America’s data science and analytics talent. Retrieved from https://www.pwc.com/us/dsa-skills.

2. Burning-Glass technologies. (2017, May 18). Infographic: Data Science Jobs, by the Numbers. Retrieved from https://www.burning-glass.com/blog/infographic-data-science-jobs-by-the-numbers/.

3. Educational Advisory Board. (2016, August 15). Why everyone’s talking about ‘T-shaped’ professionals. Retrieved from https://eab.com/insights/daily-briefing/continuing-and-online-education/why-everyones-talking-about-t-shaped-professionals/.