Certificate in Big Data and Data Analytics

Across all lines of business, sharp and timely data insights are needed to keep an organization competitive in this digital era.  Big data is a change agent that challenges the ways in which organizational leaders have traditionally made decisions. Used effectively, it provides accurate business models and forecasts to support better decision-making across all facets of an organization. This course provides participants with the data literacy they need to remain efficient, effective, and ahead of the curve.

Participants will learn why, where and how to generate business value by deploying analytical methodologies. They will gain the knowledge and skills they need to assemble and manage a large-scale big data analytics project. Lastly, participants will get a conceptual introduction to the sophisticated predictive algorithms that are used in data science.

Course Methodology
Participants will be led through a series of hands-on exercises and workshops, where they will have the chance to apply and test the methods and practical approaches that they are learning throughout the course. Students will work to identify areas of their organization that can be improved through big data-driven implementations, and the types of improvements that can be made through these analytical measures. As part of this course, participants will produce an actionable big data plan that can be used as a blueprint for enterprise-wide big data deployments.

Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Weigh-in on the benefits, functionality, and ecosystem that are related to big data
• Manage a big data initiative within their organization
• Identify how big data technologies and analytical methods can generate value for their organization. Assemble well-rounded big data analytics teams by identifying the essential data professional roles and responsibilities
• Deploy a simple and systematic analytical approach for generating business value

Target Audience
This course is designed for high-level technical professionals who want to use enterprise data to achieve better, more efficient business results and/or to make improved decisions through predictive analytics. This includes experienced data professionals, such as database administrators, system administrators, business analysts or business intelligence specialists, as well as less technically-inclined management and administrative professionals.

Recommended preknowledge includes experience analyzing data in Excel, as well as a basic understanding of correlation and how to use Excel pivot tables. Participants should have prior experience working with data that is stored in traditional relational database systems.

Target Competencies

• Big Data Project Planning and Management
• Data Presentation and Communication
• Data-Informed Decision-Making
• Analytical and Statistical Methods for Decision-Support