Applied Data Analytics Graduate Programs
In today's market, data-driven decisions are essential for an organization's success. Detroit Mercy's graduate programs in Applied Data Analytics combine academic instruction and experiential learning so that successful graduates learn the skills and knowledge for high-paying careers including data specialists, data analysts, business analysts and database specialists.
The new 15-credit-hour Graduate Certificate in Applied Data Analytics is designed to grow with your career. The certificate is stackable meaning that you can apply those credits toward the 30-credit Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics for more in-depth knowledge and expertise.
Both programs uniquely position graduates as employment ready in a growing and versatile field. From e-commerce, to business, government and health care, organizations are turning to data analytics to understand their customers, improve efficiency and deliver targeted results.
53%
Of Companies
Are Adopting
Big Data Analytics
According to Forbes, Big Data adoption reached 53% in 2017 for all companies interviewed, up from 17% in 2015, with telecom and financial services leading early adopters. Data warehouse optimization remains the top use case for big data, followed by customer/social analysis and predictive maintenance.
In-Demand Careers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of operations and research analysts (including data analysts) is projected to grow 25 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations. The average annual salary for data-driven decision makers in 2015 was $91,467.
Flexibility
These graduate programs are offered online and on campus through the Department of Economics in the College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences at a very competitive tuition with no hidden fees.
Career Pathways
- Analytics Manager
- Data Analyst
- Data Architect
- Market Research Analysts
- Systems Analyst
Our Graduate Programs
Graduate Certificate in Applied Data Analytics (15 credits)
Start learning how to crack the code on Big Data with Detroit Mercy's new Graduate Certificate in Applied Data Analytics. The five courses focus on developing your knowledge and skills in critical reasoning, measurement development and evaluation, data management, data analytic software utilization, multivariate data analysis and modeling and data mining techniques.
The curriculum explores current topics in data analytics, such as quantitative methods, business and financial statistics, emerging ideas and technologies, big data, business forecasting and data mining. You will sift through large data sets to extract simple relationships and make valuable inferences. Through successful completion of coursework, you will be armed with various technologies that support effective decision making in today’s increasingly competitive environment.
If you would like to continue your study in this field, the 15 credits from the certificate can be applied to the 30-credit master's degree.
Curriculum & Course Information (Grad Cert) ▶
Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics (30 credits)
For international students, this program qualifies as STEM/OPT.
University of Detroit Mercy's 30-credit-hour Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics is designed to meet the needs of today's organizations to make data-driven decisions. This 10-course program of study takes one to two years to complete..
Our curriculum is interdisciplinary and includes courses from several departments and colleges including Cybersecurity & Information Systems, Computer Science and Economics. The capstone project, completed under the supervision of program faculty, provides a formative and interactive learning experience. Students will explore a dynamic range of courses. Upon completion of the program, students will be able to sift through mountains of data to extract simple relationships and use these data-informed decisions to identify new opportunities for an organization and approach information collection and analysis from an ethical viewpoint.
Successful graduates will learn the skills and knowledge for the hot new, high-paying careers including data specialists, data analysts, business analysts and database specialists. Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Applied Data Analytics can apply those 15 credits toward the 30-credit program.
Detroit Mercy’s Jesuit and Mercy education provides the foundation for critical thinking, communication and ethical decision making.
Curriculum & Course Information (MS in ADA) ▶
Contact us for more information
apply.udmercy.edu/register/newinquiry
Companies are looking to hire data analysts with a structured expertise in the field
Acquire Expertise
- Understand the techniques used in the area of business forecasting with an emphasis on data analytic models used to make informed decisions
- Comprehend economic modeling and know why it is useful for understanding and planning independent research projects
- Gain insight into statistical software packages used to analyze large-scale data sets and statistical analytics languages such as R, STATA and Python
Make Data-Driven Decisions
- Gain a deeper understanding of the limits of data analytics using real-world data
- Make sense of database structures and data mining techniques, such as procedures used for classification, prediction, regression, clustering, association, sequencing and more
- Learn how data mining works with applications associated with relational databases, website data, text, multimedia and spatial databases
Think Critically
- Gain a deeper understanding of the limits of data analytics using real-world data
- Make sense of database structures and data mining techniques, such as procedures used for classification, prediction, regression, clustering, association, sequencing and more
- Learn how data mining works with applications associated with relational databases, website data, text, multimedia and spatial databases
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I enroll in these graduate programs in Applied Data Analytics?
You can begin the online programs at the start of the fall, winter or summer semesters and the on campus program during the fall or winter semesters.
Is a graduate program in Applied Data Analytics for me?
Whether you have recently graduated from college, are already working in business looking for career advancement or are looking to transition careers, Detroit Mercy's Applied Data Analytics programs will teach you the skills to enhance decision making based on science and data. Related fields to data analytics include economics, business, statistics, math and computer science. More and more, IT professionals are needing to know aspects of applied data analytics. The new 15-credit-hour graduate certificate is an excellent way to begin. You can later apply the graduate certificate credits toward the 30-credit-hour Master of Science program.
Do I need to have a strong background in mathematics, programming or statistics?
For most students a basic knowledge of these fields is required as a foundation. However, we will teach you what you need to know.
How will these graduate programs benefit my career?
The era of Big Data now cuts across industry and job functions requiring administrators and employees to have varying degrees of aptitude in data analytics.
The skills taught in this program are applicable across any industry. You will learn how to think like a data scientist to frame questions, identify, collect and analyze complex datasets, make predictions based on your analysis and communicate those results to a range of audiences.
What else should I know about data analytics?
Data analytics is the science of using data to build models that lead to better decisions that, in turn, add value to individuals, companies and institutions. Data analytics is an umbrella term, encompassing business analytics, business intelligence, data analytics, and data science.
Big data refers to large amounts of information and works hand-in-hand with data analytics. Examples of big data include social media, text analytics (i.e. customer sentiment and keywords), HR analytics (i.e. employee attrition), customer lifetime value (i.e. loyalty card purchases), crime prevention, among others. Harnessing the power of data allows you to change the world in all kinds of interesting ways.
There are three different types of analytics for handling big data: descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analysis. The latter, prescriptive analysis, combines the first two and is the most useful to businesses. This type of analytics not only tells what probably will happen but also what should be done if and when it happens. The Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics program provides the fundamentals of reasoning/analysis, working with specific software, data mining and hands-on projects.
The key to understanding big data derives from analytical professionals known as "data scientists," who can both manipulate large and unstructured data sources and create insights from them. The data scientist also happens to positioned among the highest-earning jobs and something you’ll learn more about within our Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics program.
Can I be a graduate assistant (GA)?
The Department of Economics is pleased to announce the availability of Graduate Assistant (GA) positions. Assistantships offer graduate students the opportunity to apply skills and knowledge while receiving financial support. GAs serve as a support-person to a faculty's teaching assignments and/or help faculty on their research. However, the GAs will NOT perform the teaching duties for the faculty.
The application for the GA positions for the Fall semester of 2024 is now open. Please reach out to Associate Professor of Economics Yu Peng Lin at linyp1@udmercy.edu for application details. The application deadline is July 31 at 11:59 p.m. (EDT).