Students pursuing the Data Analytics major at Ball State University can expect their courses to prepare them for the real-world applications of their future careers. The interdisciplinary program includes courses from many other departments around the University, ensuring that students who graduate with one of the four primary concentrations are as career-ready as possible, with an exceptional job outlook right out of college and skills that are in high demand.
Getting Ready for a Career in Data Analytics
Flood inundation map produced by Geography students for the Harpeth River in Bellevue, Tennessee.
Achieving this level of career-readiness is not for the faint of heart. Adam Berland, Associate Professor of Geography and original co-chair of the committee that first developed the Data Analytics program in 2019, works hard to ensure that his students are not only focused on real-world problems and data sets in the classroom but also have opportunities to work with community partners to analyze existing problems and develop functional solutions.
Some of the real-world projects Professor Berland’s students have participated in include a course that worked closely with the National Weather Service to model flood extents for rivers in Tennessee, a project that had not previously been completed.
This work now allows them to predict the severity of flooding based on rainfall totals, with clear implications for improving public safety. This project not only allowed students to engage in a project with a functional purpose but also allowed them to see how their skills can be put to good use in their future careers.
What Makes Data Analytics Interdisciplinary?
Dr. Berland explains that the interdisciplinary nature of the data analytics program is what makes it unique. Students taking courses for any of the four concentrations within this major will also be taking classes from other departments around the University. Dr. Berland has a “home department” in Geography and Meteorology, specializing in geographic information science or GIScience. “GIScience uses technology to address questions and problems with a ‘where?’ component,” he says. This is why many of his courses focus on environmental impacts and get students involved in location-specific projects.
A second zoomed-in flood inundation map for the Harpeth River is displayed with a different color ramp.
“Geography helps us understand the world by emphasizing how environmental and social processes generate patterns. Studying how and why patterns change over time and across space can help us solve problems and promote more desirable outcomes,” Dr. Berland says.
He goes on to explain the interplay between society and the environment, explaining that “People’s actions change the environment, the environment influences our actions, and both society and the environment change over time. We need a lot of data, and potentially new data types, to understand these changes and explore solutions to problems. This is where Data Analytics offers useful perspectives.”
This is the understanding that brought Dr. Berland into this field in the first place and the motivation he has when sharing concepts with his students who are destined for similar work.
How is the Career Outlook for Data Analytics?
When Dr. Berland and his counterparts began developing the data analytics major for Ball State, they researched career possibilities and job market trends to ensure the viability of the career path. Job outlooks indicated data analytics was in high demand as a skill set and a career path, particularly due to the large amounts of data we can collect and the value of interpreting and putting it to good use.
The program is committed to providing its students with high-demand skills, experience in various fields, and real-world experience. This sets them up for a broad range of job opportunities immediately out of college.
“While the application may vary depending on whether the student ends up working in the for-profit, non-profit, or government sector, the techniques and problem-solving approaches they practice in our courses will prepare them for challenges they will face in the workplace,” Dr. Berland says. “It gives our graduates a tremendous advantage as they apply for jobs.”