New Smith Degree to Tackle Big Data Expert Shortage
Responding to a projected shortage of analytical experts, the University of
Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business will launch a degree program
focused on managing and analyzing big data.
Classes begin in fall 2013 for the M.S. in Business for Marketing Analytics.
The curriculum will equip its graduates to harness and process massive amounts
of data to help design products, predict the effects of marketing campaigns, and
better understand customers.
“The recent presidential campaign illustrates this field’s surging
importance,” said Smith marketing professor Wendy Moe, who is directing the new
program. “A large team of analysts feeding an enormous volume of public data
into many strategies was vital to President Obama’s re-election.”
A recent McKinsey report identifies “big data” as the “next frontier of
innovation.” However, a shortfall of specialists in this field could reach
190,000 by 2018 for U.S. employers, the study warns.
This trend has prompted Merkle to partner with Smith by providing scholarships
for the new 30-credit, nine-month program.
Collaborating with Merkle and other potential corporate partners, Smith
faculty will guide students through lessons in the classroom to real business
problems. Students will access the same data that companies are using to create
competitive advantage.
"Today’s top companies are leveraging the power of business intelligence in
new and exciting ways," said Moe. “Our program will provide a hands-on knowledge
of the quantitative models needed to analyze the massive stores of customer and
marketing data inundating companies today.”
Prospective marketing analytics specialists should have a strong background
in quantitative disciplines such as mathematics, physics and engineering and be
ready to adapt those skills to business and marketing, Moe added.
For more information, visit
http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/ms/analytics/ or contact Wendy Moe at
analytics@rhsmith.umd.edu.
About the Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader
in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the
University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate,
full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, MS in business, PhD and executive
education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The
school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning
locations in North America and Asia.
Greg Muraski, Office of Marketing Communications
