Data Analytics: Capitalizing on Creative Disruption

The 21st century economy is entering an era wherein data-driven decision making will be embedded in all organizations and business processes. As analytics evolves from a competitive advantage to a competitive necessity for all industries, today’s white collar professionals face new career advancement and lifelong learning imperatives—to add some proficiency in analytics to further their careers and adapt to the ongoing disruption that automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are creating within workplaces.

These technological disruptions create unparalleled opportunity for COE units. Buoyant employment opportunities for analytics talent combined with substantial compensation have fueled steady enrollment growth in new and longstanding analytics degree programs. Now is the time for institutions without an analytics offering to capitalize on this opportunity; time is running out to establish a market presence.

This study contains analyses of real-time labor market data and interviews with industry thought leaders, COE deans, and program directors. You can explore individual sections or download the full study.

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The demand for data analytics credentials is evident in the 20-fold increase in data analytics master’s programs in the last five years. There has also been significant growth in nontraditional providers’ offerings—MOOCs, nanodegrees, and bootcamps. Competition to enroll analytics students will only escalate.

Simultaneously, AI and other automation technologies continuously evolve and will continue to encroach on highly-skilled professions, including data analytics. There is no steady state in analytics and deans and program directors must take steps to ensure their analytics programs remain market-relevant and attuned to changes in employers’ skill requirements.