Data Science
The world has become data centric, and as a data scientist you will be at the center of an innovative and evolving career. Data is being generated every second of the day, therefore you will be the key to unlocking new innovations and our degree program is customizable to your interests.
Programs
Why Choose This Degree
Nearly every field has a need for professionals who make sense of huge sets of data. Students will be prepared for a successful career in data science with key skillsets.
What You Can Do
- Apply state-of-the-art technologies for data representation, retrieval, manipulation, storage, governance, and security
- Machine learning, computational analytics, and data analysis and visualization
- Adapt analytics concepts to interpret and communicate findings and implications
- Develop descriptive, predictive and prescriptive mathematical and statistical models
- Apply computational methods to draw conclusions supported by data
- Work effectively in multidisciplinary teams
- Communicate in written, verbal, technical, and non-technical forms
Industries You Can Work In
- Agriculture
- Business
- Cybersecurity, AI and Technology
- Finance and Economics
- Government, Urban Planning, and Nonprofit
- Healthcare and Medical Research
- Supply Chain and Logistics
- Media and Entertainment
- Production and Manufacturing
Concentrations
During the completion of the core curriculum, students select a domain of their choice.
By selecting a concentration, you can differentiate your skillset and experience a
well-rounded education. This setup is unique to the University of Arkansas – it is
the only known program in the nation to offer coursework between three different colleges:
The College of Engineering, the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Sam
M. Walton College of Business.
Accounting Analytics
Accounting and accountants are information providers. By combining data analytics with financial insights provided by accounting standards, accounting analytics is a powerful combination. Students will use foundational knowledge to apply to specific settings of financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing, and tax questions. Why choose Accounting Analytics? Students will able to use a wide variety of data sources from a company’s own financial reporting system to economy-wide sources, apply analytics:
- Descriptive: What happened last period to company earnings?
- Diagnostic: Why did the reported results differ from expectations?
- Predictive: Which firms do we expect will go bankrupt?
- Prescriptive: What is the expected level of breakeven sales?
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics students combine foundational knowledge of biological systems, computational skills, and critical thinking to draw conclusions from diverse data types, including biological, medical and geographic. Students will also enhance their verbal and written communication skills for conveying findings in technical and non-technical forms. Students will learn the basic principles of biology and will be prepared to work with diverse data sources and data types, including tackling the computational challenges of biological datasets.
Biomedical and Healthcare Informatics
This concentration combines foundational knowledge of biomedical systems, computational skills, and critical thinking to draw conclusions from diverse biomedical and healthcare data types.
Business Data Analytics
A Data Science degree with a concentration in Business Data Analytics will help the student develop the ability to adapt analytics concepts to interpret and communicate findings and implications to senior decision-makers. This variety of data and methods will answer the following questions:
- What are the data telling us?
- What stories does the data reveal to us?
- All this data; how do we make sense of it?
- How can we put the data to work for us?
- How can we apply my knowledge outside the classroom?
Business Data Analytics 8 Semester Plan
Computational Analytics
Computational Analytics will emphasize on programming and analytical skills as well as computer science principles. Students will apply state-of-the-art technologies for data storage, manipulation, security and privacy, retrieval, mining, machine learning, AI, and cloud computing. There is emphasis on large, heterogeneous, streaming, and noisy data. Students will use foundational knowledge and apply critical thinking skills to problem identification and solving.
Cybersecurity
The concentration is designed to develop Data Science graduates able to help organizations assess, detect, and analyze threats, while securing and protecting data and data-driven systems against a myriad of threats such as malicious software, hacking, insider threats, and other cybercrimes.
Data Science Statistics
A student studying data science statistics provides statistically driven decision making with emphasis on mathematical theory that underlies the models and programming.
Economic Analytics
A data science degree with a concentration in economic analytics will provide students with a strong background in economic theory and the latest applied tools in big-data econometrics, forecasting, optimization, and machine learning methods in economics. These “big-data” skills, combined with knowledge of economic modeling, will enable them to identify, assess, and seize the opportunity for data-driven value creation in the private and public sector.
Financial Data Analytics
A data science degree with a concentration in Financial Analytics will provide students with a strong background in core financial concepts and the latest applied tools in financial modeling and financial analytics. The concentration is structured so that students will have flexibility to focus heavily on financial analytics or to focus on a combination of analytics and traditional finance content such as Investments and Corporate Finance. These skills will enable graduates to apply cutting-edge technical tools to financial projects, and to bridge the communication gap between corporate technicians and financial analysts.
Geospatial Data Analytics
Geospatial Data Analytics prepares students to acquire, integrate, analyze and interpret complex location-based data and the unique analytical methods that they require. Geospatial competencies as defined in the US Department of Labor’s Geospatial Competency Model including:
- Geospatial foundations
- Geospatial data
- Data modeling
- Design aspects
- Cartography and visualization
- GIS&T and society
- Geocomputation
Music Industry Data Analytics
A data science degree with a concentration in music industry data analytics is designed to provide data science graduates with the tools to succeed in the contemporary data-driven music and entertainment industry. Students will be able to apply their skills to the cutting-edge fields of music creator analytics, AI music creation, crypto music finance, consumer algorithms, and more in major corporations, start-up firms, and independent artist settings.
Operations Analytics
This concentration will teach students to integrate multidisciplinary knowledge in data analytics to analyze complex business problems and discover insights that can improve operations decisions in complex environments and systems. Students will build predictive models that support better informed decisions in designing, managing and fine-tuning operation procedures to maximize productivity and quality while minimizing time and cost such as allocation of resources, production, inventory, quality control, etc.
Social Data Analytics
Supply Chain Analytics
Supply Chain Analytics will Combine foundational knowledge of seamless supply chain, with computational skills and critical thinking to derive insights and conclusions. These data scientists will use techniques to derive insight-driven actions that improve supply chain efficiency and effectiveness.
Our Faculty & Staff
| Photo | Name | Last Name | Last Name | Last Name | Title | Department | Phone |
|---|
Department News
Student Life
Our registered student organization (RSO) the Arkansas Data Science Association is
a great way to get involved on campus. This organization meets approximately one time
per month, and they have a variety of activities including bringing in industry to
talk with students about how they are utilizing data science in their daily work.
View the group on HogSync
Social Data Analytics will provide students with skills for conveying findings to diverse audiences and decision makers like NGOs, government agencies and policy makers.
Social Data Analytics 8 Semester Plan