With over 97% of companies around the globe investing in some form of strategic data analysis, jobs in data analytics are launching careers in every industry. There’s never been a better time to enter the field, with the number of available jobs anticipated to grow by more than 25% over the next decade.
An exciting career that blends the science of data-driven decision-making with the art of problem-solving, data analysts gather the research and identify the key insights that help organizations plan new marketing strategies, make business decisions, and map out their path to future success.
Our new data analytics program is structured to provide the critical thinking skills, technical background, and research experience you need to hit the ground running when you graduate. About 50 percent of your courses will be in-person at Wells, and the rest of your work will be done online. This hybrid format gives you the best of both worlds — dedicated faculty mentors to guide your learning on campus, and online access to more top data experts and the most up-to-date techniques in this field.
In addition to conducting data analysis and exploring experimental design, you’ll participate in regular “data labs” where you’ll analyze, display, and manipulate data sets individually and in teams. You’ll gain even more practical experience through local internships and the completion of a capstone research project focusing on real-world data drawn from sports, politics, business or public health.
In today’s data-driven world, everyone has a vested interest in understanding the numbers that impact our lives and livelihoods. Whether you dream of becoming a data scientist or simply want to become more data literate, having the ability to read and communicate the story behind complex numbers is an asset in almost any academic or professional setting.
What You’ll Learn as a Data Analytics Major
- How to apply the process of discovery, insights, actions and outcomes to a strategic data problem
- How to use best practices and industry-standard tools to perform data analysis
- How to design experiments to answer causal questions and evaluate their results
- How to communicate results effectively as a member or leader of a team
- How to make informed judgments in analyzing data based on legal and ethical principles
Beyond the Classroom: Experiential Learning in the Data Analytics Degree Program
During your senior capstone project, you’ll work through a full data science workflow on a set of real data drawn from sports, politics, business, or public health. This prepares you for the kind of work you will do on data science or analytics teams, with an emphasis on interviewing for jobs in the space and communicating results to stakeholders.
Internship and Study Abroad Opportunities
You’ll also have access to meaningful local internships, many of which are offered by Wells alumni and alumnae who have established themselves as leaders in their fields. Internships are a great way to determine what areas of data analytics interest you most, as well as provide valuable career networking opportunities.
Some recent Wells internships took place at:
- Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District
- Cornell University
- HPM Tech, Ithaca, New York
- Inns of Aurora
- Therm Inc., Ithaca, New York
- Canandaigua Wine Co., Canandaigua, New York
- Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, Aurora, New York
You can also take your undergraduate learning overseas. Learn more about study abroad programs at Wells.
Career Options for Data Analytics Majors
A bachelor’s degree in data analytics can open the door to a wide range of careers. Depending on the focus of your studies and the experiences you choose to pursue, there are endless opportunities to apply your skills in agriculture, entertainment, finance, sports, retail, transportation, and many other industries.
Required Courses
Required credits in Major: 46-48.
- CS 100 Introduction to Computers and Microsoft Office (3 credits)
- CS 131 Programming |: Procedural Methods (3 credits)
- CS 132 Programming II: Advanced Design (3 credits)
- CS 133 Programming for Everyone II (3 credits)
- CS 234 Data Structures (3 credits)
- MATH 111 Calculus |: Introduction to Calculus (4 credits)
- MATH 251 Mathematical Statistics (3 credits)
- DATA 131 Foundations of Data Analytics I (3 credits)
- DATA 132 Foundations of Data Analytics II (3 credits)
- DATA 333 Principles and Techniques of Data Analytics I (3 credits)
- DATA 334 Principles and Techniques of Data Analytics II (3 credits)
- DATA 402 Data Analytics Practicum (3 credits)
Electives, Choose 3 from the list below:
- BUS 204 Business Analytics (3 credits)
- CS 303 Machine Learning (3 credits)
- CS 322 Algorithms (3 credits)
- ECON 314 Econometrics (3 credits)
- PHIL 240 Ethics, Equality and Justice (3 credits)
- PSY 365L Quantitative Methods in Psychology (4 credits)
- SS 394 Research Methods for the Social Sciences (4 credits)