FUNDAMENTALS OF DATA ANALYTICS (CERT)

1.    This Certificate program provides training in preparation for immediate employment in business, government, and industrial organizations utilizing data analytics. It provides skills needed for career entry and/or advancement in such positions as Applications Analyst, Systems Analyst, Data Analyst, and related roles in the fields of business intelligence and analytics.  Students who complete this program should demonstrate the following knowledge and skills:

·       Demonstrate abilities to create practical analyses, reports, dashboards, and visualizations using professional tools and techniques.

·       Apply formal analytical methods and frameworks to the data processing pipeline, gathering, processing, and analyzing data, which informs an organization's decision-making process.

·       Synthesize data from diverse sources and identify statistically meaningful correlation and trends. 

·      Number of Sections of Core Courses Offered Annually: 1-2

·      Annual Enrollment in Sections: 30-60; approximately 1/10 of the students would be in this program

·      Number of Anticipated Completers Per Year (2nd year): 10

·      Number of Anticipated Completers Per Year (5th year): 20

Specificity/accuracy of Labor market data is presently challenging due to a lack of appropriate SOC codes specific to this new/emergent sector. Labor market data provided by South Central Coast Center for Excellence for Labor Market Research indicates that there is sufficient demand in the region to support completers of this program when generated using the most relevant SOC codes, 15-1121 (Computer Systems Analysts) and 15-2031 (Operations Research Analysts). Also, of note is the movement in the typical level of education for these positioned indicating increased opportunities based on an Associate's degree and/or equivalent experience, as supported by supplemental research of public job postings for employment within the region.  Formerly emphasizing a bachelor's degree for entry level, numerous recent postings evidence increasing availability of these careers to Career/Technical Education (CTE) candidates with suitable certification and/or experience. Examples of job postings within the region that support this observation include:

Analyst 1 Business (Penny Mac 07/31/2020); "Associate's Degree"

Associate Data Analyst (Appfolio 3/10/2020); "… equivalent professional experience"

Business Analyst (Penny Mac,$36K-$65K, 07/30/2020); "Associate's Degree"

Data Analyst (Yardi, 01/22/2020);"… or equivalent experience"

Entry Level Data Analyst(Apple One, $41K-$77K, 07/30/2020) "Proficient in Excel, will be tested"

Courses selected for this program include both theoretical courses to help students learn basic principles,as well as courses that teach specific technologies that are in demand in the local marketplace. Some of the courses prepare students for industry certification exams, including various Tableau and Microsoft certifications.

Courses in this program of study are offered in an online format. The program is sequenced, allowing students to enter the program at the appropriate point within the sequence. As a result, the program has the potential to reach a variety of different potential students interested in changing careers or looking to begin a career in data analytics. 

Complete the following 16 - 19 semester units with a “C” or higher in each course.  Pass/No Pass grading is not permitted in a course within a student's major area of study.