“The need for a vast, talented workforce in STEM-related fields has never been more necessary,” according to the Harvard Gazette. The business systems and analytics field is ripe with opportunity in an increasingly data-driven world that relies on professionals with analytical, technological, and data skills. The Harvard Gazette notes that online learning and digital tools are critical to expanding the STEM workforce.
La Salle University’s online Master of Science (M.S.) in Business Systems and Analytics program, for instance, is certified by the federal government as a STEM-designated curriculum for its rigorous and innovative approach to equipping students for high-demand careers in computer and data science.
Benefits of earning a STEM-related advanced degree include expanded educational opportunities, opportunities for international business work, higher compensation and in-demand expertise in critical business processes such as:
- Data warehousing, mining and analytics
- Data visualization
- Database design
- Programming
- Simulation and optimization
In addition to these perks, professionals in this space can be sure of job security. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, career opportunities in STEM-designated fields are growing at twice the rate of all other occupations. As of 2021, the median annual salary for management analysts is $93,000, data scientists earn $100,910 and operations research analysts receive $82,360.
How Does La Salle’s STEM-Related Curriculum Prepare Students for Leadership Roles?
La Salle’s online program provides an in-depth, comprehensive exploration of how businesses transform data into intelligence leaders can use to make effective decisions faster and with greater certainty. In addition to equipping graduates with specialized technical knowledge and analytical skills, the program also develops graduates’ non-technical creative, communication and problem-solving skills.
Even as the world becomes more technology-driven, those creative people skills “top the list of skills employers believe will grow in prominence in the next five years,” according to the World Economic Forum.
On the other hand, courses in data warehousing; mining and visualizations; analytics for strategic marketing, accounting and finance; database design and applications programming — the foundation of the program’s STEM designation — explore highly technical concepts and practices that instill:
- Expertise in fundamental business systems and analytics
- Insights in the tools and technologies that drive effective, enterprise-wide data-driven solutions
- The ability to identify and address organizational problems and optimize solutions
The Forbes Advisor recommends careers in business analytics for any professional who is “a fan of problem-solving and number-crunching.” It adds that the “high industry growth rate and demand for data analysis across all industries [makes] enrolling in a master’s in business analytics program” a smart career decision.
What Roles Are Open to Professionals With Business Systems and Analytics Expertise?
Business runs on data, but the volume and growth rate threaten to overwhelm the capacity to turn it into knowledge. Firms with the experts and systems to make the conversion have competitive advantages in customer acquisition and retention, supply chain management, innovation and business intelligence.
Therefore, organizations highly value analysts with expertise in interpreting data, communicating analytical findings through visualization tools such as interactive dashboards and portals, and identifying trends and patterns that support informed strategic and operational decisions.
In addition to preparing students for careers in business intelligence analytics, La Salle’s online M.S. in Business Systems and Analytics program also equips participants for careers in:
- Data warehousing and mining. STEM professionals with expertise in storing, collecting and organizing huge data sets and extracting their knowledge and insights play a pivotal role in decision-making and business analytics.
- Organizational research analytics. Businesses use data to model and optimize processes, improve efficiency, allocate resources and solve complex logistical problems, making business leaders with data expertise critical to realizing strategic goals.
“Technology is fundamentally changing the nature of work,” the Harvard Business Review notes. “Companies must begin future-proofing their organizations today.”
Graduates of an advanced business systems and analytics program have a handful of opportunities for growth and competitive advantage.
Learn more about La Salle University’s online M.S. in Business Systems and Analytics program.