SRU’s master’s degree in data analytics earns national ranking

Aug. 27, 2018

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Slippery Rock University's master's degree in data analytics has been ranked among the nation's Top 30 "most affordable online big data" degree programs by collegechoice.com.

Collegechoice.com considers several factors including: institutional merit, student well-being and return on financing to develop its rankings.

Institutional merit combines metrics such as student-to-faculty ratios, graduation rates and endowment to measure each school's ability to provide excellent and cost-effective education for each student; student well-being measures how satisfied current and former students felt with the services and programs offered at their school; and return on financing looks at the monetary benefits that students are likely to receive from each school's education, weighted against the costs of attendance, namely tuition and student loans.

SRU's program prepares students to use data analysis methods, use predictive modeling, maintain data security and communicate effectively with constituents. Graduates of the program receive both a master of science from SRU and professional certificate from the SAS Institute for Advanced Analytics.

SAS is one of the most widely used software platforms in the world for performing data analytics and statistical analysis. SRU is one of only 56 institutions in the U.S. offering the SAS certificate. Additionally, the program prepares graduates to take the Certified Analytics Professional exam administered by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences.

The 33-credit hour program can be completed in 10 months full-time or two years part-time and is offered fully online.

MEDIA CONTACT: Robb King | 724.738.2199 | robb.king@sru.edu