Intro Data Analytics

Catalog description

Introduction to Data Analytics is designed to ensure that students can utilize and think critically with data to inform business strategy. The course emphasizes how to ask the right questions, define objectives, and achieve meaningful outputs using data as a strategic resource. Students will learn to develop analytical plans that identify business problems, determine relevant data sources and methods, transform data into actionable insights, and communicate those insights effectively to drive decision-making and performance. Students will explore what data reveals (“what”), why it matters (“so what”), and how to act on it (“now what”). With this applied framework, students will gain a clear understanding of how data analytics supports executional excellence and strategic foresight across industries. To support this, the course provides hands-on exposure to data tools and techniques - including query languages, data cleaning, basic statistics, data visualization, and introductory machine learning (e.g., regression, classification, clustering). Students will also be introduced to the ethical, societal, and organizational implications of using data in business contexts, including transparency, bias, and responsible use of AI tools.