What is the Value of a Data Analytics MS?

Master’s programs give candidates more in-depth skills, knowledge, and experience to take on advanced roles and responsibilities and obtain higher salaries.

One such popular degree is a master’s in Data Analytics.

Earning a master’s in Data Analytics teaches students the hard skills to collect, manipulate, and analyze data and turn it into models that can be used to solve business challenges. Plus, a master’s degree in Data Analytics is valuable and versatile, which can lead to many opportunities in a number of industries.

Read on to discover: What is the value of a master’s in Data Analytics?

What is a master’s in Data Analytics?

To make better data-driven business decisions, employers require hybrid IT/business professionals to make data meaningful. This is why they turn to candidates with a master’s degree in Data Analytics.

These degree programs help candidates:

Cultivate expertise in analysis, management, solution architecture and delivery, and hands-on technical skill
Develop the critical thinking skills necessary to combine complex data and business value and turn it into actionable insight
Experience opportunities for inquiry and professional development

They also teach students to translate complex data and systems into actionable conclusions and strategies.

In doing so, graduates are then ready to examine and organize large data sets to identify trends, develop charts, and create visual presentations to help businesses of all shapes and sizes make more strategic decisions and solutions.

The value of a master’s in Data Analytics degree

Master’s in Data Analytics degrees are worthwhile for a number of reasons as they offer candidates the opportunity to advance their careers, earn higher salaries, gain advanced skills, and job security.

Candidates also find work in multiple industries, including finance and insurance, information technology management, manufacturing, and professional, scientific, and technical services.

Career advancement

Individuals with a master’s degree in Data Analytics can pursue many roles and senior-level positions in a variety of industries, such as:

Business system analysts: This mid-level position is responsible for identifying ways to optimize systems, cut costs, and make IT more effective. They also research new systems and tools to improve IT and assist in rolling out new systems across departments.
Information security managers and analysts: Information security managers and analysts work to create security measures to protect a business and its systems, as well as all the data these systems contain. This includes analyzing data security systems to monitor for threats, investigating system breaches, addressing security incidents, and restoring secure operations once issues have been solved. They are also responsible for installing firewalls, performing preventative testing and maintenance, and setting security procedures.
Senior database administrators (DBA): Senior database administrators create or organize systems to store and secure a variety of data, such as financial information and customer shipping records. They also act as leaders within computer engineering teams and ensure data is available to authorized users only.

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High salaries

Companies need and rely on skilled, trained, and experienced data analysts to gather insights, enhance decision-making capabilities, and help them maximize their profit while minimizing risk.

This need results in high salaries for data analytics professionals and is one of the most straightforward ways to justify the value of a master’s in Data Analytics degree overall.

Popular positions and their median annual salaries, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), include:

Computer systems analysts – $102,240, with the highest ten percent earning more than $161,980.
Database administrators – $99,890, with the highest ten percent earning more than $153,870.
Information security managers and analysts – $112,000, with the highest ten percent earning more than $174,540
Market research analysts – $68,230, with the highest ten percent earning more than $131,850
Statisticians – $112,110, with the highest ten percent earning more than $171,540.

Advanced skills and knowledge

The best data analysts have both technical expertise and the ability to communicate quantitative findings to non-technical co-workers or clients.

Master’s in Data Analytics programs provide candidates with the following skills and knowledge:

Attention to detail: A single error in a formula can have devastating consequences. Candidates need to be able to gather, clean, and analyze data accurately.
Business insight: The best data analysts understand the data and the business challenges it reveals. This is why master’s in Data Analytics programs make sure graduates can turn insights into actionable recommendations.
Data analysis: Students need the ability to collect, clean, organize, and explore data with various techniques.
Database management and reporting: Design and manage databases for data integrity, retrieval, and reporting.
Data mining/data warehouse: Data mining involves extracting relevant information from various sources, while data warehousing involves creating centralized repositories for data storage and analysis.
Data modeling: Candidates can design and build data models for visualization and analysis.
Knowledge of Structured Language Query (SQL), Excel, and Power BI: All of these programs are the industry-standard tools used by data analysis.
Problem-solving: Approach challenges critically, identify root causes, and use data to develop solutions.
Proficiency in R or SAS: Mastering R or SAS unlocks advanced analytical capabilities, allowing graduates to handle data manipulation and modeling tasks.
Statistical analysis: Students must be able to draw inferences from data and determine the significance of their findings.

Job security

No matter how big or small, every company or business needs to be able to interpret and use data to make better, data-driven business decisions.

With a master’s degree in Data Analytics, candidates are ready to fill roles across different industries where they can interpret business-specific data and build solutions to make the best data-driven decisions for their employer.

Earn your master’s in Analytics and Systems at University of Bridgeport

Career Advancement. High Salaries. Advanced skills. Job Security. As you can see, a master’s in Data Analytics is a lot of bang for the educational buck. The time, expense, and effort are worth it in the end. So, are you ready for a career in Data Analytics or looking to advance in your current position?

If so, then University of Bridgeport’s master’s degree in Analytics and Systems will prepare you for an exciting career as a technical, conceptual, and critical data analyst.

Our master’s in Data Analytics degree and our online Analytics MS degree require thirty credit courses, and the online Analytics MS degree can be completed in as little as one year.

Financial aid is available, and our comprehensive support services are here to help you get through college and into a great career.

What is the Value of a Master’s in Data Analytics Degree?