Data Analytics Degree Online: Getting Ready to Go Back to School

The rise of big data created a whole new industry in IT. With 2.3 trillion gigabytes of data being generated every day, businesses seem to have realized the potential behind these numbers and are consistently coming up with ways to leverage it. From banks, hospitals, and even to your Spotify music list, businesses everywhere are using it to deliver a seamless customer experience.

However, to use this data, these businesses require experts who have the skillset to break down the complex and unstructured amounts of data generated every day. 

What Is Data Analytics?

Data analytics is a blanket term used to describe the qualitative and quantitative processes used to parse and derive meaningful insights from raw data. In layman's terms, data analytics is the science of breaking down and defining big data to uncover hidden patterns, spot opportunities, and create insights. This is done with the primary aim of enhancing business productivity.

While the definition might seem simple, data analytics is quite complicated and diverse. To make sense of unstructured data, it's divided into four types as shown below

• Descriptive Analytics: This type of data analytics aims at explaining what has taken place. For instance, have sales gone down in the past quarter? Has the number of patients who have cancer gone up?
• Diagnostic Analytics : Diagnostic analytics, on the other hand, seeks to explain why something happened. For instance, why did the number of sales decline? What's the reason behind the increasing number of cancer patients?
• Predictive Analytics: Based on the insights generated from descriptive and diagnostic analytics, predictive analytics tries to foretell what might happen. For instance, will the sales go up? Will the number of cancer patients increase or reduce?
• Prescriptive Analytics:  Based on findings from the above types of analytics, an analyst will then use prescriptive analytics to suggest the best course of action. For instance, reducing prices might boost sales and advising the public about lifestyle choices will help reduce the rate of a cancer diagnosis.

What Makes a Good Data Analyst?

The increasing applications of big data presents many opportunities to a data analyst. However, to succeed, you must first have what it takes. Here are some of the skills and qualities that a good data analyst is required to possess in this rapidly-growing industry:

Critical Thinking

Making sense out of a large, unstructured amount of data isn’t something everyone can do. The art of data manipulation calls for an individual who’s willing to think above and beyond to answer the what, why, and how of data analytics. This makes critical thinking one of the traits that makes or breaks an analyst.

Numeracy Skills

As a data analyst, a great deal of your work will include numbers. Hence, you need to have a basic understanding of numbers and figures, and also the ability to understand, break down, and create visual representations of information such as charts and diagrams. You also need excellent organizations skills and to understand the relationship between numbers.

Great Communication Skills

To the untrained eye, big data is quite complex and challenging to comprehend. Your work as a data analyst is to break it down and make it sensible to the average person. Therefore at some point you'll explain to the business owner, stakeholders, and all parties involved how you came to a particular conclusion.

To do so, you need excellent communication and presentation skills so you can engage the audience and at the same time, pass your points across effectively. Thus excellent communications skills are critical for all data analysts.

Other Essential Traits of a Data Analyst

• Great business acumen
• Technical and computer skills
• Curiosity
• Machine learning

Why Pursue Your Data Analytics Degree Online

Pursuing your data analytics degree online packs a string of benefits, especially if you have a 9-to-5 job. Here are some of the main perks:

Offers Convenience and Flexibility: Pursuing your course online means you can create your schedule. Thus you don't have to put your life on hold to attend classes. On top of that, you can attend classes from anywhere as long as you have internet connectivity.

Affordable: Since you’re not using any physical school resources, the cost of pursuing your degree online is much cheaper than going to class physically. Also, since you’re not attending class, you eliminate commuting costs as well.

Are You Ready to Take the Next Step Today?

Are you interested in data analytics as a career? If you want to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer and Information Science with a Major in Software Development - Data Analytics Track, ECPI University offers this program at an accelerated pace. For more information, connect with a helpful admissions advisor today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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