Responding to the evolution of the workforce, the University of Toledo will debut two new undergraduate degrees in data science and analytics to address what university administrators say is rising demand for data-savvy professionals.

In fall 2020, UT will offer a bachelor of arts degree in data analytics in the College of Arts and Letters, and a bachelor of science degree in data science in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Charlene Gilbert, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, said the two new degrees are a result of an environmental scan the university conducted. She said according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics employment in data science is expected to grow nearly 20 percent between 2016 to 2026.

“We’re seeing more and more job ads asking for workers and employees that have training in data analytics. With the growth of big data in our society we’re seeing a huge demand for these kinds of skillsets even in our local workforce needs,” she said. She added that the new degrees will give students a competitive edge when applying for professional work post-graduation.

UT provost and executive vice president for academic affairs Karen Bjorkman said the skills acquired from the degrees are assets to any industry.

“The ability to interpret large quantities of data, translate insight and understand broader implications is critical to success in modern organizations throughout every industry,” she said.

The undergraduate programs are designed to prepare students for employment opportunities associated with data analysis in government and business environments and nonprofit.

Ms. Gilbert said in 2019 there were nearly 8,000 full-time active job ads within 100 miles of Toledo that were looking for data analytics expertise.

“The type of jobs ranged from entry-level to mid-level jobs with salaries ranging from $35,000 to $60,000. There were medical firms, marketing firms, credit unions, Domino’s Pizza, and many more,” she said.

The bachelor of arts degree in data analytics will include a wide range of expertise in social sciences, visual arts, and philosophy. The degree consists of courses in quantitative research methods, computer sciences, social statistics, and engineering technology.

The data science degree will consist of courses in statistics and probability, object-oriented programming, machine learning, and calculus.

While the costs of funding the degrees are still to be determined, Ms. Gilbert said the university is not hiring any new personnel. She added that the university created a task force including the College of Health and Human Services, the College of Natural Science and Mathematics, the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Engineering to assess the best way to implement the new degrees.

“We really looked at how we could build on the expertise that we already have in-house with the curriculum and course offerings that we have in order to build this degree. The cost at this point is very minimum,” she said.

First Published February 28, 2020, 7:33 p.m.