W. P. Carey School's new 'big data' program featured

The Chronicle of Higher Education featured the W. P. Carey School of Business' new "big data" program in a Sept. 23 article. Author Ruth Hammond talks about the business-analytics trend that has companies hiring people who are able to analyze the mountains of data coming in through social-media feedback, networking with customers and other sources, and then help companies act on the information.

The W. P. Carey School's new nine-month Master of Science in Business Analytics program is aimed at training these analysts, due to the projected need for 1.5 million of them by 2018. 

The article mentions several new faculty experts brought in from other institutions to teach in the new program, which is offered through two of the school's highest-ranked departments: information systems and supply chain management.

One instructor, assistant professor Michael (Zhan) Shi, is already becoming a star for his analysis of Twitter. In the story, Information Systems Department Chair Michael Goul explains Shi's appeal to students.

"'So immediately there, students are going to get the benefit of, this is a guy who knows real big data, he's experienced with it, and he's applied it in a setting that they're quite familiar with because they know how Twitter works,' Mr. Goul says."

More information about the new master's program can be found at www.wpcarey.asu.edu/master-business-analytics.