The market for data science graduates is experiencing a shift. Employers now want staff who not only gather and clean data, but also analyze it and solve problems with what they find.

Brock’s new Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Data Science and Analytics, with Co-op option, was specifically crafted to fill that need.

The result of a concerted effort between the Faculty of Mathematics and Science and the Goodman School of Business, Brock’s program is one of only two BSc programs in Canada combining financial analytics with computational data science.

“Starting the Data Science program has been a vision of mine for many years,” said Faculty of Mathematics and Science Dean Ejaz Ahmed. “I believe the team has created the perfect mix of academic programming that will benefit our talented and highly employable students.”

The program will welcome its first cohort of students in fall 2023. As information related to enrolment and the academic calendar becomes available, it will be posted to the program website, which also now includes key contacts.

“We did extensive research on market needs and found employers are looking for a new hybrid type of graduate in Data Science,” said the program’s Co-Proponent and inaugural Director Anteneh Ayanso, a Professor of Information Systems at the Goodman School of Business. “Previously, students often overspecialized into either technical or business skills, but our hybrid students will have a healthy mix of both skill sets and be flexible enough to scale their technical skills as they see fit.”

The program bridges the gap between two core streams — computational data sciences and domain-specific analytics — by forming well-rounded graduates with strong core knowledge and skills in programming for big data, data infrastructures, computational statistics, data mining, business analytics and management of information systems.

“We need graduates with the ability to ‘tell’ the story through state-of-the-art visualization and the communication of business intelligence to support strategic decisions,” said Hichem Ben-El-Mechaiekh, program Co-Proponent and Professor of Mathematics.

The data science and analytics fields reflect the convergence of multiple traditional disciplines as a response to the challenges and business pressures posed by big data and associated technologies. The cross-disciplinary nature of this trend requires an innovative curriculum design that addresses the portfolio of skills needed by current students to succeed in this field.

For further program details, please contact Ayanso at aayanso@brocku.ca