ABET, a national accrediting body for programs in science, technology, and engineering, is the first of only two data science programs in the United States where a bachelor’s degree in data science from Northern Kentucky University earns accreditation through the organization’s rigorous assessment process. announced that it will be of

Founded in 1932 and formerly known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, ABET accredits 4,361 programs at 850 universities in 41 countries. NKU’s engineering technology program has been ABET accredited since 1994.

Over the past decade, data science has emerged as an important new field, and ABET has announced that it will create accreditation standards for it. NKU has made him one of his two universities to undergo the initial accreditation process in 2020.

(Photo credit: NKU)

NKU’s Data Science program was the third undergraduate degree program in the United States and the first in the Cincinnati area when it launched in 2013. The degree is offered at the new School of Computing and Analytics at the NKU College of Informatics. The program focuses on big data analytics and machine learning, combining a rigorous background in computer science and statistics with real-world pinnacle projects.

Allen Detmer, VP and Cognitive Computing Architect at Fidelity Investments, got a first-hand look at the work of NKU’s top data science students in May. This project used artificial intelligence techniques to perform sentiment analysis on social media posts.

“The culmination project with NKU students for the 2021/22 academic year was a successful and rewarding experience,” says Detmer. “Their progress has consistently exceeded our expectations and they have accomplished more in one semester. Students work outside the confines of traditional courses and research projects with minimal guidance from Fidelity. It has driven many aspects and their final presentation has given us useful insights to further develop the Fidelity product.”

From the beginning, NKU leaders recognized that data science does many things at once. “We started forming our data science program in 2011,” said Dr. Kevin Kirby, president of the NKU College of Informatics. “Computers He has built an interdisciplinary faculty team in science, statistics and business information systems, because a good data scientist must be a true Renaissance man with a wide range of skills.”

NKU’s Data Science degree is the starting point for a successful career. Parker Kain graduated from the program in 2019 and is currently in Cincinnati where he is a Senior Data Scientist at 84.51º.

Kain said: From data manipulation and analysis to visualization and storytelling, the program provides a strong foundation. All the while, the program gives students the leeway to explore their interests with open-ended project work while allowing them to dive deeper into their chosen field. It was an amazing jumping off point for my career and allowed me to understand the life cycle of true data science. This has allowed me to have a greater impact on my work. ”

ABET’s approach to accreditation focuses on learning outcomes and towards the set of attributes that professionals must possess in order to excel in their field. Dr. Maureen Doyle, Chair of the Computer Science Division, led the NKU effort by creating her guide to the Data Her Science Curriculum in a workgroup at the Association of Computing Machinery. Dr. Seth Adjei of the NKU School of Computing and Analytics served as project leader.

“ABET’s accreditation review process is rigorous and thorough in evaluating program content, evaluation, and university support,” says Doyle. “The ABET team meets everyone from students to university presidents. His NKU colleagues in the library, the president’s office, and the Office of Mathematics and Statistics all contributed to this achievement. We are proud to have worked with NKU.”

As a data science leader, NKU is also working to bring K-12 students into the field. NKU is WeLead CS’s primary university partner. WeLead CS is an initiative to expand access to early college career paths in computing for high school students in Kentucky. House Bill 680 was passed by the Kentucky Legislature and signed into law by the governor in May, telling WeLead CS to “develop the nation’s first continuous high school career path to prepare students for a career in data science.” I’m looking for Early efforts are being implemented through iLEAD, a local career academy for high school students in her five rural counties.

“The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of jobs requiring data science skills will increase 27.9% by 2026,” said Alicia Sells, innovation director at the Ohio Valley Education Cooperative. increase. “With a national average salary of over $176,000 for a data scientist, it is imperative in Kentucky that students are prepared for these opportunities. developed a dual college credit program that provides a seamless pipeline to a data science bachelor’s degree in Kentucky.This talent development strategy is a smart education and economic development policy for Kentucky’s future. ABET accreditation gives us great confidence in our efforts to engage schools, students and parents.”

Since 2005, the NKU College of Informatics has brought together a wide range of information-focused disciplines, from journalism to software engineering. It has been the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security’s Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber ​​Defense Education since 2015.NKU’s Data Science program is one of a cluster of degree programs that are experiencing a sudden new growth at the university. Enrollment in NKU’s Computer Science and Software Engineering program cluster, which includes Data Science, has increased by more than 18% compared to a year ago.

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