Florida Polytechnic University: Delivering State-of-the-Art Analytics and Data Science Education

Florida Polytechnic University provides leading-edge degree programs that prepare graduates to take on today’s fastest-growing fields. The university’s mission is to serve students and industry through excellence in education, discovery, and application of engineering and applied sciences.  

Comprehensive Analytics and Data Science Courses

The department of Data Science and Business Analytics (DSBA) offers two innovative undergraduate degrees in data science and business analytics, and graduate degree tracks in data science and engineering management. With cutting-edge concepts, techniques, and practices, the university’s data science program focuses on the fundamentals of applied mathematics, computer science, probability, statistics, optimization, and machine learning while incorporating real-world examples. The business analytics curriculum provides training in the skills needed to solve complex problems that occur in the management of big data analytics, marketing, finance, and innovation and technology. The department offers data analytics expertise with a business focus by offering a program specially designed to prepare students for top jobs in today’s high-technology and data-intensive business world.  

A Distinguished Leadership

Dr. Shahram Taj, Chair of the Department, started at Florida Poly in 2016 after almost 30 years in academia and industry. The reason he came to this young university was to develop an advanced, highly innovative program. The university has since launched a series of data science and business analytics programs and hired faculty with outstanding expertise. With the help of Dr. Taj, the university has been successful in building an amazing program and produced graduates who are quickly employed at leading technology companies in high-paying jobs.  

Setting Itself Apart from Other Institutes

Florida Poly has one of the few departments of data science and business analytics in the country where students pursuing careers in those disciplines belong to a single department with faculty who have a wide range of expertise related to their fields. At other universities, these kinds of programs can be spread out across multiple departments. The DSBA department of Florida Poly is a holistic program designed to support the cornerstone principles of data science and business analytics. Its small classes enable the world-class faculty to connect easily with students and share their real-world industry experiences.  

Provision of Practical Exposure to the Students

During their senior year, all the departmental students complete a one-year capstone design project sponsored by a company. Each student must also complete an internship before graduation. Because of these projects and the nature of the university, students are going to be job-ready on day one. The university’s faculty not only have excellent academic backgrounds but also have a high level of industry experience. Through that experience, they instill in students those soft skills, that are very important, so the students are ready to navigate the reality of the modern workplace. The students get the opportunities to engage in research as both graduates and undergraduates, and the university partners with international institutions such as the Fulbright Program and the prestigious Centro Universitário Faces in Brazil. Recently, a graduate student in this program has completed an extensive research project with Facens that will have a direct impact on the future traffic flow of a major Brazilian city.  

Contributing to the Growth of Analytics and Big Data Education

One of the contributions in this field of education from the Florida Poly DSBA department is the development of a strong curriculum in data science and business analytics. This includes the creation of innovative courses and talking about advanced topics in data science and business analytics. Examples of these innovative courses include data visualization, data wrangling, topics in big data analytics, and statistical learning. The courses created are now being adopted by other universities. In addition, outstanding faculties like Dr. Shahram Taj and Dr. Rei Sanchez-Arias, have presented at international conferences, sharing details about their curriculum, their mission, and the priority of their programs. The DSBA department at Florida Poly has been years ahead of other institutions. Its courses and programs are early adopters and motivators of new Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes, that better define the field. It also has an industry advisory board that meets regularly. These are professionals and experts in their fields at major companies who review the programs and curriculum and provide feedback to improve the programs and launch new courses. The department tries to fill the unmet needs of industry, and that is why their students are highly sought after.  

Stories of Success that Define the Mission

Florida Poly has successfully created Florida’s first undergraduate concentration in health systems engineering, led by Dr. Grisselle Centeno. In 2020, both annual Ablaze internal university faculty awards were presented to members of the DSBA department for excellence in teaching and excellence in research. The university hires faculty who are experts in emerging fields, which were practically nonexistent just 15 years ago. The Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute (FIPR), part of Florida Poly, presents its students with the unique opportunity to do research work with the institute, under the direction of Dr. Jim Mennie, a faculty member in business analytics. Their industry advisory group is also a very valuable asset.  

Significant Challenges Faced by the Analytics Department in the University

Florida Poly faces challenges in recruiting full-time and part-time faculty in the analytics department because this is a very new and emerging field. While this may be easier to do in a large area like Houston or Detroit, the university still has been successful in communicating the benefits of its program and commitment to providing students with the skills and education they will need to succeed in today’s fastest-growing fields.  

What the Future Holds for Analytics Education

With every passing day, the analytics department of the university has an increasing need to incorporate data science and business analytics principles in all fields. Both undergraduate and graduate degrees in these areas will continue to rise. Florida Poly offers very targeted concentrations that are continuously reviewed and evaluated for potential adaptation or establishment. That is the reason for the logistics analytics or health systems engineering concentrations. As there are needs in the future, such as for FinTech, it can address those and meet them. The growth of analytics education will be guided and supported by all the other disciplines that will begin learning and embracing the power of data in their fields. The department will soon start seeing applications of analytics and data science in a variety of new disciplines as these evolve.