Strathmore University has announced the availability of Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics (MSc. DSA).
The new program is a unique graduate program that aims to equip learners with a robust mastery of the business and IT industry of Data Science and Analytics.
It is also targeting to provide the Kenyan market with highly skilled data scientists.
The program is a collaboration between the institution (Strathmore Institute of Mathematical Sciences (SIMS)) and @iLabAfrica Research and Innovation Centre.
The University acknowledges the benefits of the course in the current world.
Of course, it is also believed that some elements of data science and business analytics have been around for a long time, but there are significant new questions and opportunities created by the availability of big data and major advancements in the area.
The field is diverse and brings a new set of features for learners. For instance, while the notion that analytical techniques can be used to make sense of and derive insights from data, one obvious difference today is the rapid pace at which economic and social transactions are moving online, allowing for the digital capture of big data.
The ability to understand the structure and content of human discourse has considerably expanded the dimensionality of data sets available. As a result, the set of opportunities for inquiry has exploded exponentially with readily available large and complex data sets related to any type of phenomenon learners would want to study.
And Strathmore believes it can do just that with the new Graduate School course.
What they said
“We need to use data science to understand customer behavior. Even the media industry need understand the customer in a very special way where data will help to customize news, they provide individual customers on various different platforms depending on the consumers generated patterns,” said Chief Guest speaker, Dr. Julius Kipng’etich – Group CEO Jubilee Insurance at the launch event.
“The answers are already there in the data, which is everywhere, but somehow we are not using these data. We keep using the old methods yet, if we just did the analysis, we would find the appropriate answers we are looking for in our organizations,” said Dr. Vincent Ogutu – Vice Chancellor Designate, Strathmore University.
“Data science is combination of skills where people are able to understand mathematical models, how to implement these models using computer programs, applications and software and then apply this knowledge into businesses,” stated Dr. Sevilla – Director of @iLabAfrica – Strathmore University