19 June 2012

Business intelligence first at Dundee

Business intelligence and analytics has become one of the most important and cutting edge sectors of our modern economy, powering some of the world's biggest companies.

Now the first cohort of students on a Dundee University course created specifically to provide the next generation of innovative thinkers who are also experts in data handling is set to graduate.

Twenty students from the Masters in Business Intelligence course graduate today, all of whom already have jobs.

"Business Intelligence and Data Science are absolutely essential to allow companies to extract useful information from the mass of data they collect." said Professor Mark Whitehorn, Chair of Analytics at the University of Dundee.

"Of course the production of huge quantities of data isn't limited to the commercial world; it is also true in scientific and health research. The School of Computing has very close links to companies like Teradata and Microsoft but also to departments within the university like Life Sciences. This leaves us uniquely placed to help both the commercial and scientific worlds to work together and maximise the value of their data, both in terms of money and knowledge.

"It also means that we can deliver Masters courses that enable our students to provide solutions for both worlds."

Among the graduating students in the first cohort is Chris Hillman, who is earning his first degree at the age of 43.

"I've been working in IT for 18 years after having been a bus driver when I left school," said Chris, who lives in London and studied for the Masters programme as a part-time student. "I'd never been to university so to go straight on to a Masters degree was quite unusual.

"It has been great for me as I've got a new job as a direct result of being on the course, working for Teradata. And I'm going back to the University to study for a PhD part-time, so I might be a graduate for a second time by the time I'm 50!"

For more information on the Business Intelligence course at Dundee see; www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/study/postgrad/degreedetails.asp?13.

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